Dishoom Black Dal (copycat)

This Black Daal or Dal Makhani is a copycat version of the popular Indian restaurant, Dishoom. The original recipe takes over 24 hours of simmering, but I've found techniques to reduce the time and still achieve that classic buttery finish. This creamy dal is prepared with whole black lentils which are simmered in a tomato garlic sauce and finished with cream.

Dishoom black dal served in a bowl topped with butter and cream

You can now make the famous Dishoom black dal recipe (their signature dish) in your own kitchen!

The recipe is so simple, all that you need is patience - Dishoom restaurant states on their menu that the dal is cooked over 24 hours! However my homemade version takes a lot less time.

Firstly, cook black urad dal until you achieve soft buttery dal. I use the Instant Pot to to speed things up but you can use a pan or stove top pressure cooker. You then gently simmer the dal with a ginger, garlic and tomato paste.

It's different to the techniques in Dal Makhani in which the masala is cooked first.

dishoom dal makhani garnished with fresh coriander in a white serving bowl

Ingredients

Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.

Whole black urad dal - this is easily avaliable in Indian grocery stores or online, and is also known as MATPE beans or sabut urad dal.

Garlic paste - fresh garlic cloves are best

Ginger paste - I crush fresh root ginger in a mini food processor until smooth. The smoother the better.

Tomato puree or tomato paste - In the UK tomato paste is available in the tube and tins, that is very thick. If using paste then add some water to bring to a tomato puree consistency.

Salt - the official recipe states fine sea salt. I've used regular salt.

Deggi mirch chilli powder or use a mix of hot red chilli powder and kashmiri chilli powder

Garam masala

Unsalted butter or ghee

Double cream (heavy cream for US readers) - single cream works too.

dishoom black dal ingredients such as whole urad dal, tomato puree, butter and spices on the kitchen worktop

Urad Black Dal Pro Tips

It is very important that the daal is cooked until soft and creamy. This allows the grains to soften further and break down when simmering, creating a creamy dal.
To check, squeeze a grain between your finger and thumb, it should mash without any resistance.
The daal should be in date - daal that has become old remains hard even with plenty of cooking time
Urad dal often changes colour and becomes green after soaking, this is fine!
The ginger, garlic and tomato paste should be completely smooth. Lumps will prevent the finished dal from being creamy.
Simmer on low heat but keep stirring occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan.
Use a heavy bottomed pan as any other will cause the dal to stick and burn
If you follow the steps above to achieve a creamy dal, you could get away with adding less butter or ghee if you wish.
The right consistency you are looking for is thick but pourable soup.

How to make Dishoom House Black Daal

1.Wash the dal thoroughly and allow to soak overnight in plenty of water in a large bowl to allow for the dal to expand. Now, you can cook urad dal in a saucepan or in a pressure cooker.

Saucepan:

Add the dal and water into a large pan and bring to a boil and cook until the dal grains need to become completely soft, with the skin falling away from the white grain. When pressed, the white part should be creamy. When cooked, turn off the heat.

Pressure cooker:

2.Add the dal into the pressure cooker and add enough water to cover about 1 inch above the dal. Pressure cook for around 40 minutes if you have an electric pressure cooker.

Next prepare the paste.

3.In a bowl, mix the garlic and ginger pastes, tomato puree, salt, and spice powders - red chili powder and teaspoon of garam masala.

in a bowl all the spices and tomato puree added to make black daal

Tomato and spices mixed in a bowl to prepare dishoom black dal

4.Pour off the cooking water, then pour on enough fresh water to cover the dal by a few centimetres. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, then add the spicy tomato paste and butter.

5.Cook on a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the mixture from sticking.

boiled urad dal in a black pan to make dishoom dal makhani

6.Switch to low heat and simmer for one to one and a half hours more, stirring regularly to prevent it from sticking, and adding a little water if the liquid level gets near the level of the grains. Eventually, the dal will turn thick and creamy. The creaminess must come from the grains disintegrating into the liquid and enriching it, not from the water being allowed to evaporate, leaving only the grains behind.

7.Add the cream and cook for a further 15 minutes.

doule cream added to the easy dishoom black dal

dishoom house black daal in a bowl garnished with onion slices and coriander leaves

Serving Suggestion

Serve Dishoom Dal alongside jeera rice and chapatis. You can also make other Indian breads such as tandoori roti or garlic and coriander naan.

Go for a dry curry or sabji to make it a complete meal with this aloo gobi matar (cauliflower, potato and green peas) brinjal bhaji or bhindi bhaji

Serve poppadom dips, kachumber salad and poppadoms as a side.

Mango Lassi is an Indian restaurant special! Dishoom adds a touch of fennel to theirs.

Storage

Store leftover Black dal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

When reheating any leftover dal, you may need to add a little more liquid to loosen it up.

You can freeze the cooked black dal in a freezer safe container. Allow to thaw then reheat thoroughly, adding a small pinch of garam masala to revive the flavours.

You can also store cooked black lentils in the freezer, ready to make black dal at a later date. Simply allow to thaw and use directly in the recipe.

I tend to cook a double batch of lentils and store away in portions to save on eletricity and and gives me a head start saving on time.

FAQs

How can I make a vegan or plant based black daal?

To make vegan black dal, swap the butter and cream for dairy-free alternatives. You can use vegan butter or coconut oil or vegetable oil and vegan cream.

urad black dal recipe served in a bowl with garlic and coriander naan

Other Dal Recipes

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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