Meals · Rajasthan

Dal Baati Churma

Rajasthan's festive platter: crusty baked wheat baatis drenched in ghee, a five-lentil panchmel dal, and sweet crumbled churma with cardamom.

Dal Baati Churma

Prep 30 min · Cook 60 min · Total 90 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

Baati

  • 2 cups Whole wheat flour (atta)
  • 2 tbsp Fine semolina
  • 3 tbsp Ghee
  • ½ tsp Ajwain
  • 1 pinch Baking soda
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 4 tbsp Ghee

Panchmel dal

  • ¼ cup Toor dal
  • ¼ cup Chana dal
  • ¼ cup Yellow moong dal
  • 2 tbsp Urad dal
  • 2 tbsp Masoor dal
  • ½ tsp Turmeric
  • 2 Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 inch Ginger, grated
  • 2 Green chillies, slit
  • 1 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Salt

Dal tadka

  • 2 tbsp Ghee
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 pinch Asafoetida
  • 2 Cloves
  • 2 Dried red chillies
  • ½ tsp Garam masala
  • 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped

Churma

  • 1 cup Whole wheat flour (atta)
  • 1 tbsp Ghee
  • 3 tbsp Ghee
  • ½ cup Powdered sugar or jaggery
  • ½ tsp Green cardamom, ground
  • 2 tbsp Almonds, chopped

Method

  1. Make the doughs. For the baati, rub the 3 tbsp ghee into the atta, semolina, ajwain, soda and salt until it holds when squeezed, then add about 1/2 cup water to make a stiff dough. Make the churma dough the same way with its atta, 1 tbsp ghee and about 1/4 cup water. Rest both 15 minutes.
  2. Cook the dal. Rinse the five dals together and soak while the dough rests. Pressure-cook with the turmeric and 3 cups water for 3 whistles, or simmer until soft. Add the tomatoes, ginger, green chillies, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and simmer 10 minutes, mashing lightly.
  3. Bake the baatis. Heat the oven to 200°C. Divide the baati dough into 8 balls, press a thumb into the top of each and bake on a tray, turning once, until golden, cracked and they sound hollow. Shape the churma dough into 4 fist-pressed rolls and bake on the same tray for 20 minutes until firm and golden.
  4. Make the churma. Cool the churma rolls, break them up and pulse in a mixer to coarse crumbs. Mix in the melted ghee, sugar, cardamom and almonds.
  5. Temper the dal. Heat the ghee, add the cumin, asafoetida, cloves and red chillies, then the garam masala. Pour over the dal and add the coriander.
  6. Serve. Crack each hot baati open, dunk it in the melted ghee and serve with a bowl of dal and a heap of churma. Diners crush the baati into the dal.

Tips

Baking the baatis on low-medium heat gives a crisp crust and a cooked centre; at too high a heat they brown outside and stay doughy inside.