The recipe of dal Bukhara consists of minimal ingredients and this is what brings out the best in this recipe. Unlike dal makhani, dal Bukhara is made only with whole urad lentils (black gram) and not with rajma (kidney beans). Also, dal Bukhara is slow-cooked overnight on the tandoor.
How to make Dal Bukhara in the slow cooker?
A super creamy, extra tasty lentil cooked on a very low fire with the slow-cooking procedure. Traditionally my grandma uses to cook dal Bukhara in an earthen pot on challah (a clay stove) for at least 5-6 hrs, that Dal was so superb tasty and creamy that we couldn’t resist ourselves and fought for even a spoon left. That taste was awesome and I really can’t forget that nowadays nobody has that much time and passions to spend so much time cooking. However, I had used a slow cooker to cook this dal This recipe may not take you to that era but definitely tickle your taste buds and might give you the feel of that.
I have soaked the beans overnight first and then slowly simmered the dal with tomato, cream, butter and ginger-garlic in the slow cooker for hours to get the creamer texture. Although, I am sharing how to make dal Bukhara in a pressure cooker too.
What is Dhungar?
To make perfect dal Bukhara it is important to induce Charcoal flavour in it with the dhungar method. In this method, the smoky fumes of burnt charcoal are infused in the dal.
For this with the help of tongs or on a grill pan place a small piece of charcoal. Burn the charcoal till it becomes red hot. Please use natural charcoal for this method. Note that this is an optional step and you can proceed directly to the tempering method. Place the red hot charcoal in a small steel bowl. You can also use onion layers or a halved hollow onion for the same. Pour about ¼ tsp of oil or ghee on the charcoal. You will see fumes emanating as soon as you pour oil or ghee on the hot charcoal. Place this bowl on the dal. Cover the cooker or the slow cooker pot with a lid and let the Dal Bukhara get infused with the charcoal smoke. Just keep for 1 to 2 minutes.
Do not keep for a long time as then the dal can taste bitter. Remove the bowl carefully with the help of tongs and cover the cooker with a lid. Set aside.
Finally, I would like to share few more recipes with you
Dal Bukhara Cooked In Slow Cooker
Course: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy6
servings300
kcalA super creamy, extra tasty lentil cooked on a very low fire with the slow-cooking procedure.
Ingredients
1.5 cups whole urad dal or whole black gram
250 grams tomatoes or 3 medium to large tomatoes
1 inch ginger + 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves – crushed finely in a mortar-pestle – about 2 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch – if using a hotter variety then use ½ teaspoon
½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
90 to 100 grams white butter or regular butter – about 6 to 7 tablespoons white butter
7 to 8 tablespoon low fat cream or 25% to 30% fat or 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
4.5 to 5 cups water for pressure cooking the lentils
1 to 1.5 cup water to be added later
1 inch ginger – julienned for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon butter or cream for garnish (optional)
salt as required
Directions
- Making Dal Bukhara In Slow Cooker
- Soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 7 to 8 hours. Drain them later and add 6-7 cups water in the soaked and drained lentils add ginger garlic, tomato puree salt and red chilli powder and cook in the slow cooker for around 7-8 hrs stir in between till lintel turn soft and become mashy.
- In Pressure Cooker
- Soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 7 to 8 hours.
- Drain them later and add the drained lentils in a 3 or 4 litre water in pressure cooker.
- Add 5 cups water and pressure cook the lentils for 16 to 17 whistles or about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, when the lentils are getting cooked, make a puree of the tomatoes in a blender and crush the ginger and garlic to a paste in mortar-pestle.
- Making Dal Bukhara( In pressure cooker)**
- When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid of the pressure cooker.
- Then add the ginger garlic paste, tomato puree, kashmiri red chili powder, butter, cream and salt. Also add 1 to 1.5 cups of water.
- Stir very well and keep the pressure cooker without its lid on a low flame. Let the dal simmer for about 1 hour or for 1 hour 30 mins.
- Meanwhile keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don’t stick at the bottom of the cooker. Also mash some of the lentils while stirring.
- If the dal bukhara becomes thick, then add some hot water. Once done, check the taste and add more red chili powder or salt if required.
- For Garnishing
- Lastly sprinkle garam masala powder and stir well.
- While serving dal bukhara, dot with the butter or cream. Garnish with ginger juliennes.
- Serve hot with cumin rice or with Indian flatbreads like naan, paratha or rotis