Daal-Baati

My grand-pa, all three mama n a cousin are chilly merchants, running the business for 3 generations! Things that I always find exciting to visit their market is a vast database of red chillies!!! Kashmiri, Resham Patta, Boriya, Jwala etc. etc…. Poor me who can’t have a bite of it even :( And the other is watching those Rajasthani workers moving around with big bags dried chillies on their shoulders!

The very first thing comes to your mind is “Dal-Baati” when you think of anything related to Rajasthan!!! and I have preserved a beautiful memory linking those workers and their authentic food :)

Let me say one thing, each person at my maternal Family is a big-time foodie… A plate of sweets or some hot-n-spicy delicacy, doesn’t matter – It’s all tasty to them!!! Many a times I have had Rajasthani food with them… prepared in-house or in restaurants.

But if I talk specifically about ‘Dal-Baati’… I’m still trying to get that taste I had around 10-12 yrs back, when a bunch of those Rajasthani workers cooked for our whole family at my Grand-Pa’s place! Those baatis cooked in hand-made (soil) tandoor to go with super-perfumed panchmel daal and pungent garlic chutney!!! Since then, I have been trying to get those flavors and yes, I’m nearly touching that line now :)

Makes: 2-3 servings

INGREDIENTS:

For Baati–

1 cup Bhakhri Flour (coarse wheat flour)
1/2 cup Wheat Flour
1 tbsp Semolina
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tbsp Clarified butter (ghee)
1 tsp Ajwain (carom seeds)
Salt, to taste

For Daal–

1/4 cup Tuver dal
2 tbsp Chana dal
1 tbsp Mung Dal (yellow)
1/2 cup Mung dal (green)
1 tsp Udad Dal
1 Chopped Onion
1 cup Tomato Puree
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1 tbsp Lemon juice
Salt, to taste

STEPS TO FOLLOW:

1. Mix all the ingredients of baati and knead a medium hard dough using lukewarm water. Cover with a cling wrap and keep it aside for an hour.
2. Make small balls out of it and bake it in preheated oven on 180 degrees for around 15 mins. Turn them once n bake again for 10-15 mins.
3. Melt clarified butter in a big bowl and put these baati into it for a few mins (ideally for an hour).
4. Soak all dal for in plenty of water for 1-2 hours and pressure cook them for 4 whistles. Drain excess water leaving a little inside to make thick-dal consistency.
5. Take some ghee (clarified butter) in kadai. Add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and saute it for a min.
6. Add tomato puree and cooked daal with remaining stock. Mix everything well.
7. Add all the spices into it and cook covered for around 5-7 mins.
8. Serve hot wit soaked baati, home-made garlic chutney and fried green chillies!!!

SJ’s NOTE:

• ‘Churma’ is the best sweet you can serve with Dal-Baati! To make it their way: Roughly crush a few baati (straight from tandoor) in a bowl, add generous amount of clarified butter (hot n melted) and a spoonful of ground sugar (adjust to your taste)… Mix everything and serve!
• To prepare green chillies: Heat a tsp of oil in a sauce-pan. Add cumin seeds and a pinch of hing. Let it crackle and then add green chillies (cut/chopped/sliced) and saute it for a min. It’s ready to serve!