How to make restaurant style non-dairy Dal Makhani. Vegan gluten-free Soy-free Indian Recipe. Instant Pot Option.
Hi you all. I am also sharing this yummylicious restaurant style Dal at Vedged Out today! I discovered Somer via Kristy and have been hooked to Vedged Out since. All the positive energy, amazing food, her personality, keep me visting her for more and more. Wish you a consistent and good recovery Somer. Thank you for opening up your space to us.
Beans and lentils, are what we eat pretty much everyday as a part of Indian meals. They end up on the plate usually in a Dal preparation. Some other days in Burgers, pizzas, and more too. Dals are my comfort food, as well as something I would serve as a part of an Indian meal at an event. Amp up the earthy lentils with some specific spices, non dairy milk/butter, different methods of Tadka/Tempering and there you have a delicious hearty bowl of goodness.
Today, I am bringing you my Mom’s Dal Makhani. The lentils used are Whole black gram and Kidney beans. Makhani means creamy and buttery. The non vegan version of this Dal contains a good load of cream, ghee(clarified butter) and butter. Mom is now quite adept at vegan-izing things. So when I asked her what she was going to do about the Makhani part, she said just wait and watch and added some almond milk and cashew milk for a similar taste and it worked perfectly. I served the Dal with a teaspoon of Earth balance on top per bowl. And you should have seen the bliss on my Dad’s face:) My omni brother also guzzled down bowls and bowls full of the Dal.
If you cant find the lentils used for this Dal, use any similar sized lentil or bean as a substitute from your local store such as black caviar lentils, green or brown lentils, green moong beans. Substitute black beans for kidney beans or just add more lentils.
Lots more Dals, Bean/Lentil Stews here
Black gram/ Urad Whole (Black Matpe Bean)
Black gram is different than black lentils. Black gram looks like a black mung bean, fat and cylindrical, while black lentils(beluga) are black colored flat lentils. You can use black lentils or other lentils in this recipe if you don’t have black gram. I have only seen it in Indian stores and online, so it can be difficult to come by.
Red Kidney Beans
Whole Urad lentils, Vigna mungo, black gram or black lentil are these pretty lentils which look like black Mung beans. The beans are available as whole or split or split+skinned like most whole lentils in India.
Urad lentils are also extensively used in South Indian culinary preparations, such as dosa crepes, idli – steamed lentil cakes, vada – savory doughnuts, and Papad/Papadum (Ground into flour or soaked and fermented etc).
Step by step photos:
Tempering/Tadka Ingredients.
Heat oil. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant.
Add garlic, ginger, chili and cook until golden.
Add onions and cook until translucent.
Add tomatoes, asafetida, garam masala and cook until tomatoes are tender.
Add tempering to cooked beans. Add milks, mix well.
Cook until the beans are mushy.
Serve hot topped with a dollop of vegan butter or olive oil. The pictured Dal is cooked in a pressure cooker that breaks the beans down really well. If using slow cooker or crockpot to cook the dal, mash some of the dal with a spatula.
See below for Instant Pot instructions in the Recipe notes.
Vegan Dal Makhani - Black lentils and Beans in creamy buttery gravy
How to make restaurant style non-dairy Dal Makhani. gluten-free Soy-free Indian Recipe. Instant Pot Option in notes
Servings: 4
Calories: 233kcal
Ingredients
For the Lentils:
- 1 cup (200 g) whole black gram , Urad Whole or use black lentils(see first paragraph for sub options)
- 1/2 cup (88.5 g) kidney beans , Rajma
- 3.5 cups (875 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) red chili powder or cayenne or to taste
For the Tempering:
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2-3 (2 ) green chilis finely chopped I use Serrano chili pepper
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped
- 5-6 (5 ) garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 medium size onion chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) asafoetida hing
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) turmeric powder
- 2 medium size tomatoes chopped
- 1 teaspoon garam masala regular or punjabi
- 1 Tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves Kasoori methi, or Use a 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek/methi seeds-Optional
- 2 Tablespoons Almond milk
- 1/3 cup (78.9 ml) Cashew milk Blend 3 tbsp cashews in 1/3 cup water until smooth.
- Vegan butter such as Earth Balance as needed
Instructions
- Soak the lentils and beans overnight.
- Pressure cook black gram and Kidney beans in 3.5 cups of water with salt and chili powder for 3-4 whistles (25 minutes at high pressure once pressure has reached).
- Or use a slow cooker to cook urad beans and keep ready. Kidney beans cannot be cooked in a slow cooker from raw state, so use 1 cup cooked canned beans.
- In a large pan, add oil and heat on medium-high heat.
- Add cumin seeds and cook till they start to change color.
- Add ginger, garlic and green chili and saute until golden.
- Add onion, asafetida and cook until translucent.
- Add the tomato and turmeric and cook until tomatoes are mushy. (13-15 minutes till this step).
- Add the cooked black gram, kidney beans and the water they were cooked in.
- Add garam masala, fenugreek and the milks. Mix, taste and adjust salt.
- Add more water if the mixture is too thick.
- Simmer on low heat till the dals/beans are totally soft. Mash some of the lentils with the spatula. 30 minutes.
- Or Pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure once the pressure has reached. (1 whistle + simmer for 5)
- Top with a small dollop of vegan butter or olive oil and cilantro.
- Serve with Roti/Naan flatbread or Rice Pilaf or other cooked grains like Quinoa, millet.
Notes
Instant Pot:
- Soak the lentils and beans overnight.
- Pressure cook black gram and Kidney beans in 3.5 cups of water with salt and chili powder for 30 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally.
- In a large pan or a cleaned out instant pot, add oil and heat on medium-high heat or saute mode in the IP.
- Add cumin seeds and cook till they start to change color.
- Add ginger, garlic and green chili and saute until golden.
- Add onion, asafetida and cook until translucent.
- Add the tomato and turmeric and cook until tomatoes are mushy. (13-15 minutes till this step). Deglaze with 2 tbsp of water if needed.
- Add the cooked black gram, kidney beans and the water they were cooked in.
- Add garam masala, fenugreek and the milks. Mix really well to pick up any stuck bits, taste and adjust salt.
- Add more water if the mixture is too thick.
- Pressure cook for 5 to 10 mins, Or simmer on saute for 30 minutes.(depends on your preferred consistency of the beans). Mash some of the lentils with the spatula.
- Top with a small dollop of vegan butter or olive oil and cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Dal Makhani - Black lentils and Beans in creamy buttery gravy
Amount Per Serving
Calories 233 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Sodium 606mg26%
Potassium 267mg8%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 13g54%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 585IU12%
Vitamin C 16.4mg20%
Calcium 76mg8%
Iron 4.8mg27%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
talli says
October 11, 2019 at 11:27 amhi richa, i would like to make this dish using your instant pot instructions but i have one question with step 11.
i pressure cook 5-10 min and then mash. then it simply says 30 min. 30 min what? pressure cook again or wait ?
thank you in advance, i absolutely love allo of your recipes
Chad says
November 19, 2019 at 7:13 pmDid you get an answer to this? I had the same question
Richa says
November 19, 2019 at 8:57 pmah the simmer instruction got missed, its either pressure cook for the5-10 mins or simmer for 30 mins. just like the stove top instructions above.
Rekha says
February 3, 2020 at 7:27 amHi! Sorry, I’m just not getting it! I tried cooking black lentils before and it came out hard as rocks!
Do you set manual pressure cooking mode on instapot to 10 minutes??
Thanks!
Rekha
Richa says
February 3, 2020 at 11:29 amThey are cooked twice. First time — Pressure cook black gram and Kidney beans in 3.5 cups of water with salt and chili powder for 30 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally. And then second time with the spices for 5 minutes.
Rekha says
February 3, 2020 at 5:10 pmThank you!!!
Love you and all your recipes, Btw!!
Genevieve says
October 26, 2019 at 7:05 amDo you cook the beans and lentis together in the instantpot?
Richa says
November 12, 2019 at 11:47 amyes, i refer to the lentils as lentils or black gram interchangeably. I’ll update it to use lentils for whereveer they are referred
Lilia says
November 1, 2019 at 5:57 pmI made it without chili – my preference – and I simply cooked the beans in the instant pot with the sauteed onions and spices instead of boiling them ahead of time. It’s absolutely delicious.
Richa says
November 1, 2019 at 7:07 pmAwesome!
Suzanne says
November 18, 2019 at 12:25 pmThis dal makhani is so delicious, thank you! I love your recipes, and so does my non-vegan Indian-food-loving husband!
Shalena says
March 2, 2020 at 4:31 pmAbsolutely love this recipe. Simple to make and delicious!
E. says
June 22, 2020 at 8:57 pmCan I use the split urad (chilka)? Also, I can’t find asafoetida anywhere: can I skip it without sacrificing flavor? And i also have frozen fenugreek leaves: can I substitute 1:1 for the dried leaves? Thank you!
Richa says
June 22, 2020 at 9:30 pmYes you can use it. Cook time would reduce by 10 mins. Omit asafetida. And yes soak it for atleast an hour
E. says
June 22, 2020 at 9:01 pmPS. Would you soak the split urad overnight? Thanks much.