Easy Slow Cooker Dal Makhani
on Nov 28, 2016, Updated Nov 26, 2024
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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!
This Slow Cooker Dal Makhani is another easy-peasy slow recipe you need to try! It’s creamy, flavorful, and so luxurious – I promise you won’t want to stop eating.
Traditionally, dal makhani is made over an open wood fire, where it’s slow cooked all night to attain those delicious smoky flavors and creamy, melt in your mouth dal. But for this recipe, we are trying to achieve the same results – except this time in a slow cooker!
Slow cooking this dal makhani all night or all day, and keeping it warm in the slow cooker till you are ready to eat is an absolute genius way to make it. You’ll be amazed at how little work goes into it, and the results will blow your mind!
jump to section: Slow Cooker Dal makhani
Ingredients Overview
The ingredients list for this slow cooker dal makhani is long. But everything is either pantry staples or easily available both online and in stores.
Since this a dump-and-go recipe that also requires no chopping, the only prep you need to do is remember to soak urad dal and rajma overnight (approx 6 hours).
The next morning, all the ingredients (except cream and kasuri methi) to the slow cooker, along with water and cook for 8-12 hours until the lentils are super tender. Finish it off cream and kasuri methi, cook for another 20 minutes and done!
Richa’s Top Tips
- Usually a dal makhani recipe would have lot of onions, but in the slow cooked version the lentils cook so long that they break down and add their own flavor without needing onions to boost it up. So I’ve skipped them, but feel free to add one chopped onion to the recipe if you like.
- It’s important to soak the lentils overnight to achieve the creamy texture we want from this recipe.
- All slow cookers are different, so the cooking time may vary slightly. I would recommend checking for doneness after about 6 hours and then cooking longer if needed.
Serve this creamy, smokey goodness with my Instant No Yeast Naan, lachha paratha, or good ol’ rotis and Bombay Potatoes for a wholesome, warming meal. It’s pureeee perfection that combination.
Check out my slow cooker lamb curry and slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipes. They are such good non-vegetarian recipe to make in your slow cooker.
As always, send in your pictures over on my IG @my_foodstory if you happen to make this recipe. I LOVE seeing your recreations.
Easy Slow Cooker Dal Makhani
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
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 Ginger, finely chopped
- 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 Tomatoes, diced (large)
- 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 at least for 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.
Notes
- This slow cooker version has flavours similar to the authentic dal makhani that is slow cooked over a wood flame overnight. If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can try my stovetop version. Click here for the recipe -> https://myfoodstory.com/dal-makhani-recipe/
- Dal Makhani is traditionally made with whole black urad dal (black lentils) and rajma (kidney beans). Avoid using canned kidney beans.
- But if you are vegan or lactose intolerant, use ¼ cup cashew cream or ¼ cup coconut milk in the end in place of cream. The coconut milk might add a milk coconut-ty flavour, but the quantity is so small that you’ll barely notice it.
- Kasuri Methi is dried fenugreek leaves that help round up the flavors in the dal makhani. Its available on amazon, and is used in many Indian recipes (on this blog), so stocking it won’t be a waste.
- Don’t skimp on the cream and butter in the recipe. These give the dal makhani its distinct texture and flavour.
- Feel free to adjust the spice levels based on your tastes by reducing or increasing the green chillies.
- 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.
A bit of a bummer. I think 4 cups is way too much water. It is like water with some lentils floating in it after cooking. I’m now boiling it on the stove trying to cook some water out to try and salvage dinner.
Hey Lisa, I’m sorry this didn’t work out well for you. i have cooked this a multiple times and it has turned out perfect. So Im very sure about the water measurements to be used in the recipe.
Hey.. Just wanted to know.. If you dont have time to soak.. Is there any other alternative?
Hey 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.
Which cream do you use?
I use Amul Cream or any fresh cream I can get my hands on. Homemade malai also works.
Hello,
How much water do I soak the dal in and can I cook it in the same water?
Hey! 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.
Hi Richa,
Any substitute of cream? Waiting to try your recipe eagerly but don’t want to add cream ????
Thanks,
Divya
Sure 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!
Thanks!! Will try it this week 🙂
Hope you like it 🙂
Hello, 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:)
Thank 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.
I 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!
Thanks much! I’ll putting up the pressure cooker version soon 🙂
So tempting! Please post the pressure cooker version soon!
Coming up very very soon!
Does the Preethi electric rice / dal cooker count as a slow cooker? Very tempted to try this out!
Hey 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 🙂
Hi Dear,
I wanted to ask about the makhani daal. Do we have to boil them separetly or put everything togther including tomatoes??
Thank you!!
Hey 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!