Anyways, daal baati is a real comfort food, and it was perfect to eat in the comfort of my parents' home. It was also really wonderful to spend time cooking with Mom and learning from her in person. As we get older, we realize how those opportunities come less and less. I encourage everyone to spend at least a little time learning how to cook one recipe from your own mom next time you go home!
Note: the first ingredients photo is for the daal. The second is for the baati.
Ingredients (16 Baatis - for 4 people):
for daal:
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for baati:
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Equipment:
- Slow cooker or pressure cooker
- Soup pot
- Small kadai to temper spices
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
Recipe:
for daal
- Soak the four lentils (toor, chana, urad, mung) in 2 ½ cups water 6 hours or overnight.
- Cook the daal until it is creamy using a pressure cooker (15-20 minutes) or slow cooker (4-6 hours). Check out my post on cooking lentils in a slow cooker for step-by-step instructions.
- Add the cooked daal to a pot with 2 cups of water, salt, ¾ tsp turmeric, and a pinch of hing powder. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil over medium heat.
- Add the grated ginger, minced chili peppers, and lime juice to the daal.
- In a small kadai/pot, warm the ghee (clarified butter). Once hot, add the cumin seeds and then the garlic. Take care to make sure nothing burns. Then add a pinch of hing and ¼ tsp turmeric to the ghee.
- Add the tempered spices and ghee to the daal and stir to combine.
- Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
- Taste the daal—if it is not spicy enough, add lal mirch to the daal.
- Add more water or salt to taste.
for baati:
- Combine all the dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda and ajwain) in a mixing bowl.
- Add the oil and yogurt and begin to knead the dough with your hands.
- Slowly add the water to the mixture, 1/3 -1/4 cup at a time until you reach the proper consistency. The dough should be wet and slippery, not sticky.
- Set aside the dough for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Make golf-ball sized balls out of the dough; if the dough feels sticky, rub some olive oil on your hands.
- In each ball of dough, create a small depression with your thumb before placing on the baking sheet.
- Bake the baatis for 25 minutes, then remove them from the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees. Turn the baatis over to the other side, and then place the baking sheet back in the lower rack of the oven for another 10 to 12 minutes until a pinkish hue appears to the baatis.
- Remove them baatis from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes. Using a dish towel, very gently squeeze each baati so that they crack slightly.