This is Part 7 of Flavours of India, our series on India's regional cuisines. Start from Part 1: Chettinad or read the previous part, Part 6: Gujarat.
In the Thar desert, water and fresh vegetables were scarce, so Rajasthani cooks relied on what kept well: lentils, gram flour, millets, dried beans and berries, milk and ghee. The result is a cuisine of long-lasting, richly spiced dishes, from royal Rajput hunting recipes to the humble roti of the desert villages.
What makes Rajasthani cuisine special
- Ghee and dairy in place of water wherever possible.
- Gram flour dishes such as gatte ki sabzi (gram flour dumplings in yoghurt gravy).
- Desert produce: ker (wild berry) and sangri (desert beans), cooked as ker sangri.
- Millets: bajra roti and rabdi.
- Royal meat dishes: fiery laal maas and safed maas.
The story of dal baati churma
Baati, a hard wheat dough ball baked in hot embers, is said to have been a practical food for Rajput soldiers, as it could be buried in the sand to cook in the heat. Legend says churma was born when a cook accidentally dropped baatis into sugarcane juice, and the sweet, crumbled result became a dessert. Today, dal baati churma is the dish served at every Rajasthani wedding and festival.
Dal baati churma recipe
Serves: 4 · Prep: 30 minutes · Cook: 1 hour
For the baati (makes 10-12)
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (or 1 1/2 cups atta + 1/2 cup semolina)
- 1/4 cup ghee, plus 1/2 cup melted ghee to dip
- 1/2 tsp ajwain, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of baking soda
- About 1/2 cup warm water or milk
For the panchmel dal
- 1/4 cup each toor, chana, moong, urad and masoor dal (total about 1 1/4 cups), soaked 30 minutes
- 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt
- 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin, a pinch of hing, 2 dried red chillies, 2 cloves
- 1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala
For the churma
- 4 baatis (from the batch above)
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar or jaggery
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder and chopped almonds and cashews
Method
- Baati dough: mix flour, ajwain, salt and soda. Rub in 1/4 cup ghee until the flour holds when pressed. Knead with warm water into a stiff dough and rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape into 10-12 smooth balls and press a slight dent on top.
- Bake: in an oven preheated to 200°C, bake for 30-35 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and cracked. (Or use a gas tandoor or appe pan on low heat.)
- Crack each hot baati slightly and dip in melted ghee.
- Dal: pressure-cook the mixed dals with turmeric, salt and 3 cups water for 3-4 whistles. Heat ghee, add cumin, hing, red chillies and cloves, then the onion, ginger-garlic paste, tomato and powdered spices. Cook until soft, add the dal and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Churma: crush 4 baatis (without ghee dipping) into coarse crumbs in a mixer. Warm the ghee, add the crumbs and roast for 2-3 minutes. Cool slightly, then mix in sugar, cardamom and nuts.
Tips
- The dough must be stiff; soft dough gives chewy baatis.
- Be generous with ghee; it is what makes baati soft inside.
- Jaggery churma is more traditional and has a deeper flavour.
How to serve
Crush a baati on your plate, pour hot dal and extra ghee over it, and eat with churma, garlic chutney, onion and green chillies.
Other Rajasthani dishes to try
- Laal maas: mutton in a fiery red Mathania chilli gravy.
- Gatte ki sabzi: gram flour dumplings in spiced yoghurt.
- Ker sangri: tangy desert beans and berries.
- Pyaaz kachori: Jodhpur's onion-filled snack.
- Ghevar: a honeycomb-like sweet made during Teej.
Visiting? See our Jaisalmer travel guide.
Next in Flavours of India: Kashmir's rogan josh.
