Dishoom-Style 24-Hour Black Dal (Dal Makhani)

Day 1

1. Wash. Wash the urad dal (300 g) in several changes of water, whisking, until the water runs clear.

2. Boil. Put the dal in a large pot with the water. Boil steadily for 2 to 3 hours, skimming off the foam, until completely soft: the skins should slip off and the white inside should be creamy when pressed. Top up with boiling water to keep the grains covered. Rest 15 minutes, then drain.

3. Mix the paste. Combine the garlic paste (12 g1 tbsp), ginger paste (10 g2 tsp), tomato paste (100 g6 tbsp), fine sea salt (8 g1¼ tsp), deggi mirch (⅔ tsp) and garam masala (1 tsp).

4. Cook the onion. Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). In a heavy 3 to 4 quart ovenproof pot, heat the neutral oil (14 g1 tbsp) and 15 g of the unsalted butter (120 g½ cup) over medium heat. Cook the onion (1) 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add the paste and stir 2 minutes.

5. Build the dal. Add the drained dal, 75 g of the butter, the bay leaf (1) and the cinnamon stick (1). Pour in boiling water to cover by 1¼ to 1½ inches (3 to 4 cm). Bring to a boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, stirring.

6. First 4 hours. Cover tightly and bake, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. Add a little boiling water when it starts to look thick or crusty.

7. Overnight. Turn the oven down to 200°F (95°C) and leave it covered overnight.

Day 2

1. Morning. Raise the oven to 300°F (150°C). Stir, add a little boiling water if it looks thick or crusty, and keep cooking, covered, until about 24 hours have passed since it went into the oven.

2. Finish. Take out the bay leaf and cinnamon. Stir in the heavy cream (90 ml6 tbsp) and the rest of the butter, about 30 g, and simmer 15 minutes on the stove. Adjust the salt.

3. Serve topped with red onion and cilantro, and pomegranate seeds if you like. It's very good with garlic naan.