Introducing this easy vegan dal makhani. It’s creamy, comforting, and the coziest dish to make during winter. 

This vegan dal makhani is a combo of brown lentils and kidney beans, which are simmered in tons of aromatics, spices tomatoes, and sweet coconut milk. It’s creamy, rich, and possibly my favorite dal dish ever. For reference, this dal has a similar flavor profile to the ever-popular butter chicken. So if you like that, you’ll love this dal dish. 

Whether you make it for dinner on the weekend or prepare it ahead of the week, you can’t go wrong with this vegan dal makhani. It’s the ultimate cozy winter dish!

vegan dal makhani in a speckled bowl

What Is Dal Makhani? 

So first off, dal refers to the ingredient pulses, which encompasses lentils, split peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. Dal also refers to a host of Indian dishes! 

Dal makhani is a North Indian dal that is made with whole urad dal (also referred to as black gram) along with kidney beans (also referred to as rajma). 

Quick disclaimer, while urad dal might look like black lentils (and it is often labeled as such in grocery stores) it’s not a lentil. They’re seeds from a plant in the legume family that have a white inner seed with a black coating. Which is why they often get mistaken for black lentils. 

Traditionally, dal makhani is simmered in a clay oven (aka tandoor) or in a large pot over an open fire, which gives the dal a slightly smoky flavor. 

Quick Disclaimer 

So now that you know the origins behind dal makhani, I wanted to give a quick disclaimer. 

This vegan dal makhani is by no means made the traditional way, nor does it use the traditional ingredients. However, the end result and flavor profile are almost exact. 

And the reason why I made it slightly different is because of ease and availability. Urad dal is hard to come by in most major grocery stores unless you go to your local Indian market. And I wanted you to be able to make this amazing dal dish in your home without having to go to 4 separate grocery stores. 

Additionally, using brown lentils and canned kidney beans helps speed up the cooking process and makes this dal easier to whip up for dinner. 

vegan dal makhani in a speckled bowl

Vegan Dal Makhani Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this vegan dal makhani recipe. 

  • Brown lentils
  • Kidney beans: I used canned kidney beans. Make sure to drain them and rinse them thoroughly; the liquid in the can is where all the gas comes from haha.
  • Crushed tomatoes: My favorite are San Marzano crushed tomatoes. I like to puree the tomatoes with an immersion blender, that way there aren’t large chunks of tomato in the dal makhani.
  • Coconut milk: Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk. 
  • Onion: While it is traditional to use onion in this dal makhani, I’ve made it several times without, and you can’t even tell the difference. So if you feel like frying onions, go for it, if not, it won’t make a big difference if you leave it out. 
  • Garlic cloves 
  • Fresh ginger 
  • Tomato paste 
  • Aromatics: Including cumin seeds, coriander, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. 
  • Olive oil or avocado oil 
  • Cilantro 
  • Lemon juice 

Why Soak The Lentils? 

I always soak the lentils overnight and then rinse them thoroughly. Not only does it help speed up the cooking process, but it also reduces the phytic acid content in the lentils. And less phytic acid equals increased nutrient bioavailability, specifically for zinc and iron. 

Quick note, hulled lentils (ie. brown lentils) have a lot less phytic acid than unhulled lentils, even if you don’t soak them overnight. 

vegan dal makhani with bread in a speckled bowl

Serving & Storing

I love serving this dal makhani with pita bread or just dipping plain sourdough bread in it (which is not traditional, but it tastes amazing).

If you have any leftovers, simply pop them in a glass Tupperware and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat the dal, pop it back into a small saucepan with a dash of cashew milk or water, and heat on medium-low until warm. Make sure to stir it occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Ok, that’s all for this vegan dal makhani – so excited for you to make it! Don’t forget to leave starred rating and review below. If you have any questions, leave a comment below or send me a message on Instagram.

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vegan dal makhani with bread in a speckled bowl

Vegan Dal Makhani

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  • Author: Yasmeen Ali
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Indian
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Description

Introducing this easy vegan dal makhani. This dish is a combo of brown lentils and kidney beans, which are simmered in tons of aromatics, spices, tomatoes, and sweet coconut milk. It’s creamy, comforting, and the coziest dish to make during winter.

Ingredients

Scale

Lentils & Beans

  • 1 cup brown lentils, soaked overnight*
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Aromatics & Spices

  • 4 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped**
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2” piece ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds 
  • 1 tsp coriander 
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
  • 1 tsp black pepper 
  • 1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon 
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
  • 1/4 tsp cloves 

Other Ingredients

  • 1 (14 oz or 400 g) can crushed tomatoes***
  • 1 (13.5 oz or 425 ml) can coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro 
  • 1–2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Rinse the lentils. Rinse the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear. Then soak overnight or at least for 6 hours. This will help the lentils cook faster and help improve the absorption of important nutrients.*
  2. Saute the aromatics. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add in the avocado oil or olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering,  add in the onion, and saute until translucent. Next, add in the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.
  3. Bloom the spices. Add in the coconut sugar, kosher salt, cumin seeds, coriander, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. Cook the spices for 30-60 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning. 
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Finally, add in the lentils, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk, and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pan with a lid. Simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through and have mostly softened. Make sure to stir the dal every 8-10 minutes to ensure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once cooked, the curry will thicken and become super creamy. If you find that the lentils are not quite soft after 30 minutes, add a few spoons of water and cook for another 5 minutes. 
  5. Blend the dal and garnish.Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, blitz the dal 3-4 times. This will make the dal slightly thicker, and creamier. Finally, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice and adjust the salt as needed. 
  6. Serve. Serve the dal with rice/flatbread/pita/even sourdough bread and garnish with additional cilantro. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Notes

*I always soak the lentils overnight and then rinse them thoroughly before cooking. Not only does it help speed up the cooking process, but it also reduces the phytic acid content in the lentils. And less phytic acid equals increased nutrient bioavailability, specifically for zinc and iron. Keep in mind that the lentils absorb a ton of water when they soak overnight, so if you don’t soak them overnight, you’ll need to add 1 cup of water (plus more as needed) to the curry.

**While it is traditional to use onions in this dal makhani, I’ve made it several times without, and you can’t even tell the difference. So if you feel like frying onions, go for it, if not, it won’t make a big difference if you leave it out.

***I like to puree the tomatoes with an immersion blender, that way there aren’t large chunks of tomato in the dal makhani. 

****Instead of coconut milk, you can use cashew cream. Simply blend 1 ½ cups of water with ½ cup of raw cashews until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. It’ll add the same richness and creaminess to the dal. Tbh, the cashew cream tastes even better than the coconut milk, as it replicates the texture of heavy cream.

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