Do's And Don'ts Of Making Rajasthani Dal Bati Churma At Home

When you think of Rajasthan and its cuisine, one of the first few dishes that strike your head is dal bati churma. Soft yet hard bati served with thick and flavour dal and sweet churma is a delicacy you cannot define with so many adjectives (none will do the justice). It’s a wholesome meal that leaves gastronomes in a food coma.

While the recipe seems quite complex, it is the simplest if you break down the three components and prepare each with focus. If you have guests coming over, you can serve this delight without spending hours in the kitchen. However, here are some do’s and don’ts that you need to note.

Dal bati churma is not a dish that you can whip up in a hurry just like an omelette. If you perfect its recipe, it might be the easiest dish you can prepare with minimal effort, but you cannot skip soaking lentils. It softens the pulses and makes cooking an easier task. When you cook lentils, you should ensure that they are cooked thoroughly to blend with spices impeccably.

Also Read: Non-Stick Cookware: Dos And Don’ts You Must Keep In Mind

Don’t Forget To Temper

Tempering is the key to making dal finger-licking good. It adds a kick of flavour to each bite. Once you have cooked lentils in the tomato-onion paste, garlic, ginger, whole spices, and powdered masala, add tempering of minced garlic, mustard seeds, and red chillies to enhance its palate.

Knead The Dough Well

For bati, the dough needs to be kneaded well. It should neither be hard nor soft. Coarse wheat flour is the ideal ingredient to prepare bati because it will help you achieve a crispy texture and soft insides. You can add a little bit of sooji or semolina to it to enhance the crunchy texture. A small tip to practise is kneading the dough with a dollop of ghee which will make it pliable.

Don’t Bake Bati At High Temperature

Unlike traditional Indian recipes, bati is not deep-fried but baked (ironically in a conventional way). Many people prefer to steam it first so that the dough attains the shape and bake the small balls later in the traditional way. You can use the microwave in today’s times or even make do with an appam pan, but make sure to roll the batis in a smaller size. If you cook on high heat, the crust will be cooked, however, the insides will remain undercooked.

Cook Bati Properly

Many people look at the exterior of the bati when cooking it. The ideal way is to insert a toothpick to check just like you would do with a dessert. Whether you are baking or grilling the batis, unless they have a golden brown and crispy exterior, do not turn off the flame. Inserting a toothpick will help you know if the insides are cooked properly. 

Don’t Rush To Roast Churma

Churma is made by crumbling the batis. You have to roast the crumbles on a pan but not until the batis have cooled off. Once the baked or grilled dough has cooled, crumble the batis with your hands and roast on a tawa or pan to achieve the crunchy texture of churma. Keep the flame medium-high for this process.

Use Ghee

When roasting the crumbled batis, use some ghee. It will add a rich flavour and continue with stirring to avoid burning. To sweeten churma, add some sugar or jaggery, but avoid going overboard with it. Garnish this delight with chopped dried fruits and nuts before serving.