Bati is a famous and authentic unleavened bread from dry parts of Indian subcontinent – Rajasthan. Rajasthani Bati is more popularly know as Dal-Bati-Churma due to it common accompaniment Panchmel Dal and Churma. Any mention of or article about Rajasthani food is incomplete without the discussion about dal-bati-churma.
Bati is a bread that is crispy from outside and soft from inside and authentically cooked over low heat simmer of cow dung cake. Batis can be made plain as well as stuffed, known as masala bati. In the modern world kitchens, these can be cooked in ovens, tandoors or grills. If you are looking for a vegetarian recipe to enjoy with friends and family while grilling outside, this makes a perfect choice.
Don’t try to make it low fat. Flavors come out best when they are dipped in clarified butter.
Rajasthani Bati Ingredients:
For dough you will need
- Wheat flour – 3 cups
- Almond flour – 1/4 cup
- Semolina (suji) – 1/4 cup
- Chickpea flour (besan) – 1/4 cup
- Coarse wheat flour – 1/4 cup
- Carom seeds – 1 tsp
- Oil (Clarified butter preferred) – 3/4 cup
- Salt – as per taste
- Water or cold milk to knead – 1.5 to 2 cups
For filling you will need
- Potatoes – 3 boiled and crushed
- Peas – 1 cup
- Cashews -1/4 cup chopped or broken
- Ginger – 1 tbs finely chopped
- Green chilies – 3-4, finely chopped
- Oil for sauteing and tampering (not in picture)
- Spices
- Asafoetida (hing)– 1 pinch
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Crushed coriander seeds – 1/2 tbs
- Dry mango powder – 1 tsp
- Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – as per taste
Bati Method:
- Mix all the flours, add oil and knead a stiff dough.
- Divide into small balls. Cover and keep them aside.
- While the dough is resting, prepare the stuffing for masala-bati.
- Start by heating oil in a pan.
- Add asafoetida and cumin seeds when oil is hot.
- When the cumin seeds start to splater and crushed coriander seeds.
- Roast them for a few second and then add chopped ginger and green chilies. Continue sauteing.
- Add broken cashews and peas; then continue to roast the mixture.
- While roasting mash the mixture using a masher.
- Add crushed boiled potatoes and mix well.
- Add spices – dry mango powder, garam masala and salt.
- Continue to roast for some more time.
- Now flatten the balls, previously kept aside. Curve them slightly to make a bowl.
- Put spoon full of filling inside the dough bowl; bring together all the sides and close it. You may also make half plain and half masala batis.
- Now repeat the same process for all the balls. Press the balls slightly using a thumb impression.
- Grill the batis over very low heat and make sure to turn from all sides for even cooking. You may also use an oven in broil mode for the same and broil them until golden brown, but make sure you keep turning for even cooking. First few minuted cook in the second position from top and then move them to the top rack for browning. For me, grilling give a more authentic feel to the batis.
- While still hot, crush them with the help of a kitchen towel and dip them in clarified butter.
- Serve with famous accompaniments dal, chokha and churma.
“For pleasure has no relish unless we share it.”
― Virginia Woolf, The Common Reader
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For a complete festive occasion serve with other famous Rajasthani recipes as show in plate setting below:
Link to other Dal-Bati-Churma Festive Menu Recipes:
Bati is a famous and authentic unleavened bread from dry parts of Indian subcontinent – Rajasthan. Rajasthani Bati is more popularly know as Dal-Bati-Churma due to it common accompaniment Panchmel Dal and Churma. Any mention of or article about Rajasthani food is incomplete without the discussion about dal-bati-churma.
- 3 cups Wheat flour
- 1/4 cup Almond flour
- 1/4 cup Semolina (Suji)
- 1/4 cup Chickpea flour (Besan)
- 1/4 cup Coarse wheat flour
- 1 tsp Carom seeds
- 3/4 cup Oil Clarified butter preferred
- 1 tsp Salt As per taste
- 1.5 cup Milk To knead – Optional Water
- 1/8 tsp Asafetida (hing) 1 pinch
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds Crushed
- 1 tsp Dry mango powder