Dal Makhani

Black lentils slow-cooked overnight with butter, cream and tomatoes — deeply rich, smoky and endlessly comforting.

Dal makhani — black lentil dal — was created at Moti Mahal in Delhi, the same restaurant that invented butter chicken. The whole black urad lentils must be soaked overnight and cooked for hours — traditionally over a wood fire for an entire day. Restaurant versions are often cooked overnight in slow ovens. The overnight cooking breaks down the lentils into a completely creamy consistency while maintaining enough texture to coat the tongue. Butter and cream are added in quantities that create a richness unlike any other lentil dish in the world. The final tadka — sizzling butter with cumin, garlic and chilli — is poured over at the table as both flavour and theatre.

The longer it cooks the better — overnight on the lowest heat is ideal. Use whole black urad dal not split. The final tadka of butter, cumin and chilli poured over the top is essential.