Topic: Black lentils from the Cinnamon Kitchen by Vivek Singh

[tempest63]

Black lentils from the Cinnamon Kitchen by Vivek Singh

I tend not to be so heavy handed with the water as I find the end result often needs reducingquite significantly

INGREDIENTS
250g black urad lentils, soaked in lukewarm water in a warm place overnight
3 litres water
1 tablespoon   Ginger and garlic paste
1 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons tomato puree
150g salted butter
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, crushed between your fingertips
1 teaspoon Garam masala
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons single cream

METHOD
Drain the lentils and put them in a pan with 1 litre of the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the surface, as necessary, for 20

[chonk]

This was the first Dal Makhani recipe I ever tried, I think! It was included in the chef section of Pushpesh Pants "India" cookbook too. The earlier version used 2 tbsp tomato paste instead of the puree and only one tsp methi, less chili and instead of the 1tbsps gg paste, 1 tsp each ginger and garlic paste, if i remember correctly. Nice to see the small new adjustments. It's a fantastic recipe!

But the water ratio seems a little bit off to me too - at least regarding the additional cooking time of just one hour. I think it's 1:5 or 1:6 in general and it just got doubled here. It's been a while since I cooked this specific recipe, but I think you should evaporate around 3/4 of it while cooking. If there's too much water, the end result will be quite bland. I also recommend using a pressure cooker for more convenience (definitely using less water then).

Thanks again 

[tempest63]

But the water ratio seems a little bit off to me too - at least regarding the additional cooking time of just one hour.

As I mentioned before, I always use a lot less water, normally a half unless it is a tried and trusted recipe. I am also suspect of the salt that is quoted in a lot of Indian recipes, especially if added early on; again I go half and adjust later.