Beans and lentils are something you’ll always find in my kitchen, which isn’t surprising because they provide the major part of protein in the Indian vegetarian diet. Each part of India has its own favourite/ more used varieties of beans and lentils and very own way of cooking them, whether savoury or sweet. So it is not surprising we have so many different ways of cooking them.
This rasedar (rasedhar refers to a slightly thinner consistency of the gravy) is somewhat like the more famous Dal Makhani (meaning “buttery lentils”) or the Maa ki Dal/ Kali Dal, except it is has more of the beans and less of the lentils. It is also a little lighter on the calories from butter and cream. Of course, this would mean that this rasedar wouldn’t taste as rich (should I say buttery?), but that’s not to say that it’s any less delicious.
The original recipe calls for 4 tbsp ghee and a tbsp of cream and this is fine when you’re cooking for a special occasion. That’s a little too much fat for comfort (and health) for me to use in everyday cooking, however, so I have reduced the fat a bit in this recipe. You may like to keep it that way too or else use what I do, which is indicated within brackets on the list of ingredients.
This recipe is adapted from The Vegetarian Menu Book by Vasantha Moorthy
Rajma Urad Dal Rasedar - Red Kidney Beans and Black Gram Lentils In A Creamy Gravy (GF)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rajma (red kidney beans)
- 1/3 cup urad whole / sabut (whole black gram lentils)
- 1 onion large , chopped
- 1 tomato large chopped
- 1 ginger " piece of , minced
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsps ghee (I use 1 tsp + 1 tsp oil/ 2 tsp oil)
- 1 tbsp cream light (I use low fat milk)
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 tsp chilli powder
- 1 1/2 tsps coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- to taste salt
- 2 tbsps coriander chopped
Instructions
- Soak the rajma (red kidney beans) in water overnight, or for about 8 hours at least) and the sabut urad (black gram lentils) for about 4 hours. Wash them and cook them together till quite soft (I do this in the pressure cooker). Mash the bean-lentil mixture so that it becomes a bit mushy. Keep aside.
- Grind the onion and the tomato into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
- In a pan, heat the oil/ ghee. Add the bay leaves, ginger and garlic and sautxe9 for about a minute. Add the onion-tomato paste and sautxe9, over medium heat, till the raw smell of the onion disappears. Since there is less oil being used in this recipe, you might find the paste drying up. If this happens, add 2 or 3 tbsps of water and continue cooking.
- Add all the spice powders, and sautxe9 for about a minute. Now add the mashed bean-lentil mixture and the salt and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. If the rasedar is on the thicker side, thin it down a bit by adding about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water.
- Allow the rasedar to simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cream/ milk and mix well. Take the pan off the heat.
- Garnish with the chopped coriander and top with fresh butter or cream, if desired. Serve warm with chappathis, parathas or rice.
Sunshinemom says
This must be one universal favourite:). Thanks for the very tasty entry, Aparna!
Roshni Mitra Chintalapati says
this is one of my husband’s favorite dal! I make an even more low-cal version! I boil the dals with ginger and the whole spices and later with tomato and I use dahi instead of cream. It definitely cannot be called dal ‘makhani’ but it nevertheless is quite tasty!
bindiya says
You got me drooling here, seriously that is one yummy dal!
Jayashree says
That is one delicious looking dal….
Hari Chandana says
Yummy dal looks soo delicious
Parita says
Looks creamy!
Fearless Kitchen says
This looks really tasty. Personally I appreciate that you’ve reduced the “richness” of the dish – neither my husband nor I can take a lot of fatty, buttery food, so it’s great to see recipes that are intended for more everyday use.
Mriganayani says
Wow..Looks yummy.This is absolute comfort food – simple everyday daal chawal food. Love it. Nice blog – keep up the good work. Anuwww.mriganayani.com
Ivy says
Looks creamy and delicious and good that you cut down the amount of fat.
mona says
Looks so good!
jayasree says
Looks very creamy and delicious.
Lisa says
Pure comfort food. Sounds and looks perfect!
Bergamot says
looks just yummy. it one of my favourite dals. would love to have this with steaming hot rice or laccha paratha.
Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes] says
Dal makhani with cheese paratha… The ultimate comfort food, according to me! And you may have reduced the butter/cream, but it sure looks creamy and yummy!!
Aparna says
Roshni, I also use dahi to make an even healthier version on and off.As long as it’s creamy and tasty, one can do without the butter/ ghee/ cream most of the time. 🙂
ABowlOfMush says
This looks really delicious! This is exactly what I want for dinner tonight!
oneshotbeyond says
I can’t get over how much I love soups! Yours looks great.