YouTube videos featuring a vegan version of Dal Makhni are hard to find. But there are a few, like this one from chef Sanjeev Kapoor. This recipe uses cashew butter as a substitute for dairy butter. Thankfully, the method of preparing cashew butter is included in the recipe video itself.
It is a quick recipe in which dal is cooked in a pressure cooker. The masala – onion/ginger/garlic/tomato/spices, etc. – are all dry cooked, i.e., without any oil. I think the idea is to avoid using vegetable oil so that cashew butter’s flavor does not get diluted. This may be difficult for us amateurs to do, but it is certainly worth a try and is a commendable suggestion for sure.
Dal Makhni in this recipe is garnished with cashew cream, but the method of preparing that is not covered in the video. However, there are other YouTube videos on cashew cream.
I am thankful to see a recipe video on vegan Dal Makhni from a celebrity chef. Now it is our turn to make it vegan. Maybe we can even improve it by slow cooking it rather than use a pressure cooker.
Video credit: ‘Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana’ YouTube channel.