Dal Makhani

This sumptuous North Indian dish of lentils slow-cooked with spices, butter and cream is traditionally prepared over a wood/coal fire for several hours. In my restaurants, we slowly cook the dal over a charcoal tandoor, which yields a thick, glorious-tasting dal. I also swap out the traditional kidney beans for chana dal, for a creamier texture. Making a good dal makhani is easy and requires only a few ingredients, but it does take time, so this is a great dish to make for a weekend