Daal Baati

I am midway my Featured Recipes on Friendship Week series and so glad to share this too awesome Daal Baati recipe today. This traditional Rajasthani recipe is the courtesy of my childhood/school/family friend Anurag's mom. As it happens, Anurag's dad is my dad's school friend and his mom is my mom's friend. Yeah, I know! too much friendship going on. That is why I knew what recipe I was going to ask aunty to teach me. Anurag's family hails from a Marwari background, so what could have been better than to learn the secrets of this very popular Rajasthani dish that is both served and eaten with much love.

And by love I mean ghee! More ghee = more love.

Daal Baati is traditionally served with Choorma, although I haven't included it's recipe in the post. May be next time. A spicy chilly-garlic chutney also goes well on it's side. The best thing is that this recipe requires little to no effort and a small quantity is enough to fill you up. We finished preparing this in about 45 minutes and I was full after having just three baatis but gorged on the fourth out of greed! And I don't blame myself, I blame the gorgeous, tender, crisp baatis and the light flavorful daal.

Also check out the other recipes from the Friendship Week series.

Sheer Khurma- A sumptuous dessert

Himachali Chana Aur Aloo Madra- A North Indian recipe

Aviyal- A South Indian summer meal

Ingredients:

For daal-

Moong daal (split and skinned green gram)- 1 cup

Chana daal (split bengal gram)- 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste or 1 tsp

For daal tempering-

Ghee- 3bsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Fresh Curry leaves- 5-7 nos

Asafoetida- 1/4 tsp

Green Chilly- 2 nos

Red Chilly powder- 1/4 tsp

Cloves- 3-4 nos

For baati-

Wheat flour- 2 cups

Gram flour- 3/4 cup

Ghee- 3 tbsp

Curd- 5 tbsp

Baking soda- 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

and

Ghee- 1 cup melted

Recipe:

Pressure cook daal for 3 whistles with turmeric and salt and 1 cup water.

Beat cooked daal to smoothen. Add more hot water if too thick.

In a tempering pan, heat ghee. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and cloves. When seeds begin to crackle, add green chilies and curry leaves. Add asafoetida and red chilly powder. Wait 5 seconds and then pour this tempering over daal.

Give it a stir. Garnish with chopped coriander and daal is ready.

For baati, knead wheat flour and gram flour together with ingredients listed by adding small amounts of water at time to a slightly tight dough.

Divide dough into 15-20 equal parts and shape each part into small ball and gently flatten by pressing between your palms. Your baatis should be about 1" thick. 

We used a gas tandoor to bake our baatis. 

Place batis on the grill rack. 

Cover and cook on low flame.

Turn over baatis as they begin to brown.

Your baatis are done when they are achieve a beautiful brown crisp crust on the outside yet are tender when pressed gently.

Using a fork, break open the upper surface of baatis.

Heat ghee in a pan and dip all baatis in it. Let soak well.

Serve hot with daal.

Daal baati is best eaten by crumbling baatis into small pieces and putting them in your bowl of daal.

Add some lemon juice to your daal to make it even better.