The three-part Rajasthani feast — coal-baked wheat balls (baati) dunked in ghee, served with five-lentil dal and crumbled sweet churma — the definitive Rajasthani ceremonial meal.
Ingredients
For baati:
2 cups coarse whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ghee
1/2 tsp ajwain
1/2 tsp salt
Water — stiff dough
Ghee for dunking
For five-lentil dal:
1/4 cup each toor, chana, moong, masoor and urad dal
3 cups water, turmeric, tomato
For dal tadka: 3 tbsp ghee, cumin, garlic, dried red chillies, asafoetida, red chilli powder
For churma:
1 cup coarse wheat flour dry-roasted in 3 tbsp ghee until golden
1/2 cup jaggery grated
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 tbsp ghee to bind
Method
Make baati: combine flour, ghee, ajwain and salt.
Rub ghee in until crumbly. Add minimal water to form a stiff dough.
Divide into 8 balls. Bake at 200°C for 30 to 35 minutes turning once until hollow-sounding. Immediately dunk in ghee.
Make dal: cook all five lentils together with water, turmeric and tomato.
Whisk lightly. Make ghee tadka with cumin, garlic, dried red chillies, asafoetida and red chilli powder. Pour over dal. Season.
Make churma: while roasted flour is still warm add grated jaggery and cardamom.
Mix. Add ghee. Press into rough balls or serve crumbled.
To serve: break open a ghee-dunked baati into a bowl.
Pour five-dal generously over it. Serve crumbled churma alongside.