House black daal from Dishoom: From Bombay with Love: Cookery Book and Highly Subjective Guide to Bombay with Map (page 214) by Shamil Thakrar and Kavi Thakrar and Naved Nasir

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Chapati

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • doug_j1bmba on May 04, 2026

    I do love this recipe. It’s pretty hands off AND there is indeed plenty of room to add your house flavors to boost it. I def end up adding more chili and garam, but also might try to throw in some more flavors!

  • ashley_p5rv4e on April 26, 2026

    Worth the effort. For any Americans out there who don't regularly follow British cooks, tomato puree = tomato paste. This is a British cookbook that uses British parlance so don't blame the recipe. Love taking the weekend to make this one. It's always a hit in my household.

  • d.giginyc on April 25, 2026

    This was good but it didn’t wow me. I don’t think I’d make it for myself again but I probably would make it for others. Next time, I’d probably triple the seasoning measurements because the flavors were there but not fully (imo). Solid recipe though.

  • olliestephen_tijtsc on April 18, 2026

    Good… but not as good as theirs.

  • dmdmdmmm on April 12, 2026

    Despite the baby sitting and the anxiety of making sure it doesnt burn, this was a solid dish. Will I make it again? Probably not. 5hrs felt like forever lol

  • angela_1du7be on April 07, 2026

    Not quite as yummy as Dishooms version but yummy nevertheless! Leave pot uncovered as cooking and be patient.

  • Potawatomus on April 05, 2026

    This is amazing! But it is so labor intensive.

  • teresa_3u2sef on March 28, 2026

    I’ve used other lentils in an emergency and turned out well

  • Likethetea on March 25, 2026

    A lot of effort but worth it

  • emma_zsl3bw on March 23, 2026

    Tastes fantastic but a lot of effort

  • celine_yl1s3t on February 03, 2026

    For the amount of work, it didn't blow my socks off. I don't know if I'll make it again.

  • celine_yl1s3t on February 03, 2026

    This was good, but I don't know if it was good enough to warrant the investment.

  • lena_yd5pwv on February 01, 2026

    So good I manage to make it once every 1-2 months, despite taking so long to make. a little fenugreek is nice with it, too. Genuinely no need to change a thing.

  • lily_o1t41p on January 02, 2026

    Making a note here for silly Americans who aren’t paying attention to detail! When they say tomato purée they mean tomato paste, not pureed or crushed tomatoes. I course-corrected but it did cause logistical issues since I was out of tomato paste! Obviously not the recipe’s fault though, and this was absolutely delicious once I figured out what I needed. Will note that I salted with my heart at the end because I thought it needed a bit more than what the recipe calls for- I might try making it with salted butter next time just to get it closer to where I felt it should be.

  • breadenthusiast on September 22, 2025

    I was excited to finally try this recipe, and it's definitely worth the time. So creamy and rich!

  • TinyCitiKitchen on September 14, 2025

    This is an HONEST restaurant cookbook (you know what I mean). I made two dishes I’d eaten at Dishoom King’s Cross and they were spot on. This is a simplified version of their signature daal, but you’d never know it. It’s just as creamy and luscious as the 24 hour original. One of my dinner guests said he’d be happy having just this and the naan as his entire meal. I have no tips to offer: follow the recipe as it’s written and you’ll be thrilled!

  • eclairea on April 20, 2025

    YUM. Followed recipe exactly, just takes a looooong time, though not hard. If I had a lazy afternoon free, I would for sure make this again.

  • hlange on June 12, 2024

    A lot of steps and time consuming, but not at all difficult. I used beluga lentils which softened much faster in the initial step and sped things along. Took about 3 1/2 hours start to finish. This was delicious and I'll definitely be making it again.

  • kkmatti on August 14, 2023

    Very good and worth the time. I cut down the cook time by using a pressure cooker for 10 minutes with a 15 minute rest to initially soften the daal in step 2. This worked very well and didn't seem to compromise the quality of the finished daal. My only critique is that the finished product doesn't look red like the photo in the book. It's more of a brown color.

  • Astrid5555 on January 09, 2023

    Tastes exactly like the original from the restaurant, worth the effort. Made mine 2 days ahead and it reheated beautifully.

  • Hansyhobs on March 29, 2022

    Mother's Day 2022. I love this daal. I simmer the lentils the evening before (when I'm marinating the chicken and making the ruby curry sauce) and let them drain overnight. The following day I cook with the aromatics. It really does take several hours but it is so worth it.

  • patioweather on November 01, 2021

    This was incredible. Worth the effort.

  • etcjm on October 16, 2021

    I had high hopes for this as it's been on my list for a while. Must admit I got a bit jealous of everyone cooking it for Food52 cookbook month, so I got stuck in. When you're in the kitchen anyway baking, it's not a big deal to have this on the hob. It is very good. I had to try very hard to not cover it in coriander, but it wasn't on the recipe - so I didn't. One thing, it was just a touch too salty. I would rather add less and adjust accordingly next time. Served with gluten free flatbreads. Definitely do again.

  • purrviciouz on October 18, 2020

    Absolutely incredible! I doubled the recipe and am so glad that I did because it really does take about 5 hours and the flavor is superb.

  • Tee.Tee on June 14, 2020

    I followed the instructions per the book and was not disappointed. I have had this at the restaurant. This was pretty darn close. I’ll be making this again. Easy but have to be attentive.

  • VineTomato on April 11, 2020

    I'm back to report on the 24 hour slow cook. It worked perfectly and the dhal held together better than the pressure cook version. I soaked the dhal for 6 hours. Boiled on high for 10, and simmered for 50 minutes on the stove top. Then into the slow cooker with everything but the cream, and brought to a simmer and then onto low overnight. The next day I opened the slower cooker to let it reduce for part of the day, and by the time dinner came it was perfect. My only gripe is the smell was a little off putting first thing in the morning, and after cooking it all day I didn't really feel like eating it for dinner. I enjoyed it more the day after.

  • VineTomato on March 22, 2020

    Absolutely delicious. I tend to always use more ginger than the recipe recommends and in this case it was overpowering. Next time I'll stick to the recipe, which relies on a subtle balance of flavours that really come together beautifully. I used my pressure cooker for the first step (25 minutes) and the lentils were already starting to break apart, after adding the tomato and spices I only cooked for a further 20 minutes. There will be a next time where I want to experiment with a 24 slow cook.

  • Foodycat on December 26, 2019

    This takes a long time. Mine took about 5 hours. Well worth every minute - it has the most beautiful flavour.

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