Daal Baati: Baked Whole Wheat Rolls & Spiced Lentil Soup

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I recently went back home for four days to spend time with my parents.  It was a relaxing weekend of time just spent at home.  One of the best parts of going home is getting the chance to eat your mom's handmade food, and this trip was no different in that regard.  We had some of my favorites--aloo paratha, dosa with chutney and sambhar, and a Rajasthani/North Indian dish called daal baati.  Daal baati consists of baked whole wheat rolls topped with spiced lentil soup.  It is a simple dish--but on a cold and rainy spring day, it is a welcome warm comfort.

I vividly remember being a young girl, getting together with some of our family friends, and enjoying daal baati for dinner.  To be honest, when I was really young, I didn't care for daal, so my Mom would just give me the baati with ghee (clarified butter) and sugar.  Which is still delicious and I may or may not have had a few of those when I just went home ...

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.

Measure out the four daals (lentils) into a single bowl, and soak in 2 1/2 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight.  Then cook the lentils until they are creamy, using either a pressure cooker  (15 to 20 minutes) or slow cooker (4 to 6 hours).  *Check out my post on cooking lentils in a slow cooker*!  You can also make the daal in the pressure cooker or slow cooker a day or two beforehand and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Let's turn our attention to making the baati dough.  Combine the atta (wheat flour), rava/sooji (cream of wheat), salt, baking soda, and ajwain seeds in a mixing bowl.

Add the olive oil and yogurt to the dry ingredients.  Begin mixing the dough together with your hands.

Slowly add the water to the mixture, 1/4th cup to 1/3rd cup at a time until you reach a doughy consistency.  The dough should be wet and slippery, not sticky.

Set the dough aside for at least 30 minutes.  In the meantime, work on making the daal.  Combine the cooked lentils, 2 cups of water, salt, 3/4th tsp turmeric, and a pinch of hing powder in a pot.  Bring the contents of the pot to a boil over medium heat.

Add the ginger, chili peppers, and lime juice to the daal.

In a small kadhai/pot, heat the ghee (clarified butter).  Once hot, add the cumin seeds and then the garlic--be careful not to let them burn!  Keep the ghee swirling and moving to prevent burning.  Then add a pinch of hing powder and 1/4th teaspoon turmeric to the ghee.  Add the tempered spices to the daal and stir to combine.

Add the cilantro to the daal and stir to combine.  Taste the daal and if it is not spicy enough, add lal mirch or cayenne pepper.  You can also add salt or more water to taste.  But otherwise the daal is all done! 

After the dough has sat for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  As it preheats, create golf-ball sized balls out of the dough.  If the dough is sticking to your hands, rub some olive oil on your hands.

Make a depression in each baati with your thumb, before placing it on the baking sheet.  Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees.  Turn each baati over onto its other side.  Place the baking sheet back in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until a pinkish hue appears.

Let the baatis cool for 5 minutes.  Then, using a clean dish towel, gently squeeze each baati so that they crack open slightly.

Serve by breaking two baatis into smaller pieces in a bowl.  Cover with a few spoonfuls of hot daal.  Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice if you have any left, and enjoy!  I'll also note that if you have leftovers, both the daal and baati can be kept in the freezer for a few months!

Ingredients (16 Baatis - for 4 people):

for daal:

• ½ cup toor daal
• ½ cup mung daal
• ¼ cup chana daal
• ¼ cup urad daal
• 4 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ tsps salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 pinches hing powder
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chopped green chili peppers
• juice from one lime
• 1 ½ tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
• 4 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 ½ tsps cumin seeds
• 1 loose cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
• Optional:  ½ tsp lal mirch (or cayenne pepper)

for baati:

• 3 cups atta flour or whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup rava/sooji (cream of wheat)
• ½ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• ½  cup yogurt
• 2/3 - 3/4 cups water
• Optional:  1 tbsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• Optional:  pinch of baking soda 

Equipment:

• Slow cooker or pressure cooker
• Soup pot
• Small kadai to temper spices
• Mixing bowl
• Baking sheet

Recipe:

for daal

1. Soak the four lentils (toor, chana, urad, mung) in 2 ½ cups water 6 hours or overnight.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Add the grated ginger, minced chili peppers, and lime juice to the daal.
5. 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.
6. Add the tempered spices and ghee to the daal and stir to combine.
7. Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
8. Taste the daal—if it is not spicy enough, add lal mirch to the daal.
9. Add more water or salt to taste.

for baati:


1. Combine all the dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda and ajwain) in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add the oil and yogurt and begin to knead the dough with your hands.
3. 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.
4. Set aside the dough for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
6. Make golf-ball sized balls out of the dough; if the dough feels sticky, rub some olive oil on your hands.
7. In each ball of dough, create a small depression with your thumb before placing on the baking sheet.
8. 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.
9. 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.

To serve, break two warm baatis into pieces and place in a bowl.  Top with a few spoonfuls of hot daal.  Add a squeeze of lime juice if you have it, and enjoy!