Rajasthani cuisine is a splendid array of colorful, spicy and unique dishes. Rajasthani food is incomplete without the mention of the famed Dal-Baati-Churma, a distinctive dish of the state. A delicious, rich, flavorful and a whole meal in itself. Baati is essentially a wheat dumpling. Made out of whole wheat and cooked in a tandoor oven. It is always eaten with dal. It can either be plain, or may have various kinds of fillings, including onions, peas,mix vegetables, etc. Daal-Baati is best accompanied with Churma(coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar), but i mostly prefer making and eating only Dal-Baati. This is a dish that many people acquire a taste to. Many people do not like it the first time they have it. But eat it 2-3 times and i am sure you'll be hooked for life!
Ingredients:
****For Baati / Dumplings:****
2 cups Wheat flour
1/2 cup Ghee
1 tbsp Curd
1 tsp Soozi
Salt, according to taste
A pinch of Baking Soda
****For Dal :****
¾ cups Urad dal soaked in water with sodium bicarbonate
2 cups soaked Rajma beans
2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
3-4 chopped Onions
2-3 chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Coriander-Cumin powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
2-3 Chopped green chillies
4tbsp Ghee
2 1/2 tbsp Cream / 1 tbsp Yoghurt
2 tbsp Oil Salt, according to taste
Chopped Coriander leaves for garnishing
Directions :
DAL :
Pressure cook rajma and urad dal with little salt, one tsp ghee and turmeric powder.
Heat oil in a round vessel. Fry onions till it turns brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste and fry.
Add the dry spices, i.e, coriander-cumin powder and red chili powder and the chopped tomatoes. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
As soon as the tomatoes are done, add the boiled rajma beans and urad dal. Mix it well with the masala.
Add some salt to it and blend it well in the vessel itself.
Pour over 3 tbsp ghee and cream/yoghurt. Add boiled water if the dal is too thick.
Once it is done, garnish it with finely chopped .
BAATI :
Prepare a dough with flour, ghee, curd, salt and little warm water.
Make out small soft balls from it and keep for one hour.
Bake these balls in the preheated oven to 200 degree centigrade for about half an hour, till the crust is brown { It should be golden outside and spongy inside }.
Remove and glaze with butter.
Dip hot dumplings in dal and garnish the dal with coriander leaves and chillies.
Serve hot.
