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Dal baati churma

AI-drafted · awaiting admin review

Hard-baked wheat balls dunked in ghee, served with spiced mixed dal and sweet crumbled churma. Rajasthan’s best-known meal.

Region: RajasthanOccasion: Festivals, family gatherings and weddingsTime: 1 hour 30 minServes: 4Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • For the baati: 2 cups coarse wheat flour, ¼ cup semolina, ¼ cup ghee, 1 tsp ajwain, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp baking soda, water as needed
  • For the dal: ½ cup toor dal, ¼ cup chana dal, ¼ cup moong dal, 1 tsp turmeric, salt, 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin, a pinch of hing, 2 dry red chillies, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 chopped tomato
  • For the churma: 3 baatis (from above), ½ cup powdered jaggery or sugar, 3 tbsp ghee, ½ tsp cardamom powder, 2 tbsp chopped nuts
  • ½ cup melted ghee for dipping

Method

  1. Rub the ghee into the flour, semolina, ajwain, salt and soda. Knead a stiff dough with water and rest it for 15 minutes.
  2. Shape into 10–12 balls and press a dent in each. Bake at 200 °C for 30–35 minutes, turning once, until hard and golden with cracks.
  3. Wash the dals, then pressure-cook with turmeric, salt and 3 cups water until soft. Heat ghee, add cumin, hing, red chillies, the powdered spices and tomato, cook until soft, and pour over the dal.
  4. For churma, crush 3 baatis to coarse crumbs. Mix with warm ghee, jaggery, cardamom and nuts.
  5. Break the rest of the baatis open and soak them in hot melted ghee.
  6. Serve the baatis with dal and churma on the side.

History

Baati is a simple bread that needs little water and keeps well, suited to the desert. Cooks traditionally baked it in the embers of a cow-dung or wood fire.

Significance

Dal baati churma is served at weddings, festivals and religious feasts across Rajasthan, and the churma is often offered to deities first.

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