Dal Baati Churma is a traditional and popular delicacy from the Rajasthan region of India and served together with lots of ghee, chutney, onions and chilles. It is a complete nutritious dish with balance of carbs and proteins and taste. The whole wheat flour baati is served with spiced lentil dal , loads of ghee , coriander chutney, sliced onions, green chili, sweet churma and chaas (buttermilk). Ghee enhances the flavors and taste of the dish so stop worrying about calories and enjoy baati with ghee.
Baati is a hard bread made using whole wheat flour, chickpea flour together. The ball shaped baati is then baked in the clay oven or tandoor or the regular home oven. Cooked baati is then soaked into ghee.
Dal is cooked using mix of different lentils – split moong dal, toor dal, masoor dal, chana dal, urad dal. The dals are soaked for couple of hours and then pressure cooked. A tempering is made with ghee, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chili, curry leaves, onion, tomato, ginger and garlic. The cooked dal is mixed in the tempering and cooked with additional spices – red chili powder, coriander cumin powder, garam masala , salt and water and simmered till all the flavors are absorbed. Fresh coriander is added for extra flavor.
Churma is prepared by grinding few cooked baati. The powdered baati is roasted in ghee along with powdered sugar, nuts and cardamom powder. The churma is lightly sweet and has an hidden saltiness from the baati.
The trio dal baati and churma are served together with extra ghee, coriander chutney, sliced onions, chilis and butter milk or chaas. The baati are crushed with hands and then piping hot spicy dal is poured on it with drizzle of ghee. The sweet taste of churma balances the spicy taste of dal and baati.
The dal baati churma is served in all the dhabas (road side restaurants) and regular city restaurants in Rajasthan. It is also prepared in houses during festivals and celebrations.
Though it takes a longer time to cook the entire dal , baati and churma but the effort is worth.
I had used coarse wheat flour to make the baatis. If you do not have the coarse wheat flour , you can use regular wheat flour along with semolina to give a coarse texture to the baati.
You can also add yogurt while making the baati. I had not used it.
I had made the dal baati churma for Christmas dinner when I had invited my friend (Dr Neelam Singh) along with her family. They enjoyed it to the fullest. Since Neelam’s mother in law is diabetic and does not prefer eating wheat , I had made raagi gluten free baati too. I will post the recipe of it soon.
Other dishes for the party were:
Fresh strawberry mint mojito, moong urad dal vada, monaco biscuit chaat, mushroom rice and fresh mango custard.
Friends I had tried to explain in detail each step in making dal, baati and churma. Hope you try to make it for your family and friends. Please do share your reviews with me!
Khao dilse, khilao dilse aur banao dilse…
Dal Baati Churma
Equipment
- bowl
- pressure cooker
- spoon
- heavy bottom pan
- spatula
- knife
- mixing bowl
- plate
- Baking tray
- baking paper
- small bowl
- mixer grinder
- non stick pan
Ingredients
Dal
- 1/4 cup moong dal split with skin, chilka wali moong dal
- 1/4 cup red lentil masoor dal
- 1/4 cup split bengal gram chana dal
- 1/4 cup split pigeon peas toor dal
- 1/4 cup split black gram urad dal
- 2 tbsp ghee clarified butter
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds rai
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds jeera
- 1//4 tsp asafoetida hing
- 12 curry leaves washed
- 2 green chili slit
- 2 dry red chili
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder haldi
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 tomato washed and finely chopped
- 1 tsp red chili powder or more if more spice level needed
- 2 tsp coriander cumin powder dhania jeera powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 cup coriander washed and finely chopped
- salt as per taste
- water as per consistency needed (I added around 3-4 cups)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or juice of half lemon/ lime
Baati
- 3 cup coarse wheat flour bhakri flour, If you do not have the coarse wheat flour , you can use regular wheat flour along with semolina to give a coarse texture to the baati.
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour besan
- 6 tbsp oil or ghee
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1.25 cup water approximately to knead the dough
- 1 cup ghee melted to soak the baati
churma
- 6 baati roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar or more as per sweetness needed
- 1/4 cup mixed nuts finely chopped or powdered, almond, pistachio and cashew nut
Instructions
Dal
- Take all the dal in a bowl – chilka moong dal, red lentil (masoor dal), split bengal gram (chana dal), split pigeon peas (toor dal), split black gram (ural dal) .
- Mix and wash 3-4 times with water. Soak for 2 hours in water. Cover and keep aside.
- The dal has soaked well.
- Put the soaked dal along with the water, salt and turmeric powder into a pressure cooker.
- Cover the pressure cooker with whistle on and cook for 4 whistles on high heat and 2 on low heat. Let the pressure cooker cook by itself. Remove the whistle and open the lid.
- With the help of the laddle or spoon whisk the dal well.
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan.
- Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and dry red chili and let they crackle.
- Add chopped green chili and curry leaves. Saute well.
- Add chopped onions.
- Saute till the onion are translucent. Add ginger garlic paste. Saute well.
- Add chopped tomatoes. Add salt and saute till they soften.
- Add spices – red chili powder, coriander cumin powder and garam masala.
- Saute till the ghee separates.
- Add the boiled and whisked dal.
- Add water as per the consistency of dal needed. I added around 3-4 cups of water. Add salt.
- Bring the dal to boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and coriander.
- Mix well. The dal is ready for dal baati. Cover and keep aside till serving.
Baati
- In a mixing bowl add coarse wheat flour (Bhakri flour), chick pea flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
- Mix well with finger tips till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. It should hold the shape of the fist when you press the mixture between the fist.
- Gradually add water and start kneading . I needed around 1.25 cups of water.
- Knead into a stiff dough. Cover and dough with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- The dough has rested well. Nice white spots are appearing on the dough. The dough is well rested.
- Knead and smoothen the dough. Add some water to smoothen the dough if it has become dry.
- Divide the dough into equal portions. (I could make 25 golf ball size baati from this quantity).
- Take a portion of dough and roll into a smooth ball. Flatten the ball.
- Squeeze the ends together as shown such that there is a a hollow space or indent created in the center.
- Squeeze from the top and bottom end such as they it shows x mark of the indent. This will ensure that the baati is evenly cooked and is light from the center after cooking.
- Now roll the baati to smooth. Similarly make the remaining baati with the remaining dough.
- Arrange the baati on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake the baati in the preheated oven at 180 C for 40-45 minutes or golden from top.
- Take melted ghee in a bowl around 1cup. Add 2-3 baati and soak for minute. (traditionally the baati are soaked into the ghee for longer time. But since now a days people are calorie conscious, the baati is soaked for very less time). It is best to soak the baati as soon as they come out of the oven.
- With the help of thongs gently remove the soaked baati from ghee and drain excess of ghee and remove in a plate. The cracks in the baati will help to abosrb the ghee while soaking.
- Soak and drain the remaining baati.
- Remove the baati into a serving plate.
churma
- To make churma take around 6 soaked and drained baati. Crush the baati between the palms to roughly chop.
- Similarly roughly chop the other baatis.
- Put the chopped baati into a mixture grinder.
- Grind into powder.
- Heat ghee in a non stick pan and let it melt on medium heat.
- Add the powdered baati mixture. Saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes till golden. Stir continuously.
- Add the chopped or powdered nuts and cardamom powder.
- Mix well and add powdered sugar.
- Mix well. Remove from the heat immediately. The churma is ready.
- Remove in a serving bowl. Garnish with more chopped nuts . (Since kids did not prefer chopped nuts, I had used the powdered nuts).
- Now serve the baati with piping hot dal, churma, ghee, sliced onions, green chili and enjoy. Crush the baati with palms. Pour the piping hot dal, and drizzle ghee over it and enjoy the dal baati.
Yummy.. What a spread
than you so much
Wow !!👌👌 rich nd yammy recipe
Thank you so much