One of best Rajasthani food.... its daal baati.

 

History of this evergreen Rajasthani food-

Baati (little doughballs made of wheat flour, ghee and milk) is believed to have originated during the time of Bappa Rawal – the founder of the kingdom of Mewar. Back then, the Rajputs were establishing their stronghold in the region and baati was their preferred war time meal.

It is believed that the Rajput soldiers would break the dough into chunks and leave it buried under thin layers of sand to bake under the sun. On their return from the battlefield, they world dig out the perfectly baked baatis that were then slathered with ghee and consumed with curd made from goat or camel milk. Then it was later, when traders from the Gupta Empire settled in Mewar, that the combination of dal and baati became popular – panchmel dal was a much-loved favourite in the royal court of the Guptas. The panchmel dal is a simple and nuritious mix of five lentils – moong dal, chana dal, toor dal, masoor dal and urad dal – prepared with a fragrant tempering of cumin, cloves and other spices.

Churma, on the other hand, is believed to have been invented when a cook of Mewar’s Guhilot clan accidentally poured sugarcane juice into some baatis. Realising that it had made the baati softer, the women of the clan started dunking the battis in sweet water (made from sugarcane or jaggery) in an attempt to keep the baatis soft and fresh for their husbands. This eventually evolved into churma, a sweetened and cardamom-flavoured mix of crushed baati.

INGREDIENTS

FOR BATI:

• 2 cup wheat flour / atta
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup desi ghee/white butter
• water to knead

FOR CHURMA:

• 2 tbsp of ghee / clarified butter
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp cashew & almond, chopped
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

FOR DAL:

• ½ cup moong dal / green gram dal
• ¼ cup masoor dal / pink lentils
• ¼ cup chana dal / bengal gram dal, soaked 30 minutes
• 3 cup water
• 3 tsp desi ghee/clarified butter
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp cumin / jeera
• pinch hing / asafoetida
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 green chilli, slit
• 1 to mato, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

• firstly, in a large bowl take 2 cup wheat flour, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking powder and ¼ cup ghee.
• mix well making sure the dough is moist.
• now add water as required and knead the dough.
• pinch a small ball sized dough and roll with x impression.
• place the rolled bati in each mould of appe pan
• cover and cook on low flame for 30 minutes all sides.
• dip the bati in ghee for more soft bati from inside.
• finally, enjoy dal bati churma along with slices of onions chilly.