Buttery black lentils (Dal makhani)

1. Rinse the whole urad beans and the red kidney beans thoroughly and soak overnight in plenty of cold water.

2. Drain, cover with fresh water, add the salt and cook for 1½-2 hours (30 minutes in a pressure cooker) until completely soft and easily crushed with a spoon.

3. Melt half the butter in a heavy pan and fry the grated ginger and crushed garlic for 1 minute, then add the tomato purée and chilli powder and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the lentils with their cooking liquid and simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring often, for at least 45 minutes (the longer the better); crush some of the beans with the back of a spoon to make it creamy. Add water if it gets too thick.

5. Stir in the remaining butter, most of the cream, the garam masala and the dried fenugreek leaves crumbled between your palms and cook for another 10 minutes.

6. Drizzle with the remaining cream and serve with naan or jeera rice.

Tip: This dish was born at Delhi's Moti Mahal restaurant in the 1950s as a partner for tandoori chicken. Traditionally it simmered all night on the dying embers of the tandoor; the longer you cook it, the silkier it gets.