Try my easy, one-pot Vegan Dal Makhani, the most delicious Indian dal ever. This traditional dal makhani recipe has been made lighter and healthier but tastes just like the one at the restaurant. The best part is that it pretty much cooks by itself in the slow cooker, last for days, and can also be made ahead and frozen.
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What is Dal Makhani?
A simple dal is a staple at virtually every meal in an Indian household. The most common everyday dals are masoor dal (red lentils), mung dal (small yellow lentils/split and dehusked mung bean), toor dal (split pigeon peas) or chana dal (split yellow peas). But there is a special kind of dal hailing from Punjab in northern India which has the title of the king of dals. It is called Dal Makhani, is made with black whole urad dal, and is truly a celebratory dal.
From gracing the menu of every single restaurant specializing in North Indian cuisine to roadside eateries called dhabas, dal makhani is a smoky, creamy concoction of lentils slow-cooked till they melt in your mouth, clever spices and loads of butter. After all, it has to live up to its name makhani, which in the world of Indian cuisine means made in a rich sauce of butter, onion, tomato and cream.
Cooking with Black Urad Dal or Black Matpe Bean
Dal Makhani is traditionally made with black urad dal (also known as black matpe bean, black gram or mungo bean). It looks like a black mung bean. Black urad dal is tough and needs a longer cooking time. Soaking is a must for this dal to achieve optimum creaminess. Slow cooking really helps draw out the flavour of the bean and makes it melt-in-you-mouth. And the bean holds its shape even after six hours in the slow cooker, making this dal makhani a textural delight.
How to make Dal Makhani healthier and delicious
Dal makhani is a rich dal. Which is why most people in India seldom cook it at home. It is predominantly served at weddings and is a must-have indulgence when dining at restaurants. We love dal makhani at home so much, that I have created a lighter version that is vegan and doesn't have copious amounts of butter, ghee and cream to overload your system. In fact, a blind taste test would find you hard-pressed to differentiate between the traditional dairy-laden version and this lighter one. It is that good! And oh so creamy.
Here is how I make this Vegan Dal Makhani healthier and packed with that rich, traditional flavour.
- Ensure the black urad dal gets a good soak before cooking. This activates the bean and draws out the flavour during cooking.
- Use a generous amount of aromatics and spices when cooking the dal.
- Add a tarka/tadka (tempering with oil and whole spices) to the finished dal for an extra flavour boost.
- Substitute butter and cream with light coconut milk.
- Traditional dal makhani would have a smoky flavour from being cooked on coals, I have imparted the same flavour using smoked paprika.
Ingredients And Substitutions
With a humble list of ingredients you will find very easily in your supermarket or regular grocery store, this dal is incredibly delicious in its simplicity. Here is what you will need.
How to make Dal Makhani?
- Wash black urad dal in cold water.
- Rinse it several times and drain. Pick out any impurities (broken dal etc.)
3. Soak black urad dal in hot water.
4. As it soaks, the dal will swell up and the water will reduce.
5. Add urad dal and soaking water to the slow cooker.
6. Fry whole spices, ginger and garlic in oil.
7. Cook the onion until caramelized.
8. Add ground spices.
9. Cook mixture until soft and fragrant.
10. Add onion and spice mixture to the slow cooker.
11. Add canned tomatoes to the slow cooker.
12. Add coconut milk.
13. Mix well and cook for a few hours.
14. When cooked the dal makhani will be creamy and luscious.
15. Fish out the whole spices and discard.
16. Make the tarka by frying chilli and ginger in oil.
Ladle the chilli-ginger-oil tarka on top of the dal makhani. Drizzle with whipped coconut cream. Garnish with coriander.
Health benefits of black urad dal or black lentils.
Black urad or black gram as is commonly known in India has incredible health benefits.
- Black urad dal is an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, making it a great liver stimulant and wonderful for digestion.
- It is extremely rich in magnesium and potassium, thereby promoting heart health and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.
- It is rich in iron, boosting energy levels and great for skin and hair health.
Serving Suggestions
I cook this dal makhani overnight in a slow cooker, it cannot get easier than that. But I have also cooked it on the hob and in the oven. It is extremely versatile (I have shared both methods below).
So the next time you have a dinner party, make this effortless dal makhani along with these dishes to wow your guests.
Recipe FAQs
A tarka (or tadka) is a tempering technique used in Indian cooking to finish off a usually bland dish like a dal for extra flavour.
In this technique, whole spices like garlic, ginger, chilli, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves are lightly fried in oil until fragrant and then ladled over the finished dish.
Tes, you can freeze this dal in airtight freezer-safe containers in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, simply pop it in the microwave. You may need to add a bit of water to loosen the dal as it thaws.
Traditionally Dal Makhani is made with black urad dal which is actually a bean. It is also known as black matpe bean or mungo bean. It looks like a smaller version of black turtle beans (commonly used for Mexican cooking).
Recipe
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Ingredients
for the dal (lentils)
- 300 g black urad dal
- 4 cups water, (for soaking)
for the dal base
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or coconut oil
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, (or sweet paprika)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 400 g diced tomatoes, canned
- 300 ml coconut milk, full fat
- 2 teaspoons flaky salt
for the tempering (tadka/tarka)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or ghee
- 1 tablespoon red cayenne chilli, thinly sliced
- 1/2 inch ginger, julienned
to finish
- handful of fresh coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoons whipped coconut cream
Instructions
- Wash, rinse and soak the urad dal in 4 cups of cool water for 2 hours or 4 cups of hot water for 1 hour.
- Place soaked dal along with the soaking water in the bowl of a slow cooker and cook on high for half an hour.
Prepare the tempering
- Heat olive oil in a large shallow frying pan. Sauté onion, ginger, garlic, bay leaves and cinnamon on medium for a couple of minutes until onion is caramelised.
- Add turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, chilli and paprika. Sauté for a couple of minutes until spices are toasted and aromatic.
- Add the tempering to the dal in the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and salt. Mix well.
- Cover and slow cook on low for 6 hours. The consistency of the finished dal should be that of a loose porridge. If it is drier than that, add half a cup of water to loosen the dal in the last stages of cooking.
To finish the dal
- Heat oil in a small frying pan on medium heat. Sauté the chilli and ginger strips for 30 seconds until golden. Remove from heat and pour over the dal.
- Garnish with coriander and swirl through the coconut cream. Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice and lemon wedges on the side.
In the content of the post it states soak the black urad Dahl in hot water; but the recipe instructions say soak in cool water… just wondering which way to go: hot or cool? Many thanks
Hello Ayn, thank you for pointing that out. I have fixed the recipe. If soaking in cold water, soak for 2 hours. If soaking in hot water 30 mins-1 hour is plenty.
Hello
IT looks tempting. My question is can I make this dish without tomatoes or what can I substitute for?
Thank you
Ellen
Great recipe. Will try onion free younger celeriac and tomato free using red peppers for son who can't eat either
I've just cooked mine!! Incredibley delicious and divine!!!! This recipe is a keeper. I used coconut oil instead of olive and added a touch of corn flour to thicken the sauce up. Delish X
Yum! Soaked my dhal in the morning and cooked it stove top in the late afternoon. Added a little extra lemon juice for additional acidity before serving, just the way I like it and it's a winner! Delicious and nutritious.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
My wife is allergic to coconut, so we substituted coconut milk with yoghurt (we're not vegan) and ground almonds. Not having a slow-cooker, we used tea light candles under the cast iron pot.
Absolutely delicious, would highly recommend trying this 🙂
I was so excited to make this and it smells amazing but my black dal are not getting soft and it's been 6 hours in the slow cooker. I've followed the recipe directions and even ordered the proper daal from amazon - not black lentils! Any suggestions on getting it to go toward the 'porridge' consistency you mention? It's staying very soup-like right now........
Hi Amy! If the beans haven't gotten soft and still watery, they need more heat to cook and absorb the water. Different slow cookers (brands and sizes) can render different cooking times. Just make sure you have covered it and try cooking on high for 2 hours or so. I promise it will get soft and porridge-like once it hits the sweet spot. Alternatively, you could continue cooking it on low for a longer duration. Hope that helps!
Excellent and so easy. I had Whole Foods black lentils, so glad I saw the comment regarding the difference in cooking times.
Personal taste I thought it needed a bit of black pepper. I actually used ground grains of paradise, which I often use in place of pepper. Also added some corn starch at the end to thicken to consistency I remember from restaurants, because the wonderful smell made me too impatient to reduce by simmering.
Absolutely love this recipe. Simple to make and delicious!
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.
This was so wonderful and hit the spot for my family. Just so satisfying and yummy!
Thanks so much for the great recipes, beautiful photos, and informative descriptions. We can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
I loved this recipe, it has become one of our household favourites!
Thank you
This is a fantastic recipe, I loved it as did my whole family.Thank you and keep them coming, you are an inspiration.
Thank you for your lovely feedback!
Can I use split black Matpe beans without husks?
You could use them but the texture and colour will be very different. The dal will definitely be stickier and more viscous. If you are using the split beans, add whole french lentils as well (I would say half and half) to get that texture going. x
Just put my beans to soak. This recipe looks delicious! I would normally use coconut milk but ran out and don’t want to go out for it. Do you think I can use evaporated milk instead?
yes absolutely. That would work too. Even a combo of milk and cream works. Cheers!
This was simply amazing, one of the best dishes I have ever made. I found it needed less than 3 hours simmering on the cooker top at the lowest possible heat, even though I used black gram. If slow cooking in the oven, what would the timing and temperature be I wonder?
Can the canned tomatoes be replaced with fresh diced tomatoes?
yes they can. I would use 2-3 big ripe tomatoes so there is lots of juice/pulp action going.
cookrepublic Dal Makhani (Creamy Black Lentil Dal) made today in the slow cooker. Love abit of Sunday batch cooking!
Do you have the nutritional breakdown for this recipe? Thanks
Hi, can this dal be cooked in an instant pot? ( to reduce time of cooking) or it has to be slow cooked?
Hi I don’t have a slow cooker or an oven. Would this work on a hob?
Hello Lilly, I have instructions for the Cooktop method in my recipe notes (check the recipe box). thanks!
This is finger-licking good! This is my first time cooking dal, and it's simply amazing.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, Sneh!
Amazing! So glad you loved it x
I'm trying to find the perfect black dal recipe to recreate one that I had in India. If I wanted to make it non-vegan would I be able to replace the coconut milk with cows milk, and the coconut cream with heavy cream? Thanks!
Yes, you could definitely try it that way. I think it would work. This vegan version also tastes like the real deal. You can't tell that it has coconut milk x
Delicious with no modifications, thank you!
Hello! I've been looking for an easy dal makhani recipe and this looks like a winner. Quick questions: I assume this is for a giant slow-cooker? How would you scale it down for a small slow-cooker? If I just halve everything do you think it would still work? How about the cooking time? Thanks!
Hi Erika, I made this in my 5.5-6L slow cooker which would be average sized I am assuming. I definitely don't have a super-sized one. And even in that slow cooker, this recipe just fills about half of the cooker. So in case you have a smaller sized cooker, this recipe should work just fine. Cheers! x
Made a batch for the dinner tomorrow night and freezer but how many portions (adult) is this recipe for? I've got 5 individual foil takeaway type dishes but if I condensed to 4 it seems like alot (and I need to use bigger dishes!)
Robin, this will easily serve 8-10 if having just this with rice, more if you have sides. It freezes well. I usually get two dinners (for 4) and then a 500ml-700ml frozen portion for later. x
Made for dinner tonight and it was super tasty! Only tweaks were some lemon juice and tomato paste as it lacked some acidity (I think the tomato acidity cooked off because of the time).
So glad you loved it and modified it to suit your taste. The traditional recipe is a creamy, luscious, mild affair and the acidity is supposed to be cooked off to bring out those creamy but velvet notes (a trademark of "dum" or North Indian Style curries). Your version does sound lovely and I am mentally noting the addition of lemon juice when I cook it next time. Thanks!
This recipe is delicious. I love the stories and information behind your recipes too. It made a big difference adding the coconut cream and ginger/chilli at the end. So yummy. I had roasted cauliflower and pumpkin with mine. I can’t wait to try more recipes of yours. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try some of your new ones out! What next...,hmm
Oh so glad you tried this one Esther and loved it, it is a favourite of ours. So shockingly easy and delicious in the slow cooker. I bet it tasted divine with that cauliflower and pumpkin 🙂 x
We're doing vegan January and I looked up this recipe expecting to find it couldn't be done - I was a initially sceptical about the coconut milk as I hate the taste of coconut, but the end result is indistingushable from the original! I changed the recipe a bit, towards my usual recipe (i.e. lazy) -no precooking of anything, just add all the ingredients and simmer for 6 hours (I'd do 3 if I remembered to soak the dal).
Nom nom.
This dish was so delicious - thank you. I think I may have used the wrong lentils also however adjusted the cooking time and bang - a winner. Finished it off with a dollop of cream and some grated lemon rind. Thank you so much I will definitely be doing this again.
This recipe looks amazing and it's on our meal plan for the week. My husband bought black lentils from Whole Foods (they are small and look similar to the ones pictured). Will they work/are they the same thing as black urad dal? Thanks!
Sarah, are they flat discs? Like this or oval beans like the ones in this post? If they are flat discs, they are black lentils (black Beluga lentils) and you would need less cooking time and less water (2.5 - 3 cups water with a cooking time of 3 hours on low in the slow cooker or 1-1.5 hours on medium-low on the cooktop). Hope that helps. x
Thanks so much- they ended up being Beluga lentils and I looked up another recipe on how to slow cook them (no soaking, cooked for 6 hours on low), and followed everything else in your recipe-- it was DELICIOUS! My husband ate the lentils 2x/day because he loved them so much. Great recipe!