Maa Ki Dal /Kali Dal /Sabut Urad /Black Grams
Maa Ki Dal is referred to as “Black gram” and also known as Dal Makhani, and Kali Dal. Dal Makhani is a combination of whole urad and Rajma (Red kidney beans) and cooked on low flame on charcoal, for hours which gives it flavor and rich creamy texture.
After cooking to enhance the flavor of Dal, Onion, Garlic, Tomato, Ginger and Green chili tadka and cream or butter are often added. Because of its creamy texture it is also known as Dal makhani and Makhan means butter. It is served with Tandoori Roti, chapatti or Nan. Dal Makhani is popular all over the world because of its richness in taste and nutrition.
Ingredients for Dal:
1 Cup whole black urad dal (black
grams)
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
1½ Teaspoon salt or to your taste
4 Cups of water
Ingredients for Onion tadka:
1 Medium size onion – finely chopped
1 Teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
1 Medium size ripe Tomato- chopped
1 Medium green chili – chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger grated or fine
chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Ingredients for Cumin seed Tadka: 
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil.
Ingredients for Hot Chili Tadka: 
2 Teaspoon crushed red chilies or red
chili powder
2 Tablespoons melted butter or Ghee
Serving for 4
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Direction for cooking Dal:
1. In a pressure cooker add Dal and wash, changing water several times until the water appears clear and then soak it in 4 cups of water for at least half hour.
In a Pressure cooker add Dal
Wash Black Urad well
2. Wash and rinse soaked Black Urad.
Soak Urad Dal in water
Wash & rinse soaked Urad
3. Add 4 cups of water.
Soaked Black Urad
Add Water in soaked Urad
4. Add Turmeric powder, Salt and 1 teaspoon of oil and mix. When Dal is boiling it creates lot of foam and the foam comes out from Pressure cooker to prevent that it is a good idea to add little oil.
5. Close the lid of the pressure cooker, place the weight on the lid and cook on medium high heat.
Add Turmeric powder & Salt & mix
Close the pressure cooker
6. In about 8 to 10 minutes pressure cooker will start steaming, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the stove off and wait until steam goes down. Different brand of cooker require different time to cook.
7. While dal is cooking prepare Onion and Cumin seed Tadka and keep them aside. (see below for tadka directions)
8. Once the steam of cooker goes down open the cooker, turn the stove on to medium heat, with the cooking spoon mix dal well so there are no lumps and cook.
Open the cooker
Check if Dal become tender
9. With the spoon mash some Dal that will make the gravy thicker and blend well
with the water.
Dal is blended well
With a Spoon mash some Dal
10. Add onion and Tomato Tadka and mix and cook. If the Dal looks thick then add some water and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until Dal and Onion Masala blend well.
Add Onion Tadka
Mix Onion tadka with Dal well
11. Add Cumin seed Tadka and mix and cook for a minute or until you have the desired consistency. Turn the stove off.
Add Cumin seed Tadka
Mix Cumin seed Tadka
Black Urad Dal is ready
Black Urad Dal
Tips:
1. Cook dal in pressure cooker other wise it takes too long to cook dal.
2. Urad dal generally takes long time to soak most of the time we do not prep to make the dal and have much time to soak it, but do not get discourage it
just take little longer to cook dal, or use power soaking method.
3. For making Dal Makhani cook Dal with kidney beans and add ½ cup of cream to the Dal. When ready to serve heat the Dal, in the end add cream, heat for about 2 minutes, turn the heat off, make sure that you do not over heat the cream, overheating spoil the cream, the cream change to ghee and alter the taste of the Dal This is the reason why the cream is added at the end when is ready to be served. Remove from the stove and transfer into serving dish and pour hot chili Tadka over Dal.
5. If you wish you can skip Onion tadka or any other Tadka and alter Dal to your taste.
Directions for onion tadka: (tadka)
1. Heat small frying pan, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, chopped onions and minced garlic, sauté them on medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until onions become light brown, while frequently stirring them.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, grated ginger and chopped green chilies and cook. With the spatula try to mash the tomatoes so that they become soft quickly. In about 5 to 6 minutes tomatoes will become soft and blend with onions. Turn the stove off.
Directions for cumin seed tadka: (tadka)
1. In a small pan (tadka pan) add 1 tablespoon oil, cumin seeds and asafetida and fry them for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat or until cumin seeds become brown.
Direction for hot chili tadka: (Hot oil) (tadka)
1. In a small pan (tadka pan) heat 2 tablespoons ghee or melted butter add crushed red chilies or red chili powder and fry them on very low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the red chilies fried, turn the heat off.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Other recipes:
Black urad dal and rice khichdi Rajma(Red kidney beans)
Mahrani dal White urad dal & chana dal mix
Split black urad dal Toor dal (Arhar dal or masala tadka dal)
White Urad Dal Masoor dal (Malka dal)
Chappati (Pulkha or roti) Lachha roti (Spiral layered roti)
Paratdar roti Boiled white rice
(Layered roti)