Vegan Dal Makhani Recipe | Oil-free Dal Recipe with Masoor Dal

Whole Food Plant Based Dal Makhani Recipe

"The warm and homely Dal Makhani brings memories of eating well-spiced buttery dal (nut butter, of course!) wrapped in freshly made rotis.

The aromatic flavours of Dal Makhani waft from the kitchen through the entire house. It's one of those flavours that you would wake up to with a growling stomach. The warm and homely Dal Makhani brings memories of eating well-spiced buttery dal (nut butter, of course!) wrapped in freshly made rotis.

Here is our whole food plant based Dal Makhani recipe which retains all the goodness of the dish. Enjoy!

Whole Food Plant Based Dal Makhani Recipe

Course: Side dish for Course 3: Grain Dishes at Lunch & Dinner Meals
Cuisine: North Indian Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Passive Time: 5 hours
Servings: 2 people

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/4 cup Whole Black Gram / Sabut Urad Dal
2. 1/8 cup Red Rajma / Red Kidney Beans
3. 1 Bay Leaves
4. 1 stick Cinnamon
5. 1 Onions Red
6. 1 Tomatoes
7. 1 inch piece Ginger
8. 4 cloves Garlic
9. 1 tsp Cumin / Jeera Powder
10. 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder
11. 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
12. 1/4 cup Cashews
13. Juice of 1 Lemon
14. 2 tsp Miso Paste (Healthy Salt Replacement. See Nutrition Science Highlights below)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak whole black gram and red rajma / red kidney beans overnight. Pressure cook soaked dals with bay leaf and cinnamon until well cooked.
2. Peel and mash / grind garlic. Keep aside for ten minutes to rest.
3. Peel onions. Grind onions, tomato, and ginger. Heat on a kadai and cook.
4. After ten minutes of waiting, add garlic paste and cook for two minutes, then remove from stove and mix with cooked dal.
5. Mix in cumin / jeera powder, turmeric powder, and pepper powder. Grind lemon juice and miso paste with some of the cooked dal, then mix back into the dal makhani.
6. Grind soaked cashews to a smooth paste and garnish dal makhani with cashew paste. Serve fresh!

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Dal Makhani Recipe

1. Why not dairy? Dairy products have been found to be associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, asthma, PCOS, and heart disease. We can still enjoy our milk, cream, and butter though - as long as they are made from whole plant foods!
2. Why legumes? Legumes are the #1 number food associated with long life in many recent large studies! They also fuel your gut microbiome through their resistant starch content and slow down glucose absorption, keeping your blood sugar levels steady - even in the next meal! This has been called the Second Meal Effect. This recipe is one of the yummiest ways to include pulses and legumes in your daily diet.
3. Why miso paste? Miso paste is fermented & salted soya bean paste. Maximum recommended salt intake is 3 grams per day per person. In addition to helping us restrict salt intake, replacing salt with miso paste also helps by neutralising the negative effects of salt by soya phytonutrients. You can easily make fresh miso paste at home by mixing 100 grams of cooked soya paste with 10 grams of salt, or 10 tablespoons of cooked soya paste with 1 tablespoon of salt. If making at home, ensure to use immediately, or freeze in batches to use later. Or, simply use 3.75 grams of salt or less per day per person and add 18 to 20 grams (dry weight) of soya beans in any dishes, spread through the day!