Traditional Punjabi Dal Makhni

Dal makhni is a creamy and buttered dal made with Black urad (black gram) and Rajma (red kidney beans) as their main ingredients. Its is been long, i haven't made dal makhni at home, and recently i saw a post from my friend on Facebook food forum group about dal makhni. Soon i made up my mind and made it recently on my anniversary as my husband is a big fan of dal makhni prepared by his mother. As we are Punjabis, my MIL makes this in through traditional way, as its a part of our regular family recipe. Quickly called her up and here she gave me the ingredients list that goes in it.
So here is our traditional dal makhni recipe!!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole black urad dal (black gram dal)
1/2 cup small rajma (red kidney beans)
1/4 cup split black urad dal
3 tbsp chana dal (Bengal gram)
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp oil (any vegetable oil or olive oil)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of hing (asafoetida powder)
1 cup onions finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato Puree
3/4 cup luke warm milk
2 tsp green chilly paste
1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Dry Mango Powder (aamchur powder)
1 1/2 tsp dry fennel powder (saunf powder)
2 tsp Crushed kasuri methi (Dry methi leaves crushed)
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
And a cream for garnishing (preferably home made white makhan or can be a store bought)


Recipe:

• Soak black urad dal (whole and split dal both), Rajma, and Chana dal for 4-5 hours. Wash and rinse in water for 4-5 times and pressure cook until cooked and not much mushy.
• With the help of a spoon, mash a little of pressure cooked dals and keep it aside.
• In a big pan or non stick kadai, heat ghee, oil, and add mustard seeds.
• As soon it splutters, add pinch of hing powder, green chilly-ginger-garlic pastes, saute small chopped onion until translucent, now add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, mix and cook for few minutes until tomatoes are soft.
• Stir cooked dals in kadai, add those spice powder mentioned above in the ingredients and salt to taste.
• Add little of water if required. Mix all well and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium low flame.
• Now slowly add luke warm milk in dal. (keep stirring dal with other hand while adding milk to it)
• You will notice dal to be more creamier after adding milk. 
• Turn the flame to low and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes. Stir in between to avoid sticking dal to the bottom of the pan. 
• After 20-25 minutes, dal will be little thick and creamy. (if it is too much thick you can add little water)
• Turn the flame off, pour the dal in a serving bowl and garnish it with cream.
• Serve it with naan or plain paratha and salted sliced onions.

Stuffed / Bharwan Tinde

My mother in law, whenever i visit her she often prepares this for me as i am very fond of tindas but i never tried. Yesterday when i went to market my husband saw and told me to buy this. I bought and asked my MIL for its recipe..unfortunately the recipe which she told me was lacking few spices and other ingredients too, though it tastes really good.. but i  thought to give my own little twist and believe me i was veryyy happy with the results..my husband loved more than me and told to prepare the same way every time i prepare tindas.. And  i, was on 9th cloud..:) so here is its recipe.

Tindas (Round Bottle Gourd)

Ingredients:

6 tindas about 300-350 gms

For stuffing
2 tsp coriander powder
11/2 tsp cumin powder
11/2 tsp fennel powder
1 tsp dry mango powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp black salt

1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala (optional- I used this)
Pinch of asafoetida powder
And Salt to taste

For seasoning
1 large chopped onoin
1 medium tomato chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil or mustard oil (or any vegetable oil of your choice)

For Garnishing

2-3 tbsp of fresh chopped coriander leaves

Recipe:

• Wash all tindas with water and peel its outer skin as it is little tender.
• Make a criss & cross pattern on it. And keep it aside.

• Mix all the dry spices listed above under For stuffing..
  
• Fill this in tindas and still you ll see few amount of filling will left. Do not throw this, later it will be used while seasoning. 

• In a pan heat oil and add cumin seeds, after it splutters stir fry filled tindas in it on low flame and with the lid covered for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked and soft. 

• Open the lid in between and stir in between so that it cooks evenly from all the sides.

• Once cooked season it with chopped onions, tomatoes and the left out dry spice filling. Mix all slowly.

• Cook further on same low flame for about 6-7 minutes more with the lid covered.
• Open the lid than after, and mix all nicely now. Make sure tomatoes and onions are cooked and soft.
• Turn the flame off and garnish with Fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve with roti.

Serves: 4

Total time: 30 minutes