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A royal Mughlai delicacy, this dal is slow-cooked with black gram lentils, aromatic spices, and a rich cashew paste. Finished with cream and a ghee tempering, it’s a luxurious, creamy dish perfect for special occasions.
For 4 servings
Preparation and Soaking
Pressure Cook the Dals
Prepare the Royal Masala
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A royal Mughlai delicacy, this dal is slow-cooked with black gram lentils, aromatic spices, and a rich cashew paste. Finished with cream and a ghee tempering, it’s a luxurious, creamy dish perfect for special occasions.
This mughlai recipe takes 80 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 369.31 calories per serving with 14.57g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.
Combine and Simmer the Dal
Finishing Touches
Prepare the Tempering (Tadka)
Garnish and Serve
To make a vegan version, replace ghee with a neutral oil or vegan butter. Substitute fresh cream with a thick, unsweetened cashew cream or coconut cream.
Increase the amount of green chilies and red chili powder. You can also add a pinch of black pepper powder along with the garam masala for extra heat.
For a Jain or Sattvic version, omit the onions and ginger-garlic paste. Increase the amount of hing and use grated ginger instead.
The combination of urad and chana dal provides a high-quality plant-based protein, essential for muscle repair, growth, and overall body function.
Lentils are packed with soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids digestion, promotes gut health, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and contributes to a feeling of fullness.
Ghee and cashew nuts contribute beneficial fats, including monounsaturated fats and butyric acid, which are vital for brain health, hormone production, and reducing inflammation.
The complex carbohydrates from the dals offer a sustained release of energy, preventing energy spikes and crashes, and keeping you feeling energized for longer.
Akbari Dal is a Mughlai recipe, which makes it much richer and creamier than everyday dals. The use of cashew paste, cream, saffron, and a generous amount of ghee gives it a luxurious texture and a complex, aromatic flavor profile fit for royalty.
Yes, you can. Replace ghee with a neutral vegetable oil or coconut oil. For the creaminess, substitute dairy cream with an equal amount of thick cashew cream or full-fat coconut cream.
Store leftover Akbari Dal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, gently warm it in a pan over low heat. You may need to add a splash of water or milk to adjust the consistency as it tends to thicken upon cooling.
Akbari Dal is a rich and indulgent dish, making it more of a special occasion meal than an everyday one. While it's high in calories and fat from ghee and cream, it's also packed with protein and fiber from the lentils. Enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
One serving of Akbari Dal (approximately 1 cup or 435g) contains around 520-550 calories, depending on the amount of ghee and cream used.
Absolutely. You can cook the soaked dals in a heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop. It will take significantly longer, about 60-90 minutes, for the dals to become completely soft. Ensure you add enough water and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.