The Curry Guy’s dal makhani recipe

“Dal makhani isn’t a dal you can rush, as these lentils need a good long cook – so this recipe is perfect for the slow cooker,” says Dan Toombs, otherwise known as the Curry Guy.

“In fact, I think they are better if you cook on low for eight to 10 hours rather than trying to speed things up by cooking on the high setting. So some forward planning might be a good idea. I usually soak the lentils all day on day one, then place them in the slow cooker overnight. Once they are cooked, this is a quick and easy dish.

“This version is quite a lot easier but you still get a very good, if perhaps less authentic, butter chicken.”

The Curry Guy’s dal makhani

Ingredients
(Serves 4, or more as part of a multi-course meal)

300g black urad dal, soaked overnight in cold water
750ml boiling water, plus extra if needed
5tbsp rapeseed oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 tomatoes, diced
2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1tsp ground turmeric
1tbsp garam masala
1tsp paprika
250ml single cream
2tsp sea salt, or to taste
3tbsp butter, or to taste
4tbsp chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

For the garam masala (makes 170g):
6tbsp coriander seeds
6tbsp cumin seeds
5tsp black peppercorns
4tbsp fennel seeds
3tsp cloves
7.5cm real cinnamon stick
5 dried Indian bay leaves
20 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
2 large pieces of mace

For the garlic and ginger paste (makes about 250g):
150g garlic, roughly chopped
150g root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

Method

1. For the garam masala: Roast all the spices in a dry frying pan over a medium–high heat until warm to the touch and fragrant, moving them around in the pan as they roast and being careful not to burn them. If they begin to smoke, take them off the heat immediately. Tip the warm spices onto a plate and leave to cool, then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and use within two months for optimal flavour.

2. For the garlic and ginger paste: Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor or pestle and mortar and blend with just enough water to make a smooth paste. Some chefs finely chop their garlic and ginger instead, which is a good alternative to making a paste. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and use as needed. If you’re planning a curry party, go ahead and get this job ticked off early. The paste can turn a bit blue or green while in the fridge. This is natural and it is not off. I often make larger batches and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes can be transferred to airtight plastic bags in the freezer, ready for when you get that curry craving. Be sure to let them defrost a little first.

3. For the dal makhani: For best results, rinse and then soak the urad lentils for eight hours. Rinsing is required but you could get away with not soaking them. It might just take longer for them to cook.

4. Place the lentils in your slow cooker, pour in the water and cook on low for eight hours. Sometime during the day, when it is convenient, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat and add the chopped onions. Fry for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft, translucent and lightly browned and then add the garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala and paprika. Stir for a minute into the hot oil, then set aside.

5. Check the lentils after eight hours to ensure they are fall-apart soft. If not, continue cooking. Once soft, mash them with a potato masher or blend using a stick blender.

6. Pour in the prepared onion and spice mixture. You want the dal makhani to be good and hot, so if serving later you could reheat it using the sauté/searing mode of your slow cooker or in a pot on your stove.

7. Just before serving, stir in most of the cream and season with salt to taste. Top with the butter, which will melt into the dal. I usually swirl a little cream on top at the end before garnishing with the chopped coriander.

Curry Guy Slow Cooker by Dan Toombs is published by Quadrille, priced £16.99. Photography by Kris Kirkham. Available now.