This vegan dal makhani is made with black lentils, kidney beans and spices in a creamy coconut tomato sauce. A delicious and comforting Indian-inspired curry that you'd never guess was dairy-free!
Dal makhani was always one of my favorite dishes to order at Indian restaurants. It's so rich and creamy and loaded with flavor!
If you're not familiar with the dish, it's a type of dal that's made with black lentils (urad dal) and often goes by the nickname "butter lentils." Butter would be one of the reasons it's so rich and delicious. Heavy cream is the other.
So traditional dal makhani isn't vegan. But it's not that tough to veganize at all! I made my version with vegan butter and coconut milk, and it turned out super decadent and delicious.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Urad dal. This is a variety of black lentil that's common in Indian cuisine. Look for it in the international foods section of your supermarket, or at an Indian market. If you can't find it, feel free to substitute another type of lentil, which will still give you a delicious curry. Many common varieties of lentils such as green and brown do not need to be presoaked and will cook faster than urad dal, so this option can save time as well.
- Red kidney beans. We're using dried red kidney beans. Normally I'm a canned beans kind of girl, but since we're soaking the urad dal anyway, I figured why not soak the red beans too! Use canned kidney beans if you opt to substitute a faster cooking variety of lentil.
- Vegan butter. Look for this near the regular butter at your supermarket. Earth Balance and Miyoko's are a couple of popular brands to try.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Whole cumin seeds. I don't recommend substituting ground cumin. Whole seeds will give your dal a different flavor as well as adding some texture. Look for them in the international foods section at the store, or take a trip to an Indian market.
- Canned tomato puree.
- Water.
- Garam masala.
- Cayenne pepper. Skip this if you prefer a heat-free version of the recipe.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
- Coconut cream. Many stores sell this in cans. If you can't find it, simply chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight, then scoop out the solids — this is the cream.
- Salt.
- Fresh cilantro.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Soak your lentils and beans for at least 4 hours. Simply place them in a bowl, cover them with a few inches of water, and let them sit.
- When they're done soaking, drain them, place them in a pot with some water, and boil them until they're soft.
Time saving options: Your beans and lentils can be soaked and cooked in advance, so they're ready to go when you want to make this dal. You could also substitute canned beans and lentils, skipping soaking and cooking them altogether.
- Melt your butter in a large skillet and add diced onion. Cook it for a few minutes to soften it up.
- Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and cumin seeds. Sauté everything briefly. Be careful to avoid burning.
- Stir in your cooked lentils and beans, tomato puree, water, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for about 30 minutes to thicken up.
- Mash up a few of the lentils and beans with a fork or the back of a spoon. This will thicken the sauce and give it a creamy consistency!
- When your vegan dal makhani has finished cooking, turn off the heat and stir in the coconut cream and salt.
- Give it a taste test and add more salt if you'd like.
- Serve the dal with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. It goes great with some basmati rice or vegan naan.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan dal makhani will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Indian Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Dal Makhani
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried whole black lentils (urad dal)
- ½ cup dried kidney beans
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 cup canned tomato puree
- 1 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
- ¼ cup coconut cream, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Place the lentils and kidney beans into a large pot or bowl and cover them with a few inches of water. Soak them for 4 to 12 hours.
- When the lentils and beans are done soaking, drain them and place them into a large pot. Cover them with water and place the pot over high heat.
- Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, and boil the lentils and beans until they're soft, 60 to 70 minutes.
- Drain the beans and lentils into a colander when they're done boiling.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion.
- Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, and cumin seeds. Sauté everything for about 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the cooked lentils and kidney beans, along with the tomato puree, water, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and sugar.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick. Add a bit more water if it becomes too thick while cooking. As the beans and lentils become very soft, mash some of them up with a fork or the back of a spoon.
- Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the coconut cream and salt. Taste-test the dal and add more salt to taste.
- Serve topped with additional coconut cream, if desired, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Notes
- The beans and lentils can be soaked and cooked in advance, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Another time saving option is to use 1 (14 ounce) can of precooked kidney beans and 2 (14 ounce) cans of precooked lentils. You probably won't find the black lentils used in this recipe in cans, but brown canned lentils will still give you a tasty (even if less authentic) dal.
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