Urad Dal

Urad dal, featuring a mixture of black lentils, red kidney beans, and lots of fragrant spices, is a delicious Indian dish for special occasions.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 452 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 3 cups water, or more as needed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger, divided
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder, divided
• 1 green chili, chopped, or more to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 0.75 cup skinned split black lentils (urad dal)
• 0.25 cup red kidney beans (rajma)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine black lentils and red kidney beans in a pot. Cover with water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight.

Step 2

Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder to the beans. Boil until soft but not pasty, about 30 minutes.

Step 3

Heat butter and oil in a separate pot. Add cumin, cloves, and bay leaves; cook until sputtering, about 1 minute. Add onion, green chili, and remaining salt and ginger; fry until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; cook until tomato is soft, about 5 minutes. Add coriander, turmeric, and remaining chili powder; fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Step 4

Add beans and lemon juice to the spice mixture; mix gently. Add garam masala. Simmer dal over low heat for 15 minutes. Add cream and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.