In a bowl, wash the urad dal and kidney beans thoroughly, then drain. Add back to the bowl with 3 times as much water as beans, and soak overnight. The next day, drain, wash them well and drain again, and cook in the pressure cooker or saucepan.

To make them in the pressure cooker/Instant Pot: Add beans, bay leaves, salt, and 2 ½ cups water. Pressure cook for 50 minutes on bean mode.

To make them in the pan: Add beans, bay leaves, salt, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, partially cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the beans are soft. Add water, as needed, if the pan looks dry. The beans are ready when they are soft, and you can easily squish a bean between your fingers.

Once cooked, mash some of the beans with a spatula or potato masher to help thicken the sauce.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 teaspoon of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until they change color significantly, 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your stove. Then, add the black cardamom, green cardamoms, and whole cloves. Cook for 15 seconds, then mix in the onion, garlic, and salt. Cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in the ginger and green chili, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, break your cinnamon stick in half and use tongs to hold it over a gas flame until it catches fire. Let it burn for just a second, then blow it out, and mix it into the onions for smoky flavor. Stir in Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, and a splash of water to prevent burning.Mix in the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes, then crumble in the fenugreek leaves. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until they get jammy, mashing the larger pieces to help them break down. Mix in the beans with any leftover cooking liquid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 to 20 minutes (longer is better!). If it feels like there is too much cooking liquid, reserve the extra, and you can add it later, if needed. Taste and adjust salt and flavor, if needed.

Stir in ¼ cup of water or reserved bean liquid to cool the pan slightly, then mix in the non-dairy cream or yogurt. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more. Taste and adjust the flavor with salt, cayenne, or lemon juice, if needed. Switch off the heat, and make the spiced oil.

In a small skillet over medium. heat, dry toast the fenugreek leaves until they become fragrant or change color, about a minute. Add the vegan butter, Kashmiri chili powder, and smoked paprika. As soon as the butter melts, add in a tablespoon of water and reduce the heat to low. Water help keeps the Kashmiri chili powder from burning and help retains that beautiful red color. Burn the remaining half cinnamon stick the same way you did the other one, and add it to the pan, mixing well. Switch off the heat.

Pour the spiced oil over the dal and lightly mix in. Garnish with more non-dairy cream, cilantro, and lemon juice, and this delicious dal makhani is ready to serve. Serve hot with rice, naan, flatbread, garlic bread, baked potato, or roasted veggies.