Vegan Dal Makhani

Step 1: Prepare Legumes

Rinse and scrub the whole urad dal and kidney beans several times under running water until the water runs clear. Add a little baking soda to the water and soak the legumes for 8 hours. After soaking, drain the legumes and give them a few more rinses and scrubs.

Step 2: Cook Legumes

Place the rinsed dal and beans in a pot and cover them with a couple of inches of water. Bring to a boil, then use a metal spoon to skim off any foam that develops at the top. Boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 80-90 minutes until the legumes are really soft and tender. This ensures a creamy dal. (Alternatively, use an Instant Pot for faster cooking).

Step 3: Prepare Spices and Aromatics

Gather all whole spices (cumin seeds, whole cloves, seeds from cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaf) and ground spices (freshly grated nutmeg, coriander powder, Indian red chili powder, black pepper, kosher salt). Finely dice the red onion. Grate about 1-2 inches of ginger and finely chop 4 cloves of garlic. Dice 2 medium tomatoes.

Step 4: Bloom Whole Spices

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the whole spices (cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaf). The oil and heat will unlock their essential oils and flavor compounds. The seeds will start to sizzle. Swirl the pan frequently to prevent burning. Cook for 45-60 seconds.

Step 5: Sauté Aromatics

Add the finely diced red onion to the pan. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until they start to brown. Add a little water at the end to prevent them from getting too brown. Next, add the grated ginger and chopped garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.

Step 6: Cook Ground Spices and Tomatoes

Add the ground spice blend (nutmeg, coriander, red chili, black pepper, salt) and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the pan. Stir frequently for 1-1.5 minutes. Then, add the diced tomatoes. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until they are broken down, really soft, and the mixture starts to thicken.

Step 7: Combine Dal and Sauce

Drain the cooked beans and lentils, reserving the cooking liquid. Add enough water to the reserved cooking liquid to make about 3.5-4 cups total. Pour this liquid into the pan with the aromatics and spices, scraping up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Roughly mash the cooked beans and lentils using a potato masher, large wooden spoon, or fork. Add the mashed beans and lentils to the pot.

Step 8: Simmer for Creaminess

Bring the dal to a simmer. Simmer for at least 1 hour, preferably 80 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent sticking. If the dal starts to look dry, add some boiled water from a kettle to top it off. Stir in 1/2 cup of coconut milk (or homemade cashew cream) and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 9: Perform Dhungar Method (Smoking)

Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the dal. Heat a 1-2 inch lump charcoal piece over an open flame on your stove until it turns red hot in spots and looks a little white (about 2 minutes). Place a small glass or steel bowl in the middle of the dal. Carefully add the hot charcoal into the bowl. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of oil over the charcoal; it will immediately start smoking. Quickly cover the pan to trap the smoke, allowing it to infuse the dal. Let this sit for 2-3 minutes.

Step 10: Final Flavor Adjustments

Chop the cilantro. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the dal. Stir in the chopped cilantro. The acidity from the lemon juice helps to balance the spiciness.

Step 11: Prepare Tadka

In a separate small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter over medium heat. Add thinly sliced ginger (optional) and sauté for 30 seconds. Use your hands to crush in 1 tablespoon of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), then add 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder. Stir for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 12: Serve Dal Makhani

Pour the prepared tadka directly on top of the dal. This will give it an extra flavor punch. Serve the dal hot over white rice or scoop it up with some flatbread like vegan naan.

• Adding baking soda during soaking helps soften the beans for quicker cooking.

• Boil kidney beans for 10 minutes before simmering to neutralize lectins.

• For faster cooking, use an Instant Pot (instructions in the blog post).

• Homemade cashew cream can be used as an alternative to coconut milk for creaminess.

• Stir the dal every 10 minutes during simmering to prevent sticking.

• Add boiled water if the dal starts to look dry during simmering.

• The Dhungar method is optional but highly recommended for a smoky flavor.

• The final tadka adds an extra flavor punch and should not be skipped.

• Use an Instant Pot to significantly reduce cooking time for the dal and beans.

• Substitute coconut milk with homemade cashew cream (soaked raw cashews blended with water, lemon juice, and salt) for a different creamy texture.