For the weekend I was in Chandigarh for one my good friend’s engagement.
Took the Shatabadi early morning with a friend … I was excited, I don’t generally get days off so for me it felt like a short vacation!

Chandigarh is one of my favourite cities, it’s neat and clean, urban planning is astounding, close to the hills and one can just get some fresh breath of air. Mr. Pollutant still hasn’t taken shelter there completely. Chandigarh literally mean “fort of Chandi” and Chandi is a goddess in Hindu mythology. Stats say that Ludhiana and Chandigarh have the highest per capita income. I should take Foodaholics there…hehe!

So getting back to my trip…where was I?? Yeah shatabadi-I highly recommend taking the train. It’s comfy and fast.

I had a lot of fun and the one and a half day trip was a blast-party, danced, drank and ate good food!
I mean how can one go to a Punjabi Sikh family function and not have Dal makhani!!
I am sharing with you a recipe my friend has given me.
Here’s how the legendary Raj Kapoor’s Dal Makhani was cooked:

250 gm urad dal (full grain)
2 tbsp each of channa dal (gram dal) and of rajma (red kidney beans)
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp crushed ginger
1 tbsp ghee or oil or mustard oil
2 tsp salt
3 dry red chillies
7 to 8 cups of water
Wash the dals. Put all the above ingredients in a cooker and cook under pressure for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for tempering
500 gm butter
1 tbsp sliced ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
Chopped green chillies
4 medium tomatoes blanched and chopped
1 tsp garam masala

In a non-stick pan melt butter. Lightly fry ginger. Add in chillies, chilli powder. Mix in tomatoes. Fry for six to seven minutes. Add in garam masala. Add the tomato mixture to the dal and cook over low heat for eight to 10 minutes. Garnish dal with two to three tbsp of thick cream or fresh malai and chopped coriander leaves or just with a plain cube of buttteerrrr!

Sluuurrrrrrrrrrrpppp!