Stock up with this Juhu home-chef's slow cooked, preservative-free, smoky dal maharani and makhani gravy

From apple wood to charcoal, a Juhu-based home chef is whipping up an array of smoked dal maharanis and makhani gravy with a long shelf life

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But if, like Juhu resident Kavita Uppal, you have a time-tested and perfected recipe of dal maharani or makhani that can be stored for months in the middle of a pandemic, then throw in a few naans and serve comfort on a plate. And take it a notch further, by introducing smoky flavours like apple, hickory and Bourbon woods to the north Indian favourite. That’s what Uppal, a furniture manufacturer for 25 years, did by starting the home delivery venture The Smokin’ Queen, when her business took a backseat during the lockdown last year.

Kitchen queen

“I’ve always been good at cooking; friends and family members have egged me on for years to start my own venture. I started this in the lockdown, because, apart from financial reasons, I was bored. Moreover, delivery platforms like WeFast and Dunzo made the idea seem convenient,” shares Uppal. The 52-year-old started off by offering her traditional, charcoal-smoked dal maharani, made using the dhungar technique, before playing around with wood chips. Also on the menu are cheese-garlic-spice-loaded naans, a meat sauce that’s also available in a vegan option, chilli jam and onion relish, all of which can be stored in the freezer for days. “I don’t add any preservatives. With smoked products, smoking is a natural preservative,” she informs us.

Kavita Uppal slow-cooks and smokes dal maharani for around 36 hours. Pics/Shadab Khan

Never a dal moment

The Smokin’ Queen’s dal maharanis, naanlets and makhani gravy come packed in vacuum-sealed packaging that don’t take up much freezer space. All you have to do for the dals and gravy is thaw and heat with a splash of water and cream or milk; it’s ready in less than 10 minutes. The dals are slow-cooked and smoked for 36 hours, which lends them a pleasing dense consistency. Uppal’s apple wood-smoked dal maharani (Rs 700 for 500 gm) is mildly sweet, with a delicate aroma that pairs well with her toasty, cheesy queens naanlets (Rs 500 for 12).

The naanlets, which can be stored in the freezer for a month, are an irresistible lot with a cheesy, garlic-ey and spicy undertone. Stock a few packs to serve as starters or to binge on as snacks. The smokin’ buttery queen makhani gravy (Rs 450 for 500 gm) is smoked using Bourbon oak wood for 24 hours. The versatile product, which can be used to whip up paneer, veggies or chicken, has a Bourbon-induced sweetness with a silky sheen, though we’d prefer some heat. The hickory wood-smoked dal maharani (Rs 700 for 500 gm), on the other hand, has a strong, barbeque-like tang that didn’t work for us, but the creamy, dhaba-style original charcoal-smoked maharani (Rs 600 for 500 gm) makes up with its tandoori smokiness and balanced spices. Pair with phulka, paratha or rice for the make-haath-ka-khana feels. 
With a long shelf life, fair price points and almost-zero prep, The Smokin’ Queen offers products that can potentially be a saviour for busy students and WFH professionals. Uppal mentions that she’s keen to tie up with those offering holiday homes or caravans. “I’m also planning to introduce a keto dal and naan, and provide Jain options,” she signs off.

Call: 9820239593
Log on to: @thesmokinqueen on Instagram

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