Dal Bati Churma

 

Hello friends,

     Today I am going to share with you a famous Rajasthani delicacy "Sal Bati Churma". This dish originated during the time of 'Bappa Rawal'- the founder of the kingdom of Mewar. The Rajput's 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 were dig out the perfectly baked baatis that were then slathered with ghee and consumed with card made from goat or camel milk.

     Churma on the other hand is believed to have been invented when a cook of Mewar's Guhilot (Jats & Rajput's) clan accidentally poured sugarcane juice into some baatis. Realising that it had made the bari softer, the women of the clan started drinking the baatis  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. And finally with Akbar's queen Rani Jodha Bai,dal baati churma reached Mughal Court. Hope you enjoy the story behind the dish.

Ingredients:-

For Baati:-

1. Whole wheat- 2cups.

2. Semolina- 1cup.

3. Ghee- 1/2 cup.

4. Carom seeds- 1tsp.

5. Baking powder- 1tsp.

6. Salt-To taste.

For Churma:-

1. Ghee- 2tbsp.

2. Jaggery- 1/4cup.

3. Cardamom powder- 1/4tsp.

4. Almonds- 2tbsp(chopped).

5. Cashew nuts-2tbsp(chopped).

For Daal:-

1.Green gram ( Green Moong Dal)- 1/4 cup(split).

2. Bengal Gram (chana dal)- 1/4cup.

3. Black gram (urad dal)- 1/4cup.

4. Onion- 2small(finely chopped).

5. Ginger- 1inch(finely chopped).

6. Green chilies- 1-2(slit).

7. Garlic- 3-4cloves(finely chopped).

8. Tomato- 1(finely chopped).

9. Bay leaf- 1(whole).

10. Cinnamon stick- 1inch.

11. Turmeric powder- 1tsp.

12. Garam Masala powder- 1tsp.

13. Kashmiri red chili powder- 1/2 tsp.

14. Cilantro leaves (coriander leaves)- 2tbsp.

15. Salt-To taste.

For Seasoning:-

1. Ghee(clarified butter)- 1tsp.

2. Cumin seeds- 1tsp.

3. Dry red chilies- 2(halves).

4. Mustard seeds- 1tsp.

5. Asafoetida- A pinch.

Preparation Method:-

BAATI:-

Step 1-  Take a bowl. Add all ingredients mentioned above for bati. Wheat flour,semolina, baking powder,carom seeds,salt,ghee. Combine all ingredients well. Add water little by little to get a smooth and yet stiff dough. Set aside the dough for 30 minutes.

Step 2- After 30 minutes, knead the dough again for few minutes. Divide the dough in large lemon sizes. Pre-heat the oven to 180C and bake the baati in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until browned on both the sides. Make sure to keep turning the baatis around,until it is browned from all sides. The baatis will tend to crack from the top while baking.

Step 3- Once the baatis are golden brown in from all the sides, remove them from oven.

For Churma:-

Step 1- Take 2-3 baatis, crushed them. Now in a mixer grinder add crushed churma, jaggery,cardamon powder, cashew nuts, almonds(1tbsp) to make a coarse powder.

Step 2- Take out this into a bowl and garnish with remaining 1tbsp almonds and ghee(2tbsp). Now churma is ready.

For Dal:-

Step 1- First rinse all Dal's thoroughly. Now add all Dals in the pressure cooker along with all spices. (Onion, ginger, green chilies,garlic,tomato,bay leaf, cinnamon stick, turmeric powder,salt, garam masala powder, kashmiri red chili powder.

Step 2- Add 2-1/2 cups of water and pressure cook the dal for 2-3 whistles. After that lower the heat and cook on simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off flame.

Step 3- Once pressure released completely. Open the cooker adjust salt and transfer into a serving bowl.

Step 4- Place a tarka pan on medium flame. Add ghee (1tsp). Once ghee start melting add halved red chilies,cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida. Saute them for few seconds. Once they roasted well trasfer them over the dal. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Step 5- In a small bowl add 2-3 batis, lightly crushed them. Drizzle some ghee over baked baatis and add the churma over the baatis. Now it's ready to eat with dal.

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