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10 min
20/08/2025
Craving something traditional, on the spicier side, from Rajasthan? Then read on to learn about the Rajasthani Dal Bati Churma. It's as spicy as local gossip over chai and samosa and perfect for lunch, especially on those days when you want something filling and delicious. The trio that makes up the dish hardly needs much introduction, for it is the power puff girls of Rajasthani dishes, sugar, spice and everything nice, which make up the Dal Bati Churma.
This is your cue to make this dish in the comfort of your kitchen, especially if you've been wanting to sample Rajasthani cuisine for a while. In case you have, this is one dish that will make your mouth water as well as your eyes, for it is spicy like “Kanthony’s” irresistible chemistry in Bridgerton, which they keep fighting like you will, after one bite of this spicy dish. It all goes back to the days of reigning royalty in Rajasthan and began with just the Bari, which is the baked bread that is dipped in the Dal and eaten with a topping of Churma.
Bati was a wartime meal, and it was during the reign of Bappa Rawal, who was the ruler of the Mewar Kingdom of Rajasthan, between 728 to 753 CE, when this humble bread existed. Oven didn't exist back then, so what the soldiers did back then was press down dough balls under a layer of sand in the desert and once they returned home, they would find baked dough balls, or the Batis. They would proceed to dust off the sand, bathe them in ghee and consume them with curd and buttermilk.
It wasn't until the reign of the Gupta Empire – 320 CE to 550 CE – that Dal was introduced with the Bati. They introduced the panchmel dal or a rich broth of 5 lentils, namely, masoor dal, moong dal, urad dal, chana dal and toor dal. As for the Churma bit, it was an accident that happened within the kitchen of the Guhilot clan. Some sugarcane juice was spilled on the Batis, which made them a bit mushy. This seemed to have been preferred by then women of the soldiers returning home, given how it kept the Batis moist. So, that is the little story of the Rajasthani Dal Bati Churma, and you must try this recipe below!
(Makes 4 Servings)
Ingredients
For the Bati and Churma:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sooji
1/2 cup ghee
1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt (to taste)
1/4 cup jaggery (for the churma)
For the Dal:
1/4 cup green moong dal (split)
1/4 cup black urad dal (split)
1/4 cup chana dal (bengal gram)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
1 green chilli (slit)
3 clove garlic (finely chopped)
1 tomato (finely chopped)
1 bay leaf (tej patta)
1 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
5 sprigs of coriander leaves (chopped)
For the Tadka:
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 dry red chillies, halved
1. We will start with the Bati for this recipe, then proceed with the rest.
2. To a mixing bowl, add the flour, sooji, ghee, ajwain, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined well. Add water into the bowl, a little at a time, and start mixing to get a dough. The dough should be stiff yet smooth. Set aside the dough for 20 minutes to rest.
3. After 20 minutes, knead the dough again for a few minutes.
4. Pluck out 12-15 portions of the dough, each around the size of lemons. Roll into balls. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the Bati for 20-30 minutes. Turn the Batis in the oven for even baking. They should also brown on both sides. The tops might also crack. Once all of them are golden brown, remove them from the oven.
6. Now, for the Churma, add 3-4 of the baked batis and add them to a mixer grinder. Add the jaggery and crush into an evenly mixed coarse powder. The Churma is ready.
7. To make the 3 types of dal, and the rest of the ingredients into a pressure cooker. Add 2 ½ cups of water and cook for 2-3 whistles. After the second whistle, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
8. Release the pressure and open the cooker to check and taste and adjust the spices as needed. Transfer the dal to a serving bowl.
9. For the tadka, heat ghee in a small pan, then add the cumin seeds and red chilies. Once they crackle and are roasted, turn off the heat and add this tadka over the daal. 10. Serve as individual portions to guests, loved ones or self. Like in the tale, serve the Batis with some hot ghee drizzled over them. Then pour the Dal and garnish with a sprinkling of Churma.
1. For the crispiest Baatis, ensure the dough is firm and well-kneaded and bake them evenly over low heat, then finish with a ghee dip for extra crispness.
2. To get the right dough texture, use coarse wheat flour mixed with semolina for Batis, to get that firm yet flaky texture.
3. The consistency is equally important, for that, cook the mixed dal until soft but not mushy; temper with ghee, garlic, and spices to get a rich, slightly thick yet pourable consistency.
4. Coarsely grind the cooked Batis, and mix with jaggery or sugar along with generous ghee to keep the Churma moist but crumbly.
5. Use powdered sugar or grated jaggery in the right amount, adjusting to taste.
From a wartime food that was baked in sand via the sun, from more additions to it as the year rolled by, Dal Bati Churma is nothing short of sampling history on your plate and palate. Try the recipe with a Bollywood blockbuster to match the sizzling spices in this fiery Rajasthani dish.
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