What Everyone Ought to Know About Dal Bukhara Vs Dal Makhani

Did you know more than 8000 Indian dishes are floating across people’s bellies worldwide? Well, more than 50 of them are ‘dals’. An Indian alternative of soup which is often filled with the goodness of lentils and pulses, not to mention, the zestful raw smell. 

Dal makhani happens to be one of the most popular options when it comes to Indian dal. However, another dish which is often mistaken as the former is ‘ Dal Bukhara’. 

Are they the same? Well, not so much! In this battle of dal bukhara vs dal makhani, I will be telling you all about the differences between them. 

Dive in! 

Is dal bukhara the same as dal makhani? 

While Dal Makhani is an age-old dish that is said to have come from Punjab, India, Dal Bukhara is a signature dish of Bukhara, ITC Maurya Sheraton, Delhi. Bukhara is also the name of a city in Uzbekistan. However, this dish bears no connection to this fact. 

In fact, people of Uzbekistan don’t even eat Dals. 

Bukhara is the brainchild of a chef named Madan Jaiswal in the above-mentioned restaurant. That said, there is also lots of common ground to cover since these dishes have a lot of ingredients in common. 

For starters, the base ingredient of both these dishes is black lentils/ urad, which is soaked overnight (makhani) so that it gets tender or prepared in an instant pot so that it loses its hardness. 

These dishes also need plenty of fresh creams, tomato purée, and butter so that their texture is thick and creamy. Next up, they also have a similar texture and color (bukhara may appear to be darker in some cases). 

Difference between dal bukhara and dal makhani 

Dal bukhara vs dal makhani: 

Dal Makhani Dal Bukhara 
Originated in Punjab, India Comes from a restaurant in New Delhi 
Lentils are soaked for 6-8 hours before preparation Urad lentils are not soaked. Instead, slow cooking is preferred. 
A mixture of red kidney beans and lentils is usedKidney beans are not used
Highly common in all Indian restaurants Less common in comparison 
  • The first and most apparent difference between these two dishes is the usage of kidney beans. Dal makhani has them, whereas you will only find lentils (black gram/urad) in dal bukhara. 
  • While cooking dal makhani, we first take the soaked lentils and cook them along with whole spices. After some time has passed, we usually add ginger garlic paste, bay leaf, garam masala, red chili powder etc. for the ‘tadka’. 

On the contrary, dal bukhara does not need a tadka, neither the black urad has to be soaked beforehand. However, Dal makhani requires the cook to soak the beans and urad dal in a few cups of water ahead. 

Here’s a post that goes deeper on dal bukhara vs dal makhani tadka. 

  • Bukhara’s recipe also prohibits usage of garam masala. Concentration of other spices such as chilli powder, fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) are also kept on the lower side. 
  • The third key difference between these dishes is the way of cooking. In the case of dal makhani, since the lentils are already soft and mushy, you only need to cook it for another 1.5-2 hours before it’s ready. 
  • Dal bukhara is to be slow cooked over low flame for at least 8 hours. This ensures that all the spices and cream get totally mixed up and form one coherent creamy dal. 
  • Last but not the least, unlike that makhani dal makhani which just requires 2-3 tablespoon butter % cream per serving, the amount almost doubles in case of bukhara. 

Still confused? Watch this showdown of dal bukhara vs dal makhani to know more. 

If you are looking for a healthier (less creamy/sweet) option, then you can go with dal makhani whereas bukhara is ideal for those who like a balanced taste without the inclusion of too many spices. That said, both of these dishes are amazing in their own way and go well with jeera rice and tandoori roti. 


Want to know more? Here are some similar comparisons worth the read : 

Dal tadka vs dal makhani 

Paneer makhani vs dal makhani 

Paneer makhani vs paneer shahi 

Recent Posts

Popular Posts