Whole black urad lentils and kidney beans cooked for hours into something dark, buttery and almost velvety. Vegetarian, naturally gluten free, and worth the wait.
Prep
20 mins
Cook
3h
Servings
6
Per serving
£0.75
Difficulty
hard
This is a weekend dish. The lentils need soaking overnight and then a long, low simmer during which you keep mashing them against the pan. Butter and cream go in at the end but the real richness comes from the starch the lentils release over time.
Drain the soaked lentils and beans and rinse well. Put them in a large heavy pan with 1.5 litres of fresh cold water and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam.
Turn down to the lowest possible simmer, cover partially, and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Stir every 20 minutes and top up with hot water so the lentils are always just submerged.
A heat diffuser or the smallest ring on your hob makes this much easier. Anything more than a lazy blip on the surface and you will scorch the base.
Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion gently for 12 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 2 minutes.
Stir in the tomato purée, Kashmiri chilli and ground cumin, cook for 1 minute, then add the tinned tomatoes. Simmer for 12 minutes until thick and darkened.
Tip the tomato masala into the lentil pan along with 1.5 tsp of the salt. Continue cooking on the lowest heat for another 1 hour, stirring and mashing the lentils against the side of the pan every 15 minutes.
By now the dal should be dark, thick and clinging to the spoon, with most lentils broken down but a few still whole. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.
Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms into the pan. Stir in the cream and the remaining butter, cut into cubes, letting each piece melt before adding the next.
Add the garam masala and the remaining salt to taste. Rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving, which lets it thicken further.