Dutch chef cooks Dal Makhani, gives it an interesting twist: Social media pours love

Time of India

a day ago

Credit: Instagram/@wolfalexanderI
When it comes to Indian food, Dal Makhani sits high up on the list of dishes people are passionate about. It's rich, comforting, and slow-cooked with care. It's not just dinner, it's tradition.
So when a foreign food creator recently posted his version of Dal Makhani on Instagram and casually tossed in onions, desi food lovers didn't let it slide.
The creator, who goes by @wolfalexander1(Alexander Lodewijk), seemed well-intentioned. His kitchen was clean, his cooking steps carefully shot, and you could tell he'd done at least some research. He stirred the lentils patiently, added cream, butter, spices, and then came the curveball.
Chopped onions sizzling away in the pan.
Now, for most people outside India, that probably doesn't sound like a big deal. Onions go into almost every Indian dish, right? Not this one. Dal Makhani traditionally skips onions. It relies on black lentils, butter, tomato, cream, and a long, slow simmer to develop that rich depth of flavor. It's the kind of dish that doesn't need too many ingredients messing with its base.
Credit: Instagram/@wolfalexanderI
Still, @wolfalexander1 looked proud as he showed off the final plate.
'How did I do?' he asked in his caption. Then he added, 'Ps I know i t shouldn't contain onions .'
That little postscript was enough to spark a wave of reactions in the comments. Some people corrected him gently. A few others went the sarcastic route.
Despite the tiny controversy, it's hard not to appreciate the effort. Here was someone from halfway across the world, clearly curious about Indian food, trying to get it right.
He may have fumbled a detail, but he didn't butcher the dish. He didn't add pineapple or turn it into a casserole. He just got one thing slightly wrong and admitted it.
That's what made people pause. He didn't double down. He didn't claim this was the 'authentic' way. He just asked the internet how he did, and the internet, of course, answered.
Credit: Instagram/@wolfalexanderl
It's also a small reminder of how deeply connected people are to the food they grew up with.
For many Indians, Dal Makhani is a childhood memory, a family tradition, a restaurant classic that doesn't need reinventing. So when someone tweaks it, even accidentally, it stirs emotion.
Still, credit where it's due: He got most of it right. The spices, the lentils, the love, it was all there. Next time, maybe no onions. Or maybe onions, if he's making it for himself.
Either way, he started a conversation. And sometimes, that's all a dish needs to become unforgettable.