Dal Makhani making process has 7 steps. Let's do it one by one.

STEP 1 : SOAKING OF DAAL

• Take 1 cup whole black lentil (Kali moong daal) and 1/4 cup red kidney beans/Rajma in a bowl.
• Add 1/2 tsp salt and water sufficient enough to soak the daal.
• Let daal remain soaked overnight or atleast 8-9 hours.

STEP 2 : WASHING OF DAAL

• Washing of this daal is one of the important steps and for that you need to wash the daal by rubbing the daal vigorously with your hands.
• Repeat this washing step 3-4 times after changing the water everytime.
• After washing the daal 3-4 times, transfer the daal into a boiling water.
• Boil just for a minute so that all the impurities of daal washes away in hot water.
• Thereafter sieve the dirty water and daal remains with you.

STEP 3 : BOILING OF DAAL

• For boiling daal, transfer it into pressure cooker. If you don't have pressure cooker, then you can boil it in a pan having a lid.
• Add 2 green cardamoms, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 1 star anise (optional), 1 black cardamom, 2 cloves, 8-10 garlic cloves , 1/2 tsp red chilli powder , 1/2 tsp salt and 4 cups of water.
• Pressure cook for 5 whistles. If cooking in a pan, then keep on cooking. For how long to cook, you will understand after reading the recipe ahead.
• After 5 whistles, let the pressure release on it's own.

STEP 4 : COOKING TOMATOES FOR GRAVY

• While the pressure is releasing, let's prepare the tadka/tempering of daal. And for that add 2 tbsp desi ghee in a pan.
• Add 1 tbsp ginger paste and let it turn slightly brown.
• Now add red chilli powder to taste and mix well.
• Add 1.5 cup of tomato puree.
• Cook the tomato puree until the puree leaves the sides of the pan and you can see the ghee separating from tomatoes. Switch off the heat and keep aside.

STEP 5 : SIMMERING OF DAAL

• By now, pressure from cooker must have been released.
• We have transferred the daal in a wide pan so that it becomes easy to handle it. If you don't want to shift the daal, let it remain there in pressure cooker. Also from here onwards, those who have boiled daal in open pan, can join the process.
• Place the daal on low heat and let the daal simmer.
• Keep on mashing the daal with the back side of the ladle. Do this mashing process repeatedly in short gaps.
• Let the daal simmer like this for atleast 30 to 45 minutes, while keep on mashing it intermittently.
• If at any stage you feel that water has dried up and daal has started sticking to the base of the pan, add 1 cup water at a time. During the period of 45 minutes of simmering, we added nearly 2 cups of water at different times.

STEP 6 : ASSEMBLING OF DAAL

• When 45 minutes of simmering is done, transfer the tomatoes tadka into the daal.
• Give them a good mix.
• Still the simmering and mashing process (step 4) is not complete and keep the daal for simmering for further 30 to 45 minutes.
• Again, whenever water dries up, add a cup of water. This time too, we added 1-1 cup of water twice.
• You can see a sluggish surface over the daal and it's a sign that daal is thoroughly cooked.
• During the last minute of cooking, add salt to taste, 50 gram butter and 1/4 cup of cream. Mix till butter melts completely.
• Lastly add 1 tbsp of kasuri methi/dry Fenugreek leaves after crushing it between your palms.
• Give it a good mix.

STEP 7 : SMOKEY EFFECTS

• Add burning charcoal in a small bowl and place the bowl in the middle of the daal.
• Pour few drops of desi ghee on burning charcoal.
• Immediately put the lid on the pan and let it like this for 5 minutes.
• Daal makhni is ready. Serve hot after garnishing it with more butter, cream and kasuri methi.