Dal makhani (pronounced [daːl ˈmək.kʰə.ni]) is an Indian dish originating in Delhi.[1] A relatively modern variation of traditional lentil dishes, it is made with urad dal (black lentils) and other pulses, and includes butter and cream (makhani is a Punjabi word for butter).[3][4]
Dal means lentils or pulses. Makhan is the Hindi word for butter. Makhani means buttery.[4]
Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral were both Punjabi Hindu migrants from Peshawar,[1] who had already invented the butter chicken[1] in the Moti Mahal restaurant,[1] in the Daryaganj neighborhood of Old Delhi, during the early 1950s, after the Partition of India.[1] They were now looking to create a vegetarian dish that would complement it.[1]
A regular diner at the restaurant that Jaggi and Gujral ran suggested that something exciting could be created out of urad dal commonly used in traditional dishes, leading to the invention of dal makhani.[5]
Manjit conceded that the modern dal makhani was invented by Moti Mahal.
"One of the most popular dishes they made that is still a part of our staple diet is Dal Makhani. The true and actual Dal Makhani is actually a result of friends getting together after partition. It's a result of the refugee drive to excel. It is the story of Moti Mahal," he said. Notably, the trio were Punjabi Hindu migrants from Peshawar, who had already invented butter chicken, and were looking to create a vegetarian dish that would complement it — resulting in the creation of the dish we today know as Dal Makhani.
Dal makhani is a dish originating in New Delhi, India.
It's amazing that one chef and one restaurant in Delhi lay claim to creating so many of the dishes that are now seen as Indian signatures around the world, such as butter chicken, Seekh kebab, barrah kebab and this vegetarian lentil and kidney bean dish (dal makhani). So, all hail to chef Kundan Lal Jaggi, his partners Kundan Lal Gujral and Thakur Das Mago, and the pioneering kitchens of the Moti Mahal in Delhi.
Chapter IV Makhan - Desi Butter Makhan is an indigenous (desi) butter obtained invariably by churning dahi with crude devices. Very little makhan is utilized for direct consumption except for sacrificial or medicinal purposes. Almost the ...