Few dishes in India are as unapologetically built around ghee as dal baati churma. In Rajasthan, the baatis, round wheat dumplings with a hard crust, were traditionally buried in the embers of a cow-dung fire. Once baked, they are cracked open and dipped in melted ghee until they soak it up. They are eaten with a thick five-lentil dal and churma, crushed baati sweetened with jaggery or sugar and more ghee. It is a festive meal, and it is a lot of work. It is also worth it.
For the baati
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (a coarse atta or a mix with a little sooji works best)
- 2 tbsp sooji
- ¼ cup ghee, plus about ½ cup melted ghee for dipping
- ½ tsp ajwain
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- About ½ cup warm water
For the panchmel dal
- ¼ cup each: toor dal, chana dal, moong dal, masoor dal, urad dal (or a mix of three)
- 4 cups water, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin, a pinch of hing, 2 dried red chillies, 4 cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger, 1 green chilli, 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala
For the churma
- 3 baatis (from the batch above), or 4 extra baatis made for churma
- 3 tbsp ghee
- ¼ to ⅓ cup powdered jaggery or sugar
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp chopped almonds and cashews
Method: baati
- Make a stiff dough. Mix atta, sooji, ajwain, soda and salt. Rub in ¼ cup ghee until the mixture holds together when pressed. Add warm water gradually to make a stiff dough. It should be firm, not soft like roti dough. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape. Divide into 8 to 10 lemon-sized balls. Flatten slightly and press your thumb into the centre to make a small dent. This helps them cook through.
- Boil (optional, for softer insides). Many modern cooks boil the baatis for 10 to 12 minutes until they float, then drain and dry. This makes them cook faster and softer inside.
- Bake. Bake at 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes, turning halfway, until deep golden and hard, with cracks on the surface.
- Dip in ghee. While hot, press each baati slightly to crack it, and dunk it in melted ghee for a few seconds.
Method: dal
- Wash and soak the dals for 30 minutes. Pressure cook with water, turmeric and salt for 4 to 5 whistles until soft. Whisk lightly.
- Heat ghee, add cumin, hing, red chillies and cloves. Add ginger and green chilli, then tomato, and cook until soft.
- Add the spice powders, stir for 30 seconds, then add the dal. Simmer for 10 minutes. It should be thick.
Method: churma
- Break the baatis into pieces and grind to a coarse crumb in a mixer.
- Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a pan and roast the crumbs on low heat until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, cool slightly, and mix in jaggery or sugar, cardamom and nuts.
How to eat it
Crush a ghee-soaked baati on your plate, pour hot dal over it and add more ghee if you like. Eat churma on the side, alternating bites. In Rajasthan, a small bowl of extra ghee is always on the table.
About all that ghee
This is festive food, eaten occasionally, and ghee is not a garnish here; it is part of the structure of the dish. A baati without ghee is just a hard bread roll. If you are making it, make it properly, and have a light dinner.
For a dish that uses this much ghee, a 1 litre jar of Desi Cow A2 Ghee keeps the cost sensible.