AI-generated photo.
Indian · Iconic, Punjab · India
Dal makhani
Dal makhani (dal makhani), a Punjab plate from India.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Dal makhani is cooked in Punjab as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the dal and beans until they collapse, then mount the pot with butter and a little cream. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
78
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 18%
- Carbs 46%
- Fat 37%
Suits · Diabetes-friendly
Sugar, fiber, and the starch mix sit in a gentler range. Your own portion still decides the day.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 13.7 g, under the 25 g mark.
Suits · Low sodium
About 299 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Suits · Vegetarian
No meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Urad dal119 kcal
- Unsalted butter63 kcal
- Dry kidney beans59 kcal
- Heavy cream42 kcal
- Tomato8 kcal
- Garlic3 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 11.4. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 299 kcal.
Allergens. Milk
Make it healthier
Use half the butter
Half the butter grams stay out of the plate. The new figure subtracts those grams on the ingredient table.
About 268 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 299 kcal | 15% |
| Protein | 13.7 g | 27% |
| Carbohydrate | 35.1 g | 13% |
| Fiber | 9.7 g | 35% |
| Total sugars | 2 g | 4% |
| Fat | 12.5 g | 16% |
| Saturated fat | 7 g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 32 mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 299 mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 377 mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 33 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 4.2 mg | 23% |
| Magnesium | 32 mg | 8% |
| Zinc | 0.6 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin A | 129 mcg | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 7.7 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 0.5 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 5 mcg | 4% |
| Thiamin (B1) · estimate | 0.2 mg | 18% |
| Riboflavin (B2) · estimate | 0.1 mg | 9% |
| Niacin (B3) · estimate | 1.4 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg | 8% |
| Folate · estimate | 90 mcg | 23% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Fiber is generous, which helps the meal carry you.
- Saturated fat is moderate to high. Worth noticing if cholesterol is on your mind.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Urad dal0.7 cup140 g
Dry kidney beans0.35 cup70 g
Unsalted butter2 tbsp35 g
Heavy cream3 tbsp51 ml
Tomato2 tomatoes180 g
Fresh ginger2 slices10 g
Garlic3 cloves8 g
Garam masala1 tsp3 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Dal makhani. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh urad dal, dry kidney beans, unsalted butter, heavy cream, tomato, fresh ginger, garlic, garam masala, kosher salt. Dal makhani is cooked in Punjab as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the dal and beans until they collapse, then mount the pot with butter and a little cream. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Dal makhani is cooked in india. Skim the foam once, then stop stirring so the broth stays clear.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Dal makhani, until the edges take a little color. Add the herb at the end so it stays green and fragrant.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Dal makhani at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 47 minutes. Dal makhani is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Simmer 47 min
- 🇮🇳 IndiaSouth Asiaicon-india-dal-makhani-step-4
Dal makhani, step 5
Step 5 · Dal makhani
5Check the center of Dal makhani, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇮🇳 IndiaSouth Asiaicon-india-dal-makhani-step-5
Dal makhani, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Dal makhani for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in india, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Dal makhani in this shot order and no other: the lid lifted for one quick look; the oven dial and a hot rack; a colander and a cloud of steam; fish just turning opaque and flaking. Slate words for the editor: bronzed, bloom, undercrust, olive, hearth, drizzle, dusk, windowlight, quartz, kettle.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Dal makhani is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Dal makhani looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Dal makhani turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Dal makhani, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Dal makhani is one of the plates people ask for by name from Punjab.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Simmer the dal and beans until they collapse, then mount the pot with butter and a little cream.
Allergens in the required list: Milk.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.