Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani has acquired a cult status. It is the heart of most dinner parties. Everyone has their take on it. Over the years I have also learnt  through trials and tribulations to make my perfect Dal Makhani. All my  friends and  their  kids ( all hardcore non vegetarians ) simply adore this preparation of mine.  My son is just crazy about it.
I personally like Dal Makhani a day old, so I always make it extra so that all of us can gorge on it the next day.

Oops forgot to swirl the cream on it before taking this picture

Ingredients :

Whole black urad dal.	1/2 cup
Rajma ( kidney beans).	1tbsp less than 1/4 cup
Water	3 cups
Oil.  Butter	2tbsp 2+1 tbsp
Onion.	1/4 cup chopped finely
Tomato  Green Chilly	1/3 cup grated 1 finely chopped
Ginger paste.	1 tsp
Garlic.	3 cloves crushed
Curd.  Milk	1/4 cup 1/2 cup
Fresh Malai.	2 tbsp ( optional) *
Cream	2 tbsp.
Water	1/2cup
Salt to taste
Red chilly pd	1 tsp.
Milk or cream	1 tsp.
Spices :
Cinnamon	1" piece
Cloves	2
Peppercorn.	4
Green cardamom	5

Method:

1. Wash and soak  overnight urad dal and Rajma in sufficient water.
2. Pressure cook them with little salt and 3cups of water for 4 whistles and then let it be on slow heat for 15 min.
3. Meanwhile heat oil and 2tbsp butter in a pan and add all the spices, stir .
4. Add onion, green chilly  and garlic as soon as the spices start changing color.
5. Stir and cook onions  on slow flame till they become soft and pink.
6. Now add tomato and ginger paste.
7. After a minute add red chilly pd. and cook this mixture till tomatoes look done i.e. oil separates.
8. Remove from fire and let it cool.
9. Grind it to a fine paste.
10. If the pressure has dropped, open the pressure cooker and check the dal. Crush a little bit of dal with the back of a ladle.
11. Add this masala paste and half cup of water to dal and bring it to a boil.
12. Whip curd, milk and fresh cream, add it to the dal, mix well, stir until a boil, simmer for 30 minutes
13. Taste and add salt accordingly. If you feel dal has thickened, you can add some more water.
14. All along take care to stir the dal to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of cooker.
15. In case your cooker is not heavy bottomed, place it on a tawa.
16. Just before serving add 1tbsp of butter. Mix.
17. Just before serving take a tsp. of milk or cream and make a swirl on dal.

* Fresh Malai is cream that settles on milk once it's boiled and cooled.
** The dal is served thick, but you can adjust the consistency by adding hot water as per your taste