Dal Makhni - healthy version.

Health food is hot! :D I say it with a smiley, but I'm in awe at the awareness around healthy eating and how most people in today's world have all their facts and numbers right when it comes to nutrition.  A lot of conversations include terms like trans fat, saturated fat, omega 3 acids, folates, protein with the best amino acid combination and the list goes on. ;)

It's a great thing though, that a lot of folks are making educated choices about what they eat! Especially in today's stressful lifestyle with little time for exercise. Not to mention the reduced times available to churn out a nutritionally complete meal for the family.

The challenge for a complete foodie is to strike that middle ground where you eat healthy and yet not compromise on the taste. A lot of food blogs online have tons of ideas to achieve this. Here is one such attempt of mine to make that creamy tasty Dal makhni with no heavy cream and very little butter. I use a bit of ghee. I find that ghee adds tremendous flavor when used in tadka(tempering), especially for Dals. I have used soft tofu to add the creaminess and some fat free milk to bring in the natural milk/cream flavor.
Hmm.. so let's analyze the results here. About 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp ghee are the bad things. Good things : Lentils and beans that provide protein and fiber. Tofu to add more protein.Really yummy taste- totally worth it. :) :)

You can always add more butter and simmer the dal with some heavy cream if the health bug hasn't got to you yet for the more authentic Dal makhni! :)
Which makes me wonder..What were the health numbers (cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure) of the Nawabs and Rajas who ate these rich dishes on a daily basis?? ;)

What you need:
Dals:
1/2 cup whole urad dal
1/4th cup Rajma (Kidney beans)
A little less than 1/4th cup chana dal (Bengal gram)

Soaked dals ready to go into the pressure cooker with ginger, chillies and turmeric .

1 tbsp Finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies - finely chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

For tadka/tempering:
1 tsp ghee
4 Garlic cloves finely sliced
Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds(methi)
1 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
Asafoetida (hing)- a pinch
2 med tomatoes-freshly pureed
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder to taste

Fenugreek seeds, cumin, garlic, bay leaf and fresh tomato puree

Garam masala powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
1 tsp sugar - This is optional. But it helps add that sweetish taste that comes from fresh cream/malai.

About 1/4 th cup Soft tofu
1/4 th cup milk - fat free will do!
1 tsp butter (optional)
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish






Method:
1. Wash and soak the 3 dal mixture overnight.
2. Pressure cook the dal with turmeric, ginger, green chillies and some salt. Cook for 6-8 whistles. We want the dal to be completely cooked. Once cooked, mash the dal just a little bit so its smooth and uniform - not to a paste.
3. Fresh tomato puree - Chop the ripe tomatoes into chunks and blend it to a puree with some water.
4. Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add the garlic. Once it is golden, add cumin, fenugreek seeds, bay leaf and hing.
5. Add the tomato puree and let it cook for 2 mins.
6. Next, add in the cooked dal, chilly powder and water if needed.
7. Mix well and bring it to a boil.
8. Add salt, sugar, garam masala powder and adjust seasoning.
9. Add butter. Cover and cook the dal on very low heat for 20-25 mins. Stir occasionally and add few spoons of water if it becomes too thick.
10. While this cooks, blend the tofu and milk together to a smooth puree.
11. Add the tofu puree to dal, mix well. Cook on low heat for another 10 mins till all the flavors come together.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with jeera rice or roti.