Dal (“lentil”) makhani (“with butter”) is a Punjabi or North Indian dish from the same region as another beloved classic, Indian butter chicken. Roughly translated as “buttery lentils,” dal makhani is a creamy, tomato-based vegetarian stew that is served as both a hearty main and a side dish. Dal makhani has become a standard dish in Indian restaurants, thanks to the culinary stylings of a chef named Kundan Lal Jaggi at the Moti Mahal restaurant in 1950s post-partition Delhi.