Recipe Credits- Meena Sharma

Picture Credits- Abhinav Shukla

Daal Baati

Guest Blog by Meena Sharma

Daal Baati is a popular dish of Rajasthan. This rich and flavourful dish is commonly served at all festivities, what started as a picnic food has become a distinctive cuisine of Rajasthan. My colleague, lovely Meena was willing to share this delicious recipe with all of us. Thanks again so much for giving us this rich and yumm delicacy!!
 
The Baatis are traditionally roasted in an open coal fire, you can always buy baati cooker if you intend to make them often, its easily available in stores.

If not you can also cook them under a grill or in your oven. But one thing common for baatis, irrespective of their cooking technique is that they are always served dipped in ghee accompanied with thick Daal which is traditionally made with a number of different types of lentils, you can use as many as you have at the moment! 

This dal is cooked with ghee, the masalas in the dal are fried in ghee and more ghee is mixed into the dal before serving. Often a large batch of baatis is made and part of the dough is left unsalted. This unsalted dough then shaped into rounds and deep fried in ghee!!

Ingredients for Baati:-

Wheat Flour- 4 cups
Sooji/ Rawa-2 cups
Carrom seeds/Ajwayin- 1/2tsp
Ghee-4 tbs
Salt-to taste
Baking soda- 1/2 tsp

Method:- 

Mix flour, sooji, salt, ghee, little water and make a firm dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover it with wet cloth and keep it aside. Divide dough into 10 equal portions and roll each into a ball, flatten each ball into a thick disc and press in the centre to make an indent and put in the daal baati cooker. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, until they turn into golden colour! 

Alternate way of making these baatis if you dont have the baati cooker is baking them in the oven. Boil water in a deep pan, add the baatis and cook on high flame for 15 minutes.
Remove from water and arrange on a baking tray. Preheat oven to 200C and bake until the baatis are golden. brush them with ghee and serve hot with dal! 

Ingredients for Daal:- 

Channa Daal-1/2 cup
Toor Daal-1/2 cup
Moong Daal-1/2 cup
Masoor Daal-1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds-1 tsp
Mustard Seeds
Green Chillies-3-4
Asafoetida/ Hing-a generous pinch
Tomatoes- 2 finely chopped
Garlic- 5
Ghee-3 tbs
Chilli powder- 1/2tsp
Coriander powder- 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2tsp
Salt-to taste

Method:-

Wash all the dals and add turmeric powder, salt and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. In a pan, add oil and add cumin & mustard seeds, hing and once they start to splutter add tomatoes, chillies, garlic, chilli powder, dhaniya powder and saute for another 5 minutes. Now add the cooked dal and mix everything thoroughly, check the seasoning and add salt if required. 

How to Serve:-

Arrange the baatis on a serving plate, break each baati, press lightly and soak in a bowl of ghee, then drain and serve with hot dal!