Oh my my.....the moment I start to think about this dish, I feel hungry and my unquenchable craving wakes up. I have sweet memories associated with this dish. Mostly Sunday afternoon this dish was on our lunch menu and as soon as soon we used to finish eating this, whole family goes to bed for sunday aftenoon nap since this is one of the heaviest dish. Laddo(Indian sweet dish) served with this dish was icing on cake. For me this dish is complete when it is served on Dona-Pattal(Plate and Bowl made by leaves) under Tree by Riveside and I feel so fortunate to experience that.
Though its impossible to make this receipe in exactly the way it was in India because baatis(wheat balls) are supposedly to be cooked in heat generated by Kanda(Cow dung Cakes) but lets try
Ingredients:
For daal (Lentil Curry):
- 1 cups Toor Daal (red Lentils) - You can always cook this in you favurite lentils, many people sometime mix 2 or more lentils too.
- 3 onions, chopped finely
- 2 tomatoes, chopped finely
- 2 tsp garam masala powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
- 2 tbsp cream -optional
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped finely
- Oil
- Salt To Taste
For Bati (dumplings):
- 2 cups whole wheat flour, sieved
- 1 cup ghee, melted- u can substitute butter
- 2 tbsps curd
- Salt To Taste
Direction
For Baati
- Mix the flour, salt, ajwain and ghee.
- Knead very stiff dough with warm water.
- Shape in ball the size of a ping pong ball.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil and place the batti balls separating them from each other for about 2 inches.
- Let it bake for about 15 minutes. Check the dough touching the foil to have turned into golden brown. Then turn the batti balls to cook on the other side for another 15 minutes.
- To check if the batti balls are completely cooked, take out one from the oven, break it in the middle to check if it cooked.
For Daal
- Pressure cook the mung and channa dal with cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, turmeric and tomato and twice the amount of water until soft.
- In a pan, heat oil and saute the onions and green chillies.
- Then add the cooked dal and add some more water until you have thick pouring consistency. Add salt.
- In a separate small pan, heat some oil (or ghee) add mustard, jeera and let the mustard seeds splutter.
- Now add the ginger, saute and then the red chillie powder and pour this into the Dal on top.
- Add some chopped cilantro or coriander for garnish.
Serve Them Together
