Dal Baati Churma - Rajasthani Special

For  this July 2019 , Ssshhhh secretly cooking , We are cooking from Rajasthan . Rajasthan cuisine was lot different from other northern cuisine. As most part of the state is dessert , fresh vegetables are rarely used in cooking. 

   I was paired with Sujatha Shukla of pepper on pizza . I gave her amchur powder and fennel as secret ingredents. She made a delicious dish with that . Check her recipe here.


   She gave me Channa dal and Ghee as my secret ingredients. I made  the Rajasthani Favourite Trio - Dal Baati Churma .

  It is popular in Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. 
 Dal Baati Churma - A platter of semi sweet churma , spicy dal and cooked baati , a hard wheat bread.
 Churma is the sweet dish made by crumbling the few of prepared batti and mix powdered sugar. 
 Dal is prepared using tuvaar dal , Chana dal , mung dal , moth dal or urad dal. The pulses or lentils are cooked together after being soaked in water for a few hours. A tempering of mustard  , cumin  and hing , followed by green chili , garlic , coriander , turmeric powder , ginger are added to the vegetable oil. Cooked dal is added to the tempering  - Rajasthani Panchratna dal.

Baati is a hard bread made up of wheat flour . Wheat flour is kneaded  and shaped into tennis ball sized round balls and cooked on a well heated traditional oven. The golden brown baati is greased with ghee and is served with dal , rava ladoo , rice , pudina chutney , Kairi ( Raw Mango ) chutney , green salad with lots of onion and fresh buttermilk ( Chass ).

 The ingredient list may seem long , but with proper planning you can easily make the trio single handedly.

Requirements : 
For Baati :

2 cup wheat flour 
1/2 cup semolina
4 tbs melted ghee 
2 tbs besan flour ( Bengal gram flour )
1/2 cup milk 
1 tsp fennel seed 
1/4 tsp carom seeds 
 Salt to taste 
 Ghee for deep frying

For churma :

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup semolina
4 tbs melted ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
 5 tbs powdered sugar
 Ghee for deep frying

For Dal :

1/4 cup Channa dal ( Split Chickpea )
 1/4 cup Moong dal ( whole Green gram )
 1/4 cup Tuvar dal ( Split Pigeon pea )
 1tbs Urad Dal  ( Black gram )
 5 cloves Garlic
 1 onion chopped 
 3 tbs ghee
1 tsp mustard 
1 tsp cumin 
2 Tomato
 A pinch of hing / Asafoetida
 2 green chilli
 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
 1 tsp coriander powder
 1/4 tsp garam masala
 Salt to taste
 3 cloves 
 1 bay leaf

Method :

Making of Churma :
         In a bowl mix whole wheat flour , semolina and melted ghee , mix well. Sprinkle about a quarter cup of water and knead to a stiff dough.
   Divide the dough into equal parts .

 Shape each part of dough in the shape of your fist by pressing the four fingers into the dough.

 Heat ghee in a deep kadai , add one or two shaped dough and fry till golden brown on a slow flame.
 Fry all the dough and let it cool completely.
Crumble them and blend to fine powder by using mixer.
 Add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder , mix well.
 If adding silvered almonds , add and mix well.
Note : 
   If you don't want to deep fry in ghee , you can shape the dough into small round balls and cook in a Appe pan ( Paniyaram pan in Tamil ) / Ebelskiver  pan. Then dip the cooked balls in a cup of ghee or brush. I prefer this method over deep frying in ghee.

Making of Dal :

   Dal can be easily cooked by soaking them for an hour. 

  Combine all the dal and wash twice in clean water. Then soak in about four cup of water.

 Pressure cook the dal along with turmeric powder for three whistles.

 Heat ghee in a pan , add cloves , bay leaf , cumin seeds , slit green chilli , Hing  and saute for a minute.

 Add chopped garlic and onion , saute till onion becomes transparent.
Add in the chopped tomato , chilli powder , coriander powder , garam masala and saute for a minute.

Add the cooked dal and required salt and simmer for ten minutes.

Making of Baati : 
 In a bowl , add the whole wheat flour , semolina , besan flour , fennel seed , Ajwain seeds and mix well. 
 Add the milk , salt and combine well.
Knead the dough and divide into equal parts. Shape into round balls and deep fry in hot ghee on slow flame.
I didn't deep fry in ghee , You can also bake the baatis in the oven for 200*C for 30 - 40 minutes. Then dip in a bowl of melted ghee.
I cooked the baatis in a appe pan / Ebelskiver  pan. 
I made a X shaped cut on the shaped dough and placed on the holes of the ebelskiver pan and cook on slow flame with a lid to cover . Turn in between to cook all sides, the outer skin of the baatis will become golden brown , indicates the baatis are cooked. It take around 20 - 30 minutes.
I used Iron paniyaram pan , so it heats quickly and retains the heat well.

Dip each baati in a cup of ghee or brush the ghee.

Serving :

In a plate place two baati divided into pieces , pour a laddle full of dal , a spoon of ghee and a spoon of chopped onion.