Mahn Di Daal (Black Lentils)

Any festive or religious occasion calls for this lentil dish on the menu. It was popularized by road-side eateries called dhabas in India where the daal was served with a dollop of freshly churned butter. Jaswant’s Kitchen Tadka Masala makes it very easy to make. This dish is also referred to as urad daal or daal makhani.

*NOTE: For BEST results, use the slow cooker method mentioned at the bottom of the recipe. Cooking time for the oven method can vary greatly depending on the strength of the oven and the particular batch of beans used.

1 cup Mahn Di Daal (Black Lentils)
4 ½ cups water
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tbsp Jaswant’s Kitchen Tadka Masala
½ tsp Jaswant’s Kitchen Garam Masala
1 tsp butter (optional)
¼ cup cilantro (chopped for garnish)

Preheat oven on bake setting at 350°F.

Bring water to a boil on the stove in an oven safe pot or dutch oven. Wash and drain the lentils. Add lentils to the boiling water along with salt and Jaswant’s Kitchen Tadka Masala. Cover and place the pot on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Set the cook time for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cooking time may vary greatly depending on oven. If lentils are not yet soft, add more water if needed and cook longer.

Remove from oven. Add Jaswant’s Kitchen Garam Masala and chopped cilantro. Serve hot with a dollop of butter and with chapatti or naan.

This dish can also be made in a slowcooker or crockpot. Combine water, lentils, Jaswant's Kitchen Tadka Masala and salt in slowcooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours. Finish with Jaswant's Kitchen Garam Masala and cilantro and serve as described above.

Makes 4-5 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 1h 30 min to 8 hours