Originally Posted by Oakvillian (Post 12205329)

I promised to find my dal makhani recipe... here, eventually, it is. Can't remember where it originally came from, it's on an index card in a box in the kitchen, covered in scribbles and what I hope is tomato paste...

3/4 cup black gram lentils (urad dal)
1/4 cup dried red kidney beans (rajma)
1 medium onion, chopped
about 2 inches of ginger root, finely chopped
5 or 6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
small can of chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon garam masala (pre-mixed is OK, unless you habitually make your own)
a good glug of veg oil
2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup of cream (very optional but yummy)
salt

Soak the lentils and beans in water overnight, then drain and rinse thoroughly.

Put the lentils, beans, a pinch of salt, half the chili powder, and half the ginger in a pan with about 3 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until the beans are soft and the lentils are beginning to fall to pieces.

Meanwhile, towards the end of that cooking time, heat a heavy pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds to the dry pan and toast for a couple of minutes, then add the oil, onion, the remaining ginger, and the garlic and fry for 5 min or so til the onion begins to colour.

Throw in the tomatoes, remaining chili powder, and the fresh chilies if using. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce slightly.

Add the cooked beans & lentils to the onion mixture, stir well, and add a little water if the whole thing looks too thick. Stir in the garam masala. Simmer for a few extra minutes. Stir the cream through just before serving.

Completely delicious with fresh naan (usually from the supermarket, but I did make it fresh once and cook it on a pizza stone in the oven, that was relatively simple and much, much nicer - I think I used Madhur Jaffrey's recipe here Madhur Jaffreys Naan Bread Recipe - Food.com)