The Rustic Panchmel Dal & Baked Baati !



This is my Rajasthani platter ..daal,baati,gatte ki sabzi and aloo fry :P

 Dal-Baati is Rajasthan's signature dish ,here dal used is panchmel dal,meaning mixture of five different variety of lentils and baati is made up of wheat flour dough which was traditionally cooked in cow-dung in rajasthan ,now cooked in gas tandoor or can be baked in oven.Dal -baati goes hand in hand never made alone,actually baati is eaten in combination with dal ,it is nutritious and whole meal but is very rich and enriched in ghee ( clarified butter ).Usually most of the  people get confused in baati & bafla ,baflas are a variation of baati .In some parts of rajasthan baflas are also a common wholesome meal ,the dough of baati and bafla might be same but the technique used is completely different.
Let me tell u today in brief the main difference between the both ... in baati the dough are divided into balls ,fattened a bit and directly baked in charcoal fire or gas tandoor or electric oven whereas in baflas,the dough is divided into equal parts but they are first boiled in boling water and then deep fried or roasted or baked  .Both the dishes are equally good but the taste are completely different.One can also stuff potatoes or some veggies in baatis / baflas to make it more heavier and healthy .But for us the plain baatis are just enough to satisfy our palates and today im sharing the panchmel dal which is my mom's recipe & baked baati version which i picked up from priti singh's blog,indian khana.Few days back she sent me her baked baati dish as an entry for my ongoing event and i just luved the fact that it was baked in oven ,i dont have a gas tandoor here in australia right now and so i was desperately hunting for a baked version.
Thank you so much priti for letting me know the idea of baked baati ,i have changed a bit according to my family taste ,when i went through her recipe i noticed that even my mom uses the same ingrdients ,she uses yogurt instead of baking soda as she roast the baati in gas tandoor and dont bake,also i have skipped the turmeric and added ghee instead of oil to give the authentic flavour .I have kinda kept both the recipes in mind and made this baati.This panchmel dal & baked baati staright away goes to my event Flavours Of Rajasthan ,an event which was started by Nayna,also im reposting and updating my gatte ki sabzi and papad ki sabzi for this event.

approx will make 15-17 baatis

ingredients for baati :
3 cups wheat flour ( regular aatta )
1/2 cup rava ( coarse semolina )
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp carom seeds ( ajwain )
5-6 tbsps of ghee ( clarified butter )
salt to taste
luke warm water as required
2 cups ghee ( clarified butter ) to soak your baatis.
method :
Mix flour,rava,soda,salt and carom seeds together.Rub the melted ghee in the flour, mix well with your fingers till the flour gets crumpled .Add little water at a time and make a tight dough.Cover the dough and let it rest for half to one hour.Preheat the oven at 225 C.Line a foil paper or grease the baking sheet.Take a golf size ball and flatten it a bit and place in the baking sheet.Bake the baatis for 20-25 mins and keep turning the baatis over after 5-7 mins.In case if u feel its not baked you can bake more for 5-7 mins or till it turns golden brown in colour.Usually baati is little hard and crisp from outside and soft and crumbly from inside.Once the baati is baked dip it immediately in warm and melted ghee long before serving so that it soaks ghee and it gets the required flavour.These baatis can be stored for couple of days and every time you consume just make sure the ghee is warm and melted.

ingredients for panchmel ki dal :
1/2 cup tur dal ( arhar dal )
2 tbsp urad dal ( white split lentil )
2 tbsp moong dal ( yellow split moong lentils )
2 tbsp green chilke wali dal ( green split lentils )
2 tbsp chana dal ( yellow grams )
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
salt to taste
corriander leaves for garnishing
lemon juice to taste
for tempering (tadka )
2 tbsp ghee
3-4 curry leaves
3-4 cloves
1-2 whole dry red chillies
1 green chilli,chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp hing ( asafoetida pwd )
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp garam masala
method :
Wash and soak the five lentils together for half an hr.Pressure cook them with little salt and turneric pwd on slow flame and cook till the daals are soft and tender .( i usually take 3 whistles ) .Once the daal is cooked , mix well and keep aside.Now prepare the tempering (tadka),for tempering heat ghee,add bay leaf,red chilli,clove,mustard seeds,cumin seeds,hing,curry leaves and green chillies.Turn off the heat and add red chilli pwd.When its time for serving add this tempering to the daal ,add garam masala and simmer the daal for 5-7 mins.Serve immediately.Take 2 baatis,crush it with your hands,pour some ghee over ,add some daal ,gatte ki sabzi and njoy the meal !


1.Papad ki sabzi.

2.Rajasthani gatte.


Gentle reminder : Only 15 days more to go for my ongoing event Flavours Of Rajasthan ,i sincerely request u all to pls keep sending your delicious entries and do spread a word around for the same  :)

Dum aloo

This post was lying in my drafts since long time now and i was just wondering there are so many such drafts,i really need to catch up now .Dum aloo is made in different ways,everyone has their own style and this is my version of making aloo dum,it is my personal favourite and whenever i see these little baby potatoes in market i immediately pick them up and make this dish.I like it more with plain parathas but my hubby loves it with plain steamed rice.This famous north indian side dish is perfect for any kind of parties ,it is quite rich and heavy  dish but the thick flavourful and spicy gravy is simply mouthwatering & finger licking.

for 4-5 ppl
ingredients :
12-15 baby potatoes
1/2 cup thick yoghurt
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
2 tsp red chilli pwd (pls adjust acc to your taste )
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp corriander pwd
1 tsp cumin pwd
10-12 cashew nuts
2 tbsp poppy seeds ( khuskhus )
oil for frying
salt to taste
corriander leaves for garnishing
method :
Soak cashew nuts and poppy seeds in 1/4 cup of water for half an hour.Peel the potatoes.Prick them all over with fork and par boil them ( i.e boil through halfway ) . Strain the water and pat dry them on kitchen towel.Deep fry them till golden brown in colour .Grind the soaked cashew nuts and poppy seeds into fine paste.Beat the yogurt in another bowl,add turmeric pwd,red chilli pwd,garam masala,corriander pwd,cumin pwd , little salt and mix well.Add fried baby potatoes to this yogurt mixture and marinate for 10-15 mins.Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a pan,fry onions till transcluscent.Add ginger-green chilli-garlic paste and fry for few seconds.Add the cashew nut paste and stir continuosly (or else the paste might stick to the bottom of the pan and will burn )till it leaves oil from the sides .Add the tomato puree and stir again.Mix well till tomato puree blends with the paste and get thickens.Lastly add marinated potatoes mixture and simmer for 10-12 mins ,sprinkle some finely copped corriander leaves and serve hot with naan / rotis / rice .