Dal Baati Churma
This traditional Rajasthani thali features hearty baked wheat balls (baati), a spiced lentil stew (dal), and a sweet, crumbly dessert (churma). It's a wholesome and flavorful meal, perfect for a cozy dinner.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 2 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Per serving
- 1,123 kcal
Allergen information: may contain gluten, milk, nuts, and tree nuts. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
baati
- 2.5 cupwhole wheat flour
- 0.25 cupsemolina
- 4 tbspghee, melted
- 0.5 tspcarom seeds
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 0.75 cupwater
dal
- 0.5 cuptoor dal, soaked for 30 minutes
- 0.25 cupmoong dal, soaked for 30 minutes
- 3 cupwater
- 0.5 tspturmeric powder
- 1 tspsalt
dal tempering
- 2 tbspghee
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 0.25 tspasafoetida
- 0.5 pcsonion, finely chopped
- 1 tspginger garlic paste
- 1 pcstomato, finely chopped
- 1 tspred chili powder
- 1 tspcoriander powder
- 0.5 tspgaram masala
dal garnish
- 2 tbspfresh coriander, chopped
churma
- 1.5 cupwhole wheat flour
- 0.5 cupghee, for frying
- 0.5 cuppowdered sugar
- 0.5 tspcardamom powder
churma garnish
- 1 tbspalmond, slivered (optional)(optional)
Equipment
baking tray · food processor · deep pan · blender · large bowl · oven · pressure cooker
The method
Step by step
- 1
For the baati, combine the whole wheat flour, semolina, melted ghee, carom seeds, and salt in a large bowl.
About 5 min
- 2
Gradually add water and knead into a stiff dough, similar to a puri dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.
About 25 min
Cook’s note: The dough should be firm, not sticky.
- 3
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
About 10 min
- 4
Divide the baati dough into 12-15 equal portions and roll them into smooth, round balls. Gently flatten each ball slightly with your palm.
About 10 min
- 5
Arrange the baati on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. They should have cracks on the surface.
About 30 min
Cook’s note: Flip them halfway through for even baking.
- 6
For the dal, combine the soaked toor dal, moong dal, water, turmeric powder, and salt in a pressure cooker.
About 5 min
- 7
Cook for 3-4 whistles or until the dals are soft and mushy. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
About 15 min
- 8
Heat ghee in a separate pan for the tempering. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida, letting them splutter.
About 2 min
- 9
Add the chopped onion and sauté until it turns translucent.
About 5 min
- 10
Stir in the ginger garlic paste and cook for another minute until fragrant.
About 1 min
- 11
Add the chopped tomato, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Cook until the tomatoes soften and the oil separates.
About 7 min
Cook’s note: Mash the tomatoes gently as they cook.
- 12
Pour the cooked tempering mixture into the pressure cooker with the dal. Mix well and simmer for 5-7 minutes, adjusting water for desired consistency.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: The dal should be thick but pourable.
- 13
Garnish the dal with fresh coriander.
About 1 min
- 14
For the churma, knead the whole wheat flour with a little water into a stiff dough. Form small, uneven pieces or muthias from the dough.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Do not make it too smooth; uneven texture helps in frying.
- 15
Heat ghee in a deep pan over medium-low heat. Fry the muthias until golden brown and crisp on all sides.
About 20 min
Cook’s note: Fry on low heat to ensure they cook through without burning.
- 16
Remove the fried muthias, drain excess ghee, and let them cool completely.
About 10 min
- 17
Once cooled, break the muthias into smaller pieces and grind them in a blender or food processor until a coarse, crumbly powder is formed.
About 5 min
- 18
Transfer the churma powder to a bowl. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Adjust sugar to your taste.
- 19
To serve, crush each hot baati with your hands, pour a generous amount of melted ghee over it, and serve alongside the hot dal and the sweet churma. Garnish churma with slivered almonds if desired.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: A true Dal Baati Churma experience involves liberal amounts of ghee.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 1,123.1kcal
- Protein
- 23.8g
- Carbs
- 139.9g
- Fat
- 56g
- Fibre
- 19.2g
- Sugar
- 27.7g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover dal and baati separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Reheat dal on the stovetop or microwave. Reheat baati in the oven or air fryer until crisp.
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