Daal- baati

This is one of my mom's most amazing dishes and is the most sought after by family and friends alike. She has made this dish for as long as I can remember. She has even gotten compliments from some guests who were even the natives of that state to which this dish belongs.
Daal baati is a very popular dish from the state of Rajasthan, a wholesome power packed delicious meal. Dal, or lentil curry, is made of several kind of lentils which are cooked along with the masalas to make a tasty dal or curry. Baati, a rounded ball of dough that's baked in a charcoal fire or oven. Baati is made out of wheat, gram flour, millet or a mix of maize flour served dunked in the delicious daal with loads of ghee, tastes heavenly mouthwatering!
Mom did tweak the original recipe a little. The original recipe does not have veggies in the daal and the baati is made with plain flour. The addition of veggies, I believe, makes an already great daal even better. Addition of spices in the baati flour makes it even tastier. Mom used to make it on a gas grill. My touch to this is just to make it in a regular oven. It is not as high on the list of favorites on hubby's list so I do not come around to make this dish very often. Guess I could not wait any more :)
I got a few recipes from my mom written down in a notebook that I brought with me to the US after I got married. It is hands-down the best cookbook among tons of others that I own. I had this one bookmarked in the notebook for a real long time and only finally got around to it. From hubby's reaction it appears it climbed up a few steps in his charts :)
Don't be deterred by the long list of ingredients. You find most in a typical indian spice rack. Once you have them together, the method is really simple.

Ingredients: server 4 to 6
For daal-
Rajma, moong, masoor, toor and  chana daal ..... 3 tbsp each
Eggplant ................................................ 1 small chopped
Tomato ................................................. 1 big chopped
Onion  .................................................. 1 medium chopped
Ginger garlic paste ...................................  2 tsp
Coriander powder .................................... 2 tsp
Garam masala  powder ............................... 1tsp
Red chilli powder ..................................... 1 tsp or to taste
Turmeric powder ..................................... 1/2 tsp
Salt ..................................................... to taste
Oil ....................................................... 2 tbsp
For tadka:
Ghee .................................................... 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds ........................................... 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds .......................................... 1/2 tsp
Hing ..................................................... a pinch
Green chilli ............................................ 2-3 slit
Cilantro ................................................. 1 tbsp
Curry leaves ........................................... 1 spring
Lemon juice ............................................ 2 tsp

For Baati -

Atta .................................................... 2 cup
Besan .................................................. 1/2 cup
Sooji ................................................... 2 tbsp
Ghee or oil ........................................... 4 tbsp melted
Ajwain ................................................ 1/2 tsp
Onion .................................................. 1/2 small finely chopped
Baking soda ........................................... 1/2 tsp
Green chilli ........................................... 1 finely chopped
Garlic .................................................. 4 cloves finely chopped
Ginger ................................................. 1" grated
Yogurt ................................................. 1/2 cup well beaten

Method:
For baati -
1. In a large mixing bowl add atta, besan, sooji, salt and baking soda. Mix. Add ajwain, onion, green chilli, ginger, garlic, ghee and yogurt. Knead into smooth and firm dough  with just enough water. Divide the mixture into 8-10 equal parts. Roll into lemon-sized balls. Bake in the oven at 350 deg F for about 30 - 35 mins approximately till puffed and golden. Remove and brush it with ghee. Serve hot.
For daal-
1. Wash and soak the daals together for at least 1 hour. Soak rajma for additional 3 hours separately. Pressure cook the dal till it is cooked with 3-4 cups of water. Heat oil in a pan. Add a pinch of hing. Add onion, tomato with salt and turmeric, and  fry for 2-3 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste, coriander powder and eggplant fry till tender. Add in all the remaining masalas and add in the cooked daal. Mix properly.
For the seasoning- Heat ghee. Add curry leaves, green chilli pinch of asafoetida (hing), cumin and mustard seeds. Fry it for few minutes till the cumin splutters. Add and the cooked dal and water if desired, bring to a boil. Add lemon juice if needed. Garnish with coriander leaves.
When ready to serve, split the baati slightly, pour a teaspoon of ghee over it and serve with the daal. It is generally served with some Rajasthani Choorma (recipe coming soon :)


Notes:
1. There are different methods to make baati, some steam and then bake it, some steam and deep fry it. I find this method easier and healthier.

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Linking this to Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday

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