"Black lentils slow-cooked for 24 hours with butter and cream until they turn glossy and near-black. The Bukhara restaurant's dal has been simmering continuously for 32 years."
About Dal Makhani
Delhi's richest lentil dish — whole black lentils (urad dal) and kidney beans soaked overnight and slow-cooked on a tawa-sealed pot for up to 24 hours with tomato, ginger, garlic and extraordinary quantities of butter and cream until the lentils break down into a glossy, deep-black, silky dal of astonishing richness; the Bukhara restaurant's 32-year-old dal never fully empties.
Dal Makhani — a staple of India's cuisine
Delhi's richest lentil dish: whole black urad dal and kidney beans soaked overnight and slow-cooked on a sealed pot for up to 24 hours with tomato, ginger, garlic, butter and cream until the lentils break down into a glossy, near-black, silky dal of astonishing richness. The Bukhara restaurant at the ITC Maurya in Delhi has maintained the same dal continuously for 32 years — it is never fully emptied.
The butter and cream quantities in dal makhani are not polite. The Bukhara version uses an amount that would concern most nutritionists. The result is a dal that coats the back of a spoon and has a texture closer to a velouté than to any legume soup.
What to Expect
The dal makhani arrives in a small copper pot, the surface shiny with butter. The colour is deep brown-black. The first spoonful coats the mouth completely. With garlic naan, it is one of the most satisfying things to eat in Delhi.
Why Try It
Dal makhani demonstrates that Indian cooking's greatest achievements are often the simplest ingredients cooked with the most patience.
Insider Tips
Bukhara at the ITC Maurya in Delhi is the most celebrated address — the continuous-cook dal is the reference point.
Order it with butter garlic naan for the correct vehicle.
The overnight soak is essential — lentils soaked for only a few hours cook unevenly.
