Name: Urad Dal Makhani
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Indian (Jain)
Ingredients: 1½ cups Whole urad dal (kali dal); 3 cups Water; ¾ tsp Turmeric; 1 tsp Salt; 3 tbsp Boiled potato, mashed (toddler); 3 tbsp Ghee; 1 tsp Cumin seeds; ¼ tsp Hing; 1½ tbsp Ginger, grated; 3 tbsp Celery, chopped; 4 tbsp Tomato paste; 1½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder; 1 tsp Garam masala; ¼ tsp Sugar; 1½ tbsp Kasuri methi, crushed; ⅓ cup Heavy cream; 2 tbsp Butter; Salt, to taste, as needed; ½ tsp Butter, extra (toddler)

Dal · Meal Prep

Urad Dal Makhani

◆ Soak: overnight ◆ Cook: ~45 min ◆ 6 adult portions + toddler

~14–16g protein per adult serving — from urad dal

🌙 Night Before

Rinse whole black urad dal (1½ cups) and soak in plenty of water at least 6 hours, or overnight
Drain before pressure cooking

Ingredients

Dal

Whole urad dal (kali dal)1½ cups
Water3 cups
Turmeric¾ tsp
Salt1 tsp
Boiled potato, mashed (toddler)3 tbsp

Tempering

Ghee3 tbsp
Cumin seeds1 tsp
Hing¼ tsp
Ginger, grated1½ tbsp
Celery, chopped3 tbsp
Tomato paste4 tbsp

Spicing & finish (adults)

Kashmiri chili powder1½ tsp
Garam masala1 tsp
Sugar¼ tsp
Kasuri methi, crushed1½ tbsp
Heavy cream⅓ cup
Butter2 tbsp
Salt, to tasteas needed
Butter, extra (toddler)½ tsp

Method

1 Pressure-cook the dal

Drain soaked urad dal (1½ cups) and add to the pressure cooker with water (3 cups)
Add turmeric (¾ tsp) and salt (1 tsp)
Pressure cook 5–6 whistles on medium heat, until dal is soft and starting to break down
Once pressure releases naturally, mash lightly with the back of a ladle for a creamier texture — leave some texture, don't purée

2 Build the gravy, combine with dal

Heat ghee (3 tbsp) in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat
Add cumin seeds (1 tsp) and let them sizzle 10 seconds
Add hing (¼ tsp) and grated ginger (1½ tbsp), sauté 30 seconds until fragrant
Add celery (3 tbsp), sauté 2 minutes until softened — it gives the aromatic bulk the base needs, don't skip it
Add tomato paste (4 tbsp), cook 4–5 minutes until the raw smell is gone and ghee separates at the edges
Add the cooked dal from Step 1; stir well, adding water (as needed) to reach a thick, creamy consistency
Simmer uncovered on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't catch at the bottom

👶 Toddler — pull before any chili goes in

Scoop out a small bowl (about ¾ cup) of the plain dal now, before spicing
Mash in boiled potato (3 tbsp) and a small pat of butter (½ tsp) for extra calories and softness
Hing is fine for her — no need to skip it. Set this bowl aside; it needs no further cooking.

3 Spice and finish the adult dal, store

To the remaining dal add Kashmiri chili powder (1½ tsp), garam masala (1 tsp) and sugar (¼ tsp); simmer 5 minutes on low heat
Stir in crushed kasuri methi (1½ tbsp), cream (⅓ cup) and butter (2 tbsp)
Adjust salt (as needed); simmer 2 more minutes on low heat, then turn off
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container — keeps 4–5 days
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or milk if it has thickened

Notes Use the stovetop pressure cooker for the dal — it needs less water than open-pot cooking and gives the creamy, broken-down texture dal makhani needs. Build the gravy in a separate pan; the Instant Pot's sauté mode works too if you'd rather do it all in one pot. Serve with rice, roti, or jeera rice, plus a simple stir-fried seasonal vegetable. The sugar isn't for sweetness — it's a traditional balancing touch that rounds out the tang from tomato and bitterness from kasuri methi.