Easy, slow cooker dal makhani recipe, cooked overnight in a crockpot and tastes just like restaurants and dhabas. This black dal is perfect with rice and tandoori rotis!
Another easy peasy recipe – Slow Cooker Dal Makhani for all your dal makhani lover! Are you going all like – one more slow cooker recipe? I promise this is is not the last in the series!
Guys I can’t help it. My slow cooker is seriously the best thing that happened to me in a long time. And as a friend recently pointed out, slow cooker dal makhani is genius! Coz dal makhani was originally made over an open wood fire. It was slow cooked all night so that you had all the delicious smoky flavours of a real dal makhani, and creamy, melt in your mouth dal that just screamed your name by morning!
And that’s exactly what we are doing here. Slow cooking this dal makhani all night or all day, and keeping it warm in the slow cooker till you are ready to eat. You’ll be amazed at how no work little work goes into making this dal makhani recipe.
At home, we are all dal makhani pros. Like my mum makes amazing dal makhani and so does the sis and I’m hoping I’m joining the team with my slow cooker version. All this while we’ve made dal makhani in a pressure cooker, because it’s fast and easy and just gets the job done. Till we discovered how much easier it is to make dal makhani in a slow cooker. Side note: if you don’t own a slow cooker, I have a pressure cooker version coming soon!
I’m seriously considering getting my mum one too because I think everyone needs one. Christmas present for mum? Yay or nay?
Unlike most slow cooker dal makhani recipes on the internet, this one doesn’t require you to do any prior cooking. You just dump everything in and let it simmer till you are ready to eat.
Usually, Denver’s my officially taste tester. But this time I went a little further with a really happy facebook experiment. We tested this recipe multiple times, making sure it was just right which meant a LOT of dal makhani and no space to keep it in my tiny refrigerator. I need a bigger one, I swear I do! So I posted a picture of this slow cooker dal makhani on facebook, letting people know that it was up for grabs. Surprise surprise! It was claimed in under a minute. Which makes me wonder if I should give away food on facebook more often. Plus major potential for second level feedback – Denver’s always going to be first level guys. He’s my man!
Usually a dal makhani recipe would have lot of onions, but I think the slow cooked version doesn’t really need them. The lentils cook so long that they break down and add their own flavour without needing onions to boost it up. So I’ve done away with them, but if you want, feel free to add one chopped onion to the recipe.
Also, if you are making some slow cooker dal makhani, make sure to try my Instant No Yeast Naan and Bombay Potatoes to go with it. It’s pureeee perfection that combination. And will make you sleep like a baby after! Sunday afternoon sorted.
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Easy Slow Cooker Dal Makhani
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 12 hours
- Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 6-8 people 1x
Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: indian, north indian
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Easy, slow cooker dal makhani recipe, cooked overnight in a crockpot and tastes just like restaurants and dhabas. This black dal is perfect with rice and tandoori rotis!
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dal ((whole black gram lentils))
- 1/2 cup Rajma ((kidney beans))
- 1 Bayleaf
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3–4 Cardamom Pods
- 3–4 Cloves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped Ginger
- 8 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped or minced)
- 2 Green Chillies (slit lengthwise)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 4 large Tomatoes (diced)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 2 tablespoons Butter + extra
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi ((optional))
Instructions
- Soak both the lentils (urad dal/whole black gram and rajma/kidney beans) in water overnight or for at least 6 hours. This needs to be done only if you are using dry lentils.
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker (except cream and kasuri methi) along with four cups water. Stir well. Cook on high for 8 hours or low for at least 12 hours till the lentils are cooked through and can be easily smashed between your fingers.
- Mix well and lightly mash everything with the back of a ladle or spoon. Add the cream and kasuri methi if using and cook on low for another 20 minutes. Top with more butter and serve hot. If serving later, you can keep this on warm for up to 3 hours. Just thin with a little water or milk before serving if it’s too thick.
Try these with the Slow Cooker Dal Makhani:
Whole Tandoori Baked Cauliflower
Sheila Nijjar says
August 6, 2019 at 5:05 pmBest and easiest recipe ever, reminds me so much of the dhal my Mum used to make on a rayburn, cooking it overnight.
Thank you so much
★★★★★
Gaurav Sharma says
July 18, 2019 at 11:38 pmI would like to give you a big thanks for this recipe. I tried it yesterday and it was probably one of the best dal makhni I ever had. though I made some changes to it, like adding onions and skipping soaking the lentils and instead cooked on low for 13.5 hours instead of 12. It came out so awesome that I had to come back to your blog to say thanks. keep sharing.
★★★★★
Richa says
August 5, 2019 at 8:43 pmSo happy you liked it Gaurav!!
Gayatri V says
May 18, 2019 at 11:49 amBought a slow cooker yesterday and was raring to use it. Immediately went online in search of a recipe and found this. After reading it, couldn’t wait to try it out. And I’m so glad I did. The Dal Makhani came out amazing. Thank you for this recipe. I did make a few changes…added onions and 3 tbsp of store bought tomato purée additional to the existing recipe. It was lip smacking tasty.
★★★★★
Richa says
August 7, 2019 at 9:37 pmThanks! So glad you liked it!
Harry Laflin says
January 28, 2019 at 6:04 pmHello, I’m going to try this at the weekend, can I use tinned lentils and kidney beans instead of soaking overnight?
Richa says
January 30, 2019 at 7:17 pmAbsolutely you can!
Harry Laflin says
January 30, 2019 at 8:49 pmBrilliant, thank you! Would the measurements stay the same?
Richa says
February 5, 2019 at 10:36 amLentils and beans double in volume after soaking, so you’ll have to use them keeping that in mind.
Janet says
July 13, 2018 at 6:25 pmI can’t wait to try the recipe. I soaked the beans overnight and everything has been cooking in the slow cooker for about 12 hours. It smells wonderful! When I checked on the lentils this morning they were still a bit hard. Should I just let them continue coooking in the slow cooker?
Richa says
July 13, 2018 at 8:47 pmHey Janet, The beans can take extra time based on how old or new they are. Please let them continue cooking till they become tender. Feel free to add a little water if required.
Mahega says
June 28, 2018 at 10:18 amGreat recipe. Needed help for slow cooker Dal makhani. Everybody loved it including very critical 92 year old guiding light of family MIL(I love her) she’s taught me everything the good old way. Time and labor was an issue as well as number of guests. Wow magic. Thank you.
★★★★★
Richa says
July 6, 2018 at 6:43 pmSo so glad you liked this dal makhani so much! Thank you for sharing your feedback
MP says
June 15, 2018 at 9:02 pmMade this yesterday. It was amazing: I’ve been craving Dal Makhni for a while and this totally hit the spot!!!! Now going to go try some other recipes…
★★★★★
Richa says
June 20, 2018 at 12:41 pmSo glad you liked it Mallesh!
Anu says
April 9, 2018 at 10:43 pmAbsolutely loved it!
The slow cooker version of making this Dal Makhani is pure joy. Easy to prep, cook and it turned out so delicious. I just followed the recipe as is (I did use onions).
Thanks for sharing Richa 🙂
★★★★★
Richa says
April 10, 2018 at 9:10 amThanks so much for your feedback Anu!
Karen says
December 27, 2017 at 11:48 pmHi how big is the cup you are using to measure the ingredients?
Richa says
December 28, 2017 at 10:48 amI used a standard cup size for this Karen. The same ones I would use to measure baking ingredients.
Karen says
January 22, 2018 at 11:23 pmWhat size or capacity is the cup? I want to try this recipe but don’t want to get measurements wrong!
Karen
Willard says
October 2, 2017 at 9:14 pmI live in Colorado, USA. Water boils at a lower temperature here, so recipes must be adjusted accordingly. Also tomatoes here tend to be harder and not as sweet as they are imported. Any suggestions on how I can achieve tasty results?
Richa says
November 6, 2017 at 11:31 amHey Willard, I’m not super familiar with these substitutions. For the water, you might just have to cook this for longer. With tomatoes, just use canned and they should work really well.
Gunjan says
September 26, 2017 at 4:58 amI tried this over the weekend and it turned out so well! It was super easy to put together and so yummy, totally restaurant style. I love love love this recipe. And it has now become my go to recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this.
Richa says
September 26, 2017 at 11:31 amYaaaay thank you!
isha says
February 18, 2017 at 6:01 amHey.. Just wanted to know.. If you dont have time to soak.. Is there any other alternative?
richagupta says
February 18, 2017 at 5:20 pmHey Isha! In that case, boil enough water to soak the dal. Take a casserole or any other vessel with a lid, add the beans in it and fill it up with hot water and let it soak for 45 mins-1 hour. This is a quick soaking method which works. If you don’t soak the dal and use it as is, the time taken may be longer.
Sarb says
February 15, 2017 at 10:51 pmWhich cream do you use?
richagupta says
February 16, 2017 at 12:01 pmI use Amul Cream or any fresh cream I can get my hands on. Homemade malai also works.
SMS says
February 6, 2017 at 8:40 pmHello,
How much water do I soak the dal in and can I cook it in the same water?
richagupta says
February 6, 2017 at 9:32 pmHey! Add enough water that the dal is completely soaked and there is an inch of water above the dal. And yes, if you use drinking water you can use the same water to cook the dal.
Divya says
January 8, 2017 at 6:43 amHi Richa,
Any substitute of cream? Waiting to try your recipe eagerly but don’t want to add cream ????
Thanks,
Divya
richagupta says
January 8, 2017 at 7:39 amSure you can add some yogurt or curds. Just make sure you whisk them till smooth before adding them. Or 1/2 cup milk should also work. Hope you like the recipe!
Divya says
January 9, 2017 at 2:12 pmThanks!! Will try it this week 🙂
richagupta says
January 10, 2017 at 11:27 amHope you like it 🙂
Shubha says
December 15, 2016 at 8:17 pmHello, thank u so much for such a great recipe. I tried it with a few minor changes. Loved it totally:) will soon share it in my blog with credits to u:)
richagupta says
December 16, 2016 at 3:24 amThank you Shubha, I’m glad you liked it. I don’t allow anybody to reprint my recipes, so please refrain from sharing my recipe on your blog.
Jessica Gavin says
December 9, 2016 at 4:37 amI absolutely LOVE dal! I can’t wait to try this slow cooker version, and I just got an instant pot so can wait to try the pressure cooker one too! Beautiful photography, I’m drooling over here!
richagupta says
December 12, 2016 at 2:05 pmThanks much! I’ll putting up the pressure cooker version soon 🙂
Madhavi says
December 4, 2016 at 3:02 pmSo tempting! Please post the pressure cooker version soon!
richagupta says
December 5, 2016 at 4:26 amComing up very very soon!
Vidisha Hegde says
December 2, 2016 at 8:47 amDoes the Preethi electric rice / dal cooker count as a slow cooker? Very tempted to try this out!
richagupta says
December 2, 2016 at 10:40 amHey Vidisha, it doesn’t act like a slow cooker because it’s a pressure cooker. But it’ll definitely do the job. Just cook this the way you would cook rajma (use the same time and settings) and then simmer it for an hour to get really creamy dal makhani. I hope you give it a go 🙂
Radiya says
November 30, 2016 at 9:02 pmHi Dear,
I wanted to ask about the makhani daal. Do we have to boil them separetly or put everything togther including tomatoes??
Thank you!!
richagupta says
December 1, 2016 at 12:47 amHey Radiya, If you are using a slow cooker, I don’t boil the dals before. I just soak them overnight and add everything including the tomatoes. I hope you try this out!