Black Gram and Buffalo Meat Recipe

Black gram with buffalo and rice is a complicated but delicious recipe that is especially cooked at weddings, especially in Uttar Pradesh, India.

So, my uncle was there the night before his flight abroad, and my mom and I made this together for lunch because it has two separate pressure cookers running at different times and goes more smoothly with two people. 

Ingredients

For the meat:

• 800g buffalo meat (or beef), cut into pieces
• 100g oil
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 6 cloves
• 1 two-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamom
• 15 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

For the ground masala:

• 2 medium onions
• 10 dried red chilies
• 3 tbsp coriander seeds
• 10 garlic cloves
• 3-inch piece of ginger

For the black gram:

• 400g black gram
• 100g red lentils
• 1.5 liters water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 8 green chilies, chopped

To finish:

• 1 tsp garam masala
• Fresh coriander, a handful, chopped

For the rice:

• 600g rice, washed and soaked for 20 minutes
• 70g mustard oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1.2 liters water

Grind the Masala and Get the Whole Spices Ready

Grind the onions, dried red chilies, coriander seeds, garlic, and ginger together into a thick paste (you can use a blender for this). 

But make sure the paste is smooth enough to coat the meat properly. 

Also, I had put the whole spices separately on a plate: the cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom, peppercorns, and bay leaves, which will go into the cooker at the same time as the meat and the ground masala.

Tip: Grind everything fresh instead of using pre-made powder; fresh-ground coriander seeds and raw onion release more flavor into the meat during the pressure cook. 

Plus, the ground masala makes the gravy thick after the water dries off. If you use store-bought coriander powder and skip grinding the onion, the gravy will stay thin, and the meat won’t have the same depth.

Add the Meat, Whole Spices, and Ground Masala to the Cooker, Then Give It 4 Whistles

Heat 100g of oil in the pressure cooker on medium flame, and then add the meat, all the whole spices,  turmeric, salt, and the freshly ground masala all at once. 

Stir everything together so the masala coats the meat properly, then close the lid and pressure cook on medium heat for 4 whistles (around 15 minutes).

After the pressure releases, open the lid and cook on medium heat with the lid off until the water from the meat dries up and the oil separates at the sides of the pot. 

You can’t skip this step: if the meat goes into the lentils with liquid still in the pot, the final dish will be watery, and the masala flavor won’t concentrate the way it should. 

But we need to achieve a thick, oily masala coating on each piece with no loose liquid at the bottom.

Soak the Black Gram and Red Lentils While the Meat Cooks

Wash 400g of black gram and 100g of red lentils together and leave them soaking in water while the meat is in the pressure cooker. 

By doing so, you can prepare both things at the same time, and nothing will sit around waiting. 

Black gram on its own will cook after 7 whistles; it’ll be thick and dense, and the red lentils will break down fully by the time the black gram is cooked and make the whole base smoother. 

Also, the two-lentil base will give a lighter color and texture than black gram alone, which looks really nice over rice (as we say, our eyes eat too)

Pressure Cook the Black Gram for 7 Whistles, Then Mash It

Drain the soaked lentils and transfer them to a pressure cooker. After that, you have to add 1.5 liters of water, salt, turmeric, and chopped green chilies, stir once, and close the lid. 

Cook on medium heat for 7 whistles. 

Black gram needs more time than most lentils because it has a thick outer skin (even the split variety is dense), so these 7 whistles will make both the black gram and the red lentils fully cooked through together.

Once the pressure releases, open the lid and mash the cooked lentils; it’s a very important part of the recipe.

Otherwise, unmashed black gram will stay grainy and separate when you add the meat, and the two things won’t properly come together.

So mashing turns it into a thick, pourable base that absorbs the meat masala when you add them in the same pot. 

Tip: you can use a hand masher, just broken down enough that there are no whole grains left.

Combine the Meat and Black Gram, Then Finish with Garam Masala

Add the mashed lentils to the pot with the cooked meat and stir everything together on medium heat. 

Let it come to one full boil, then take it off the heat. 

After that, add 1 tsp of garam masala on top, stir it through, and scatter the fresh coriander over the top before serving.

We add Garam masala at the end because the spices in it are already roasted and ground, and they lose their sharpness very fast on direct heat. 

Off the heat after the boil; that way, the flavor stays sharp. Also, coriander makes it look fresh and green.

Cook the Rice While the Black Gram Is on Its Last Whistles

Add 70g of mustard oil in a wide pot on medium flame and add 1 tsp of cumin seeds; don’t wait for the cumin to crackle- just add 1.2 liters of water and bring it to a boil.

After that, add the soaked and drained rice, stir once, then cook on medium with the lid on until all the water is absorbed and the rice is done.

Soaking the rice for 20 minutes makes it finish fast and cook properly; without soaking, the rice takes too much time, and some grains end up soft on the outside while still firm in the middle. 

I added mustard oil because we mostly use this, plus they give a sharp background note that works well under a heavily spiced dish like this black gram. 

But that’s okay. If mustard oil isn’t available, you can use ghee; it’ll give a richer finish.

Why Buffalo Meat and What to Use When You Can’t Find It

Buffalo and beef are close enough in texture and fat content, and that’s why the pressure cook time stays the same at 4 whistles for either one. 

But buffalo is stronger than beef, and both are used for this recipe in the same way. 

Also, in many places locally, buffalo is sold and referred to as beef in everyday use (which is the case here), so use whatever you can find under either name.

Lamb is another option, but it breaks down more in the pressure cooker, and the pieces come out softer, which will change the texture contrast with the lentil base.

How the Red Lentils Change the Black Gram Base

If we only cook pure black gram for 7 whistles, they’ll be thick and slightly sticky. 

That’s why, when you add 100g of red lentils to 400g of black gram, it gives the base a smoother consistency because the red lentils break down much faster than the black gram and essentially dissolve into the mix. 

By 7 whistles, the red lentils will be completely cooked out while the black gram is just reaching done. 

But together they produce a base that is thick but pourable, which is what you want when it goes over rice. 

If you want another split lentil dish, especially for lunch, you can make a split pigeon pea and yellow mung lentils with rice recipe.

How to Serve This for a Gathering

Ladle the black gram and meat over rice in a bowl and serve with raw sliced onion on the side. 

The onion will bring freshness and a slight sharpness that will cut through the rich lentil base.

And my dish actually improves over the first hour after cooking: the meat and lentils settle into each other, and the garam masala has time to come through properly. 

So if you’re making it for guests, finish it 30 to 45 minutes before eating and keep it covered on very low heat. 

For a bigger gathering, scale up the lentils because the lentil base is what stretches the meal. And you can also see my white lentil recipe if you wanna cook something quickly and simply.

Mistakes You May Make While Cooking This Dish 

The most common one is combining the meat and lentils before the meat gravy has dried out. 

After 4 whistles, there will be liquid in the meat pot, so keep it on medium heat with the lid off and let that liquid evaporate and the oil separate at the sides. 

If you add the lentils too early, the extra liquid will make the final dish watery, and the masala flavor won’t concentrate.

Another mistake is skipping the mashing step after the black gram comes out of the pressure cooker.

Because unmashed black gram won’t blend into the meat, the two things will stay visually and texturally separate. 

Also, don’t add the garam masala while the pot is still on high heat: it will burn off fast, and you will lose all the benefit of adding it at the end. 

For a quicker lentil meal on a regular weeknight, check out this yellow rice with potato.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use beef instead of buffalo?

Yes, you can use that without any hesitation; beef and buffalo have similar fat and density, so the 4-whistle pressure cook time will stay the same for either one. 

But the flavor with beef is milder, and the dish comes out the same way. 

In many places locally, buffalo is sold as beef in everyday use, so you can use either.

Can I skip the red lentils and cook only black gram?

You can, but it’ll make your recipe a lot denser and heavier.

If you go with 500g of black gram and no red lentils, I recommend you increase the water to 1.8 liters and add an extra whistle (8 total). 

The texture will be thicker and less smooth than the combination version, and you’ll need to mash more thoroughly to break it down enough to mix with the meat.

What if I don’t have a pressure cooker?

For the meat, cook it covered in a regular pot on low heat for about 60 to 70 minutes; add small splashes of water if the bottom starts to catch. 

For the black gram, cook covered on low heat with 2 liters of water for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 

Do all the whole spices need to go in, or can I skip some?

Spices like bay leaves and cinnamon add the most to the background aroma, so you can keep them. 

Black cardamom adds a smoky note, and the cloves add depth, and if you’re missing one or two of the whole spices, you can leave them out; the recipe will still be tasty. 

But the most important thing here is the ground masala (the onion, red chilies, coriander seeds, garlic, and ginger): that’s the most important thing for flavor.

Can I grind the masala the day before?

Yes, but you have to store the ground paste in a covered container in the fridge overnight and use it directly from the cold the next day. 

You can keep the paste well for up to a day before cooking. 

Grinding it fresh on the day is best for flavor.