(Whole Black Urad Dal, Chana Dal & Kidney Beans Mixed)
Maharani Dal is a wonderful mixture of Black urad dal, Kidney beans and chana dal. Traditionally this dal was cooked on low flame, for hours, on
charcoal. This gave it a creamier texture and to enhance the flavor various
tadkas and cream or fresh butter added to it. It is served with tandoori roti, chapatti or Nan.
Ingredients for Dal:
¼ Cup of whole black urad dal
¼ Cup of split chana dal
¼ Cup of red kidney beans (rajma)
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon salt or to taste
4 Cups of water
¼ Cup of Heavy cream (optional)
or substitute with milk
Ingredients for onion Tadka:
1 Medium onion – finely chopped
1 Teaspoon minced Garlic (Optional)
1 Medium ripe Tomato – chopped
1 Medium green chili – Chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Ingredients for cumin seed Tadka:
2 Teaspoon cumin seeds
1 Pinch of asafetida (hing)
1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
Ingredients for Hot chili Tadka:
2 Teaspoon crushed red chilies or
Red chili powder
2 Tablespoons melted butter or Ghee
Cooking measurement conversion
Measurement converter
Directions for cooking dal:
1. In a pressure cooker add Black Urad dal and kidney beans mix and wash them, changing water several times until the water appears clear and then soak dals in 5 cups of water for few hours, preferable over night.(kidney beans and Black urad dal take long time to soak)
2. Soak chana Dal about half hour before cooking.
In the pressure cooker add Whole Urad dal & Kidney Beans
Wash Dal & Beans well
3. Once Dals are soaked rinse the water out and wash.
Soak Dal and Beans
Wash and rinse soaked Dal & Beans
4. Rinse and wash chana dal. Add and mix it to the overnight soaked dal and Kidney beans.
Soaked Dal and Kidney Beans (Rajma)
Add Chana Dal and mix
5. Add 4 cups of water, 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.
Mix Chana Dal with Soaked Dal & Beans
Add Water
Add Turmeric Powder and mix
Add salt and mix
6. Close the lid of the pressure cooker, place the weight on the lid and cook on medium heat.
7. In about 8 to 10 minutes pressure cooker will start steaming turn the heat down to medium and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes, if the Dals are not soaked then cook them longer. Turn the stove off, wait until steam goes down. Different brand of cooker require different time to cook.
8. While dal is cooking prepare the onion and cumin seed tadka and keep the aside. (see below for tadka direction)
9. Open the pressure cooker. Turn the stove on to medium heat.
Close the pressure cooker
Open the pressure cooker
10. With the cooking spoon mix dal well so there are no lumps and check if Dal and Kidney Beans become tender.
With a Spoon mix Dal
Mix Dal & check if it is cooked
11.With the cooking spoon mash some Dal so that the gravy becomes thicker.
12. Add onion, Tomato Tadka and mix and cook, if the Dal looks thick then add some water to the desired consistency, cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
13. Add Cumin seed Tadka in the Dal and mix and cook for 1 one minute. Turn the stove off.
14. If not serving the dal immediately and the Dal looks watery then do not cook for too long because dal tends to get thick quickly.
With a Spoon mash Dal & some Beans
Add Onion , Tomato Tadka
Add Cumin Seed Tadka
Maharani dal is ready
15. When ready to serve, transfer the dal in a serving bowl and and pour hot chili tadka over Dal. (See below for chili tadka)
16. If you wish add the cream 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 dal from the stove and transfer into serving dish and pour hot chili tadka.
Add cream or Milk & mix
Mix cream with Dal
Dal Maharani
Tips:
1. What If you did not preplan to make the dal and you do not have much time to soak ? Here is the quick soaking method:
* Add Whole Urad dal And Rajma (Kidney Beans in the cooker or a pan, add plenty of water and bring it to boil. Once it starts to boil, let it boil for 5 minutes.
*Then turn the stove off and cover the cooker or pan with lid. Let it sit for 1 hour. After 1 hour you will have soaked Dal and Beans.( power soaking method)
2. Use pressure cooker for cooking dal, otherwise it takes too long to cook dal.
3. If you wish you can skip onion tadka or any other tadka and alter Dal to your taste.
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.
Directions for onion tadka: (See tadka)
1. Heat small frying pan, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, chopped onions and minced garlic and 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, chopped green chilies and grated ginger 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.
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:
Ma ki dal (Whole black urad dal, Black grams) Moong dal
White urad and chana dal Moong dal with spinich
White urad dal Toor dal (Masala tadka dal)
Rajma (Red kidney beans) Masoor dal
Chapati (Pulkha or roti) Boiled white rice
Corn flour roti (Makai ki roti) Bajra ki roti (Millet flour roti)