BM# 74: Week 3/ Day 1
Theme: Thalis/ Spreads
Dish: Vegetarian North Indian Thali - Dal Makhani
My theme for this week's Blogging Marathon is 'Thalis/ Spreads'. I usually stay away from this theme because cooking a whole spread is a tedious and time-consuming thing and even if I did make the whole spread, I would be eating the same dishes for a week. So I first made sure that my husband was not traveling during the time I planned to make my thalis and then signed up.
First I have is a simple Vegetarian North Indian thali that I made when one of my husband's colleague visited us. I made the following:
- Dal Makhani (recipe follows)
- Sukhi Aloo Gobhi Subzi
- Jeera & Peas Rice
- Roti
- Raita
- Papad
- Fruit Custard
This recipe for dal makhani comes from very talented Poonam Mongia. She posted the recipe on one of the FB groups and I noted it down right away. I have made it numerous times already but haven't had a chance to take pictures and post it here.
This recipe for dal makhani comes from very talented 
This restaurant style dal makhani is creamy, flavorful and absolutely delicious. I was pleasantly surprised when my MIL asked for the recipe and wrote it down in her little notebook 🙂 So if you are looking for a good dal makhani recipe, don't look any further -- this is the one for you. Thank you Poonam for this awesome recipe.
Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 74.
Dal Makhani
Ingredients
For the Curry:
- 1 cup Whole Urad dal
- ¼ cup Red kidney beans
- 1 tbsp moong dal
- 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Ginger+garlic paste
- 2 Green Chilies, finely chopped
- ½ cup Tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp ghee
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp Ground Pepper
- To taste salt
For the Tempering:
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Soak urad dal and red kidney beans separately overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- In the morning, drain the water from the lentils and beans. Take them along with the moong dal in a pressure cooker. Add 1tsp salt and 1tsp oil; cook for 4~5 whistles on medium flame. Turn off the stove and let the pressure come down naturally.
- Heat 1tbsp oil and 1tsp ghee in a pan; add the onions, ginger+garlic paste and green chilies. Cook till the onions are translucent, about 4~5 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree, ground cumin, ground coriander, red chili powder, pepper and salt. Simmer the mixture until oil starts to separate around the edges, about 8~10 minutes.
- To the cooked dal and beans mixture, add the onion-tomato gravy and cook on pressure for another 1~2 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down.
- For the final tempering: heat the butter in a small pan, add the Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala and cilantro.
- Add the tempering to the cooked dal along with the cream (if using) and simmer for 1~2 minutes to heat it through. Serve warm with rice or roti.
Srivalli
Awesome, that's one lovely spread you have cooked, Pavani. The dal makhani really looks so sinful...If your MIL took down the recipe, its double pat on your shoulder..:)
Vaishali Sabnani
The whole spread looks very inviting and love the way you have presented, just ready for us to eat .:)), The daal recipe is quite similar to what I make, but the next time I shall follow this recipe , each ingredient makes a difference.
sushma
Thali looks soo yummy. Love your Dal Makhani pic
Jayashree
The entire platter looks so appealing. A mother-in-law approved recipe is definitely a keeper.
Kalyani
am commenting backwards from Day 3, pavani, this definitely is a lip smacking thali - m not a great fan of DAl Makhani but the kiddo n husband like it. will check out her recipe for the same. My tastebuds is partial towards a well made sukha aloo gobhi that u have presented so well !
Priya Suresh
Just finished my dinner and your thali makes me hungry again, wat a spread there. So tempting.
Nalini
Yummy looking spread,love the color of the dhal Makhani.Perfect with roti and rice.
Harini
That is such a hearty meal, Pavani. Love dal makhani.
Usha
This is a scrumptious vegetarian thali!! I know what you mean by eating the food for a week. When I did the thali series last time, my fridge was full with curries for days!
Sowmya
The thali looks so beautiful! Love the rich dal makhni...will try asap!
Suma Gandlur
I stay away from thaali themes for the same reason. I dread both the cooking and cleaning up after parts. That's a lovely and delicious spread even though a simple one.