Dal bafla

Ingredients

• For bafla: 2 cups coarse wheat flour
• ¼ cup fine semolina (optional)
• 2 tbsp ghee for the dough
• ½ tsp ajwain
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• Water to knead
• ½ cup melted ghee for dipping
• For dal: 1 cup toor dal
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin
• A pinch of hing
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 tomato, chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Mix the flour, semolina, ghee, ajwain, turmeric and salt. Knead into a firm dough with water and shape into 8–10 balls the size of a lemon.
2. Boil a large pot of water with a pinch of turmeric. Drop in the balls and boil for 15–20 minutes, until they float and feel firm.
3. Drain the balls, let them cool a little and make a few shallow cuts on top.
4. Bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes, or roast over coals or in a tandoor, until golden and crusty.
5. Meanwhile cook the toor dal with turmeric and salt until soft. Temper with ghee, cumin, hing, red chillies, tomato and chilli powder.
6. Break each hot bafla open, soak it in melted ghee, and serve with the dal, chutney and ladoos.