Alternative names | Urad ki Dal, Mash ki Dal, Maa ki dal |
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Place of origin | Indian subcontinent |
Region or state | Punjab |
Associated cuisine | Indian, Pakistani |
Created by | |
Main ingredients | urad dal (black gram) |
350 kcal (1465 kJ) | |
Similar dishes | Butter chicken Paneer makhani |
Dal makhani (pronounced [daːl ˈmək.kʰə.ni]) is a dish originating in Punjab region.[2] A relatively modern variation of traditional lentil dishes, it is made with urad dal (black lentils) and other pulses, and includes butter and cream (makhani is a Punjabi word for butter).[3][4]
Dal means lentils or pulses. Makhan is the Hindi word for butter. Makhani means buttery.[4]
Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral, both Punjabi Hindu migrants from Peshawar,[5] had already invented butter chicken[5] and were looking to create a vegetarian dish that would complement it. A regular diner at Moti Mahal, the restaurant that Jaggi ran in Daryaganj in Delhi, suggested that something exciting could be created out of urad dal commonly used in traditional dishes, leading to the invention of dal makhani.[5]