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Dal Bukhara Recipe

Tanvi Srivastava
Dal Bukhara. Homemade version of rich and smoky dal served by the legendary Bukhara Restaurant of ITC Maurya hotel in Delhi. Serve with naan or tandoori rotis
5 from 17 votes
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Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 10 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 290 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup whole black urad dal (black gram lentils)
  • 4 cup water to pressure cook the lentils
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 3 large tomatoes (yields 1 + ¼ cup tomato puree)
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce store bought (use tomato puree in India)
  • 2 tablespoon minced ginger garlic (from 1 inch giger and 5 garlic cloves pounded in mortar pestle)
  • 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
  • 6 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream adjust to how rich you like
  • 1 inch ginger julienned to garnish
  • Extra butter & cream to garnish, optional

For Smoking The Dal

  • 1 3 inch piece of charcoal
  • ¼ teaspoon drops of ghee

Instructions
 

Soak The Lentils

  • Pick and make sure lentils dont have small rocks etc. Wash the lentils 3-4 times under running water. Measure and soak the black urad lentils in water overnight.

Pressure Cook the Lentils (You can do this step in Instant Pot as well)

  • Add soaked lentils to a pressure cooker with 4 cups water and bayleaf. Cook for 5-6 whistles till the lentils are soft but hold shape (this is very important). Keep in mind that we are going to slow cook the dal for about 1-1.5 hours so we dont want to overcook during pressure cooking else it will get slimy. 
    Pro Tip:- To check the softness of dal, squeeze an intact lentil grain between your thumb and index finger, you should be able to mush it easily. 

Prep While The Dal Pressure Cooks

  • Pound the ginger and garlic in a mortar pestle till minced.
  • Boil tomatoes in 1 cup of water water for 8 minutes. Peel off their skin optional), add to a blender and make a smooth puree.
    Pro Tip:- Save the water in which you boil the tomatoes for adjusting the consistency of dal later.
  • Julienne the ginger for adding on top of finished dal.

Slow Cook the Lentils

  • Add ginger garlic, tomatoes and tomato sauce, salt, butter and red chilli powder to the dal and let it simmer for about 1 to 1.5 hour. Make sure that there is enough liquid to make sure that the dal dosent burn or become too thick. Check dal from time to time while it simmers, give it a stir as needed. Use water saved from boiling tomatoes to adjust the consistency of dal.

Smoke the lentils 

  • Once the dal has finished slow cooking, it will be thick enough for you to place a bowl on top of it. Add a burning piece of hot charcoal in the bowl and pour some ghee on charcoal. Immediately capture the smoke by closing the lid of the pot. Let smoke for atleast 30-40 seconds.  

Finish the Lentils

  • Discard the bay leaf. Add julienne ginger and extra butter or cream if you wish. 

Notes

Serving Suggestions & Storage
Dal Bukhara is best served with naan or tandoori roti or any doughy flatbread you like. Add a side of pickled onions. It goes well with cumin rice or steamed rice as well.
The flavors of this dal as well its smokiness intensifies as it sits. It tastes amazing next day. You can freeze this dal for 1-2 months. Portion the dal in freezable takeaway boxes or ziplock bags. Reheat and add a knob of butter before serving.
Few Tips & Variations
  • Make sure that you dont use old lentils.Old lentils have toughened skins that take longer to cook.
  • Be careful of not smoking the dal for more than 30-40 seconds else the smoky flavor gets overpowering.
  • This dal will thicken as it sits, dont make it too thick to begin with.
  • It is easy to make vegan Dal Bukhara by using any neutral oil (avocado or grape seed) or vegan butter. Please don't use coconut oil. Punjabi lentil dishes have a unique taste which does not come through with coconut, instead of heavy cream, I suggest you mix in cashew yogurt at the end for creaminess.
  • If you want to make Dal Bukhara without onion & garlic, skip the garlic in this recipe.
  • Dont skimp on butter and cream in this recipe, it is not your everyday dal, this is a rich and comforting dal best enjoyed a few times in a year.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 15gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 708mgPotassium: 895mgFiber: 17gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1797IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 4mg
Keyword itc dal bukhara recipe
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