Name: Black dhal with paneer-stuffed naan
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 350g urid beans (whole black lentils) soaked overnight; 150g butter; 1 onion grated; 4 cloves garlic crushed; 2 tbsp ginger finely chopped; 4 tbsp tomato purée; 4 tbsp double cream; 1/2 stick cinnamon; 4 cloves; 1/2 star anise; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 2 pods cardamon; 1 tsp easy bake yeast or fast-action yeast; 2 tsp golden caster sugar; 50ml milk warm; 250g strong white bread flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 1/2 tsp natural yogurt; rapeseed oil; 1 green chilli seeded and finely chopped; 1 tsp cumin seeds toasted; 200g paneer coarsely grated; butter for brushing; 1 tsp black onion seeds

Black Dal Recipe With Paneer-stuffed Naan

350g urid beans (whole black lentils)
soaked overnight
150g butter
1 onion
grated
4 cloves garlic
crushed
2 tbsp ginger
finely chopped
4 tbsp tomato purée
4 tbsp double cream

SPICE MIX

1/2 stick cinnamon
4 cloves
1/2 star anise
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 pods cardamon

PANEER STUFFED NAAN

1 tsp easy bake yeast or fast-action yeast
2 tsp golden caster sugar
50ml milk
warm
250g strong white bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp natural yogurt
rapeseed oil
1 green chilli
seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
toasted
200g paneer
coarsely grated
butter
for brushing
1 tsp black onion seeds

Method

step 1
Toast the spices for the spice mix in a dry frying pan until they start to smell fragrant. Cool then grind in a spice- or coffee grinder.
step 2
Drain the beans and rinse well, then put in a pan and cover with enough cold water to come about 3cm above the beans.
step 3
Bring to a simmer then cook for 20 minutes, skimming the surface now and then. Drain.
step 4
Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Heat 50g of the butter in an ovenproof pot with a lid.
step 5
Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in the spices and cook for a couple of minutes.
step 6
Add the tomato purée, beans and 850ml water and bring to a simmer. Put a sheet of foil under the lid to create a seal, then put in the oven for 2 hours.
step 7
To make the naan, add the yeast and half of the sugar to the warm milk, then leave for
a couple of minutes.
step 8
Tip the rest of the sugar, flour and salt into a bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture, yogurt, 4 tbsp water and 2 tbsp oil, and mix to a dough.
step 9
Knead until the dough is smooth, adding a little water if it feels too stiff, or flour if it’s too sticky. It should be really soft when you’ve finished kneading.
step 10
Leave in an oiled bowl, covered, for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
step 11
Mix the chilli, cumin and paneer and season well. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll each one out to a circle about half a cm thick, sprinkle over ¹/8 of the cheese mixture and spread it out a bit.
step 12
Fold over the dough and seal the edges. Roll it out again to a teardrop shape – it should be quite thin. Repeat with the remaining naans.
step 13
Heat a large frying pan to hot, put a naan in and cook it until the top starts to puff and the underside browns. Turn over and brown the other side.
step 14
Brush with butter or ghee, sprinkle with black onion seeds, then put in a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining naans.
step 15
To finish the dal, stir in the rest of the butter and the cream and season well with salt. Serve with the naan.