Dal Tadka and Dal Makhani: from humble origins to icons of Indian cuisine

dal tadka and dal makhani icons of Indian cuisine
Differences between Dal tadka and Dal Makhani

Both iconic dishes of the Indian subcontinent, Dal Tadka and Dal Makhani are considered humble ambassadors of Indian cuisine. They are both smooth, spicy, simple and considered Indian staple food. But what is the difference? Let’s explore the origins of these two symbols of north-Indian cuisine.

Dal Tadka

Dal Tadka is made with yellow lentils (usually moong dal but you can also use toor or masoor). Dal Tadka is a very ancient dish of the Indian cuisine. Ancient Indian texts describe recipes of dal that were served to guests at celebratory meals. It is believed that special dal served at Chandragupta Maurya’s wedding back in 303 BC. was the precursor of ghugni – a lentil preparation that is still very popular in east India and it is often sold in street side shops as a breakfast option.

History of Dal Makhani

On the other hand, Dal Makhani is made with black lentils (urad dal) and red kidney beans (rajma), in fact the dish can also be called Rajma as it is one of the main ingredients along with butter and cream (makh meaning butter in Hindi). It originates from Punjab and it became popular during partition in 1947 (division of India and Pakistan).
It is thanks to the creativity and culinary flair of the famous chef and restaurateur Kundan Lal Gujral, founder of Moti Mahal restaurant chain, that we can enjoy this exquisite creamy and velvety delicacy today.

Still considered an Indian staple food today and  excellent gluten free choices, these lentil dishes transform any dinner into a feast. Accompany them with a naan or rice to complement the powerful tangy aroma and enjoy!

Namaste Delhi strives to replicate the same traditional taste and flavour of homemade Indian food. Come and try it out for yourselves!

Some of the sources used for this article: www.wikipedia.org, food.ndtv.com, www.differenttruths.com, www.google.com

Disclaimer: The information provided has been well researched and written from many sources available online and the views provided is not of Namaste Delhi. Namaste Delhi do not take any responsibility for any technical error in the article.

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