Slow-Cooker Black Lentil Dal
Enriched with cream and butter, decadent Punjabi-style dal—called dal makhani—is a celebratory lentil dish from northern India. Kidney beans are a common addition to dal makhani; if you like, add 1 can (15 oz./475 g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed, during the last hour of cooking. Offer warm naan or fresh chapatis for serving.
Ingredients
- 5 Tbs. (75 g) unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 Tbs. peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbs. tomato paste
- 2 tsp. ancho or other medium-hot chile powder
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground fennel
- 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- Kosher salt
- 1 lb. (500 g) black (beluga) lentils, rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise pods
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) heavy cream, plus more to finish
- 1/4 cup (1/2 oz./15 g) chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
In a fry pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, mixing well, then add the chile powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, cloves and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Add 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) water, stir well to combine, bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
Scrape the spice mixture into the slow cooker, add the lentils, bay leaves and star anise, and then pour in the stock and 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) water and stir to mix well. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 hours. The lentils should be very tender.
Stir in the cream and the remaining 3 Tbs. butter until melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. Ladle into individual bowls, drizzle with a little cream, sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Serves 8.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Everyday Slow Cooking (Weldon Owen 2018)