Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is one of those recipes we kept ordering at restaurants until we finally had to figure out how to make it ourselves. It's rich, deeply spiced, and has this incredible creamy texture that makes it feel like a proper treat. The black lentils slowly absorb all those warm spices: cinnamon, garam masala, cardamom. The result is something genuinely special. It takes about 80 minutes but most of that is hands-off time, and trust us, the smell alone is worth it. Make this tonight and you'll be going back for seconds, guaranteed.

Cook: 80 min
Serves 8

Before You Start

  • Large pot
  • Frying pan
  • Potato masher
  • Microplane or fine grater (for garlic)

Ingredients

  • 2 large onions
  • 4cm ginger
  • 10 large garlic cloves
  • 500g pre-cooked Beluga lentils
  • 600ml water
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 black cardamom pods (optional)
  • ½ tsp chilli powder (Kashmiri if possible), plus more to taste
  • 60g unsalted plant-based butter
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 ¾ tsp salt
  • 400ml oat milk
  • 2 tbsp unsalted plant-based butter
  • 150ml oat cream
  • fresh coriander
  • crispy onions
  • plant-based garlic naan, chapati or rice

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients

  • Peel and finely dice the onions.
  • Peel and finely chop the ginger.
  • Peel and grate the garlic cloves.
  • Lightly crush the black cardamom pods with the back of your knife, if using.
2

Cook the lentils

  • Drain the lentils, and add to a pot with the ground cinnamon, garam masala, black cardamom pods (if using), chilli powder and 600ml water, and warm through. 
3

Meanwhile, fry your aromatics

  • Put the butter into a frying pan on a medium heat.
  • When it starts to foam, add the onions and cook for 15 minutes until softened, then add the ginger and garlic.
  • Fry for another 5 minutes - the longer you cook these (without burning), the more flavoursome your dal will be.
  • Add the tomato purée and salt and stir well to coat, then take off the heat and set aside.
4

Make the dal

  • Add the onion and tomato mixture and oat milk to the spiced lentils, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer.
  • Stir every now and then for around 45 minutes until around half the liquid has been absorbed and you have a thick soupy consistency.
  • Roughly mash so some of the dal is squashed and some remains whole. 
5

To Serve

  • Taste and adjust the salt and chilli if necessary, then add the remaining 2 tbsp butter just before serving and stir.
  • Garnish with a swirl of 150ml oat cream, a sprinkling of fresh coriander and crispy onions, and fluffy garlic naans, chapati or rice on the side. 

Tips & Variations

  • Don't skip the black cardamom: It adds this subtle smoky quality that you can't really replicate. If you can find it, use it. It's becoming easier to get in most supermarkets now.
  • Make it creamier: Stir in a spoonful of coconut cream or oat-based cream right at the end for an even richer finish. We do this pretty much every time.
  • Leftovers are even better: This genuinely improves the next day once all the flavours have had time to mingle. Make a big batch and thank yourself later.

Why This Works

The trick here is building your spices in two stages: cooking them into the lentils first, then layering in the fried aromatics separately. That double hit of spice is what gives Dal Makhani its depth. We also find that not rushing the simmer makes a huge difference. The lentils need time to get properly soft and soak everything up.