Daal Bukhara

Ingredients:

For the Dal:

• Whole Urad Dal – 500 gms
• Tomatoes – ½ kg
• Ginger garlic paste – 4 tsp
• Kashmiri Degi Mirch – 1 tap
• Green Chillies – 4-5 (chopped)
• Garam Masala powder -1 tsp
• Butter – 100 gms (I used amul butter, you can use white butter if you wish)
• Cream – 200 gms
• Water – 7 cups to boil and 2 cups after cooking
• Salt – 2 -3 tsp (as per taste)

Top garnish:

• Butter – 1 tsp (I use white butter, you can use amul butter)
• Ginger – ½ inch (julienned) (optional)

Method:

•  Soak the lentils in 5-4 cups of water overnight.
• Drain the water and wash the lentils well.
• Take a 5 litre pressure cooker and add the lentils and 7 cups of water. Pressure cook the lentils for 35-40 minutes or about 16 to 18 whistles. You can lower flame after the first 5 whistles.
• While the lentils are getting cooked, make a puree of the tomatoes in a blender and grate the ginger and garlic to a paste (you can also use ready-made ginger garlic paste for this)
• When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid of the pressure cooker.
• Add the ginger garlic paste, tomato puree, kashmiri red chili powder, green chillies, butter, cream and salt. Also add 2 cups of water.
• Dont worry about the colour of the dal at this stage. It may look a little white but once it cooks completely, it will become dark brown.
• Stir very well and keep the pressure cooker without its lid on a low flame. Let the dal simmer for about 2 hours on low flame.
• Keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don’t stick at the bottom of the cooker. Also, mash some of the lentils while stirring.
• If the dal becomes thick, then add some hot water.
• Lastly, sprinkle garam masala powder and stir well. Check the taste for salt and add additional chilli powder if you like.
• While serving dal bukhara, dot with the butter or cream and garnish with ginger juliennes.
• Serve it hot with jeera rice, naan, paratha or rotis.