Dal Baati — a quick and simple version of a Rajasthani classic! Spicy tadka dal is paired with soft, melt-in-mouth masala and plain baatis with a drizzle of ghee!
I have so many childhood memories enjoying dal baati and my kids love it too. There’s nothing better than keeping traditions from back home alive here in the US!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE RAJASTHANI MASALA & PLAIN BAATI WITH DAL:
To make the masala baati, I’ve used a mix of wheat flour, makki ka atta, besan, and along with some spices, ginger and cilantro. We’ll add in some ghee and water and knead until soft.
While this is resting, let’s make the plain baatis that turn out so soft! We’ll mix aata with suji, baking soda, ajwain, ghee, and water. Then we’ll add yogurt to make for that melt in your mouth texture. Knead this well and set aside.
Then we’ll shape the baatis into balls with a little divet on top and bake.
To make this quick Rajasthani dal we’ll roast our whole spices and add in onions, tomato purée and spices. I like to sneak in some spinach to make the dal more nutritious for the kids and then finish it off with a sizzling tadka!
To put it all together, get your beautiful golden brown baatis from the oven and roll in some ghee. Serve with aloo-matar sabzi, mirchi ka achaar, cilantro & garlic chutney, kuchumber (cucumber-onion-tomato) salad and enjoy this quick homemade dal baati!
If you like this, please try my other recipes:
Dal Baati — a quick and simple version of a Rajasthani classic! Spicy tadka dal is paired with soft, melt-in-mouth masala and plain baatis with a drizzle of ghee! Serve with aloo-matar sabzi, mirchi ka achaar, garlic chutney, kuchumber (cucumber-onion-tomato) salad and enjoy this quick homemade dal baati!
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup maize flour (makki ka atta, yellow sweet corn flour)
- 1 tbsp semolina , coarse
- 1 tbsp besan (gram or chickpea flour)
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf) , crushed
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds , crushed
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- salt , to taste
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp cilantro , chopped
- 1/4 cup ghee , or olive oil
- 1/2 cup water , more as needed
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup semolina , coarse
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- salt , to taste
- water
- 1/2 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas lentils)
- 1/4 cup chana dal (yellow split chickpeas lentils)
- 1/4, cup yellow moong dal (petite split yellow lentils)
- 1 medium onions , finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes , pureed
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp ginger , crushed or paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic , crushed (optional)
- 1/2 tsp green chilies , finely chopped
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp kasoori methi , crushed
- 1/4 cup spinach , finely chopped (optional)
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- salt , to taste
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
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Mix together all of the ingredients using your hands. Gradually add water until the dough forms clumps when you press it together.
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Knead until you form a medium soft dough. Cover the dough and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
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Preheat the oven on 375°F or 190°C.
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Divide the dough in 10-12 equal parts and shape them into balls . In each ball, make a small indentation in the center with your thumb and keep them aside. When done, arrange all the baatis in a baking tray and bake them for 30-40 minutes. One side usually take 15-20 minutes or until their top turns golden brown. Once it’s done, flip them and let the other side bake until golden brown. Once you start seeing cracks, you'll know you have perfect baatis.
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When done, take the baatis out. Press them gently with your fingers to help them crack a little. This will allow the baatis to absorb ghee when they are dipped and make them moist.
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Now, in a separate bowl, take 2 tbsp (or more) of ghee, dip or roll each baati in it, and arrange them in the serving dish.
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Combine wheat flour, semolina, salt, baking powder, ajwain, and ghee/olive oil. Mix this evenly. Now, with the help of yogurt, start making a firm dough and use water as required. Make sure that the dough is firm, and not like a soft chapati dough. When done, cover it and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
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Preheat the oven on 375°F or 190°C.
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Now, knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes. Divide the dough in 10-12 equal parts and shape them into balls . In each ball, make a small indentation in the center with your thumb and keep them aside. When done, arrange all the baatis in a baking tray and bake them for 30-40 minutes. One side usually take 15-20 minutes or until their top turns golden brown. Once it’s done, flip them and let the other side bake until golden brown. Once you start seeing cracks, you'll know you have perfect baatis.
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When done, take the baatis out. Press them gently with your fingers to help them crack a little. This will allow the baatis to absorb ghee when they are dipped and make them moist.
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Now, in a separate bowl, take 2 tbsp (or more) of ghee, dip or roll each baati in it, and arrange them in the serving dish
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For preparing dal, wash all of the lentils and then soak them in water for 1 hour. After, drain the water and add the lentils to a pressure cooker.
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Add 3.5 cups of water into the pressure cooker along with some turmeric powder and salt. Cook the dal for about 3-4 whistles. After the first whistle, make sure the flame is at medium intensity.
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Now add ghee in a pan and once it heats up, turn the gas to a lower intensity and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, black cardamom, and cloves.
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Sauté the spices for a few minutes. When it starts to crackle, add in some onions, ginger, green chilies, and garlic. Saute for a minute. Now add in tomato puree, red chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, kasoori methi, and very little turmeric powder because it was added earlier.
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Add in the spinach and the cooked dal.
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Season with garam masala, lemon juice, and salt (as needed). Let it simmer for 10 mins until the ghee separates.
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To prepare the tadka, add ghee in a pan and once it heats up, turn the gas to a lower intensity and add cumin seeds and let crackle. Then add red chili powder and immediately add the tadka to the dal. Garnish with cilantro and your dal is ready!
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Your Dal Baati is ready! Serve it with aloo-matar sabzi, mirchi ka achaar, cilantro-mint & garlic chutney, kuchumber (cucumber-onion-tomato) salad and some ghee in a small bowl.
Recipe Video
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