Dal Makhani (Slow-Cooked Black Lentils)

• 250 g Black gram lentils
• 120 g Red kidney beans, dried
• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 20 g Ginger root
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Ground Kashmiri chili
• 300 g Tomato, ripe
• 40 g Butter
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 80 ml Double cream

1. Rinse the black gram lentils and red kidney beans well, then cover with plenty of cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse again.
2. Put the soaked lentils and beans in a large pot and cover with fresh water by about 5 cm. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 75 to 90 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are very soft and the beans are tender.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, grate the ginger, and finely chop the garlic. Roughly chop the tomatoes.
4. In a saucepan, warm the ghee over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
5. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the ground cumin and ground Kashmiri chili and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until broken down and jammy, with the fat starting to separate at the edges. If it catches, add a splash of water and keep stirring.
7. Scrape the tomato mixture into the pot with the lentils and beans. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring and lightly mashing some of the lentils against the side of the pot to make it creamy.
8. Stir in the butter and garam masala until the butter melts. Lower the heat, add the double cream, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until glossy and creamy, without letting it boil.
9. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then rest for 5 minutes so the dal thickens slightly. Serve hot.

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