Daal Baati

The cooking challenge for the month of January is "Daal Baati". It is hosted by Srivalli of "Spicing Your Life" It is a popular dish from Rajasthan. Usually Daal Baati is served with churma, rice, mint chutney, raw mango chutney, green salad with onion and fresh buttermilk. This recipe is adapted from "Mharo Rajasthan's" recipes.

Baati:

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Besan (Chick Pea Flour) - 1/4 cup
Sooji (Semolina) - 1 tbsp
Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1/2 cup (melted to mix in the dough)
Saunf (Fennel Seeds) - 2 tsp crushed coarsely
Ajwain (Carom Seeds) - 2 tsp crushed coarsely
Salt - as per taste
Ghee - 4 to 5 tsp to brush the baatis before putting them in oven and afterwards before eating

Method:
1. Mix the wheat flour, besan, sooji, ghee, sauf, ajwain, salt and little water. Knead well to make a stiff dough.
2. Make lemon size balls and flaaten it and press in the middle.
3. Brush baatis with ghee.
4. Heat the oven to 350 degree F.
5. Place baatis on a baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes till they are golden brown.
6. Take it out of the oven and brush with ghee.

Panchmel Daal: (5 lentils)

Ingredients:

Toor Dal - 1/4 cup
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Masoor Dal - 1/4 cup
Chana Dal - 1/4 cup
Green Whole Moong Dal - 1/4 cup (washed and soaked for 8 hours)
Onion (Finely Chopped) - 1 cup
Tomatoes (Finely Chopped) - 1 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - Per taste
Oil - 1 tsp

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera(Cumin Seeds) - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 2-3 split
Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed
Garlic - 5-6 cloves crushed
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cilantro - 1/2 cup finely chopped (for garnishing)

Method:

1. Take a pan and add chopped onions and let them fry till translucent.
2. Add chopped tomatoes and cook. Add all dry masalas and sauté for 2 min.
3. Meanwhile cook the daals in cooker for about 12 minutes.
4. Add the cooked daals to the onion tomato mixture and add water to the desired consistency.
5. Take a tsp of ghee and make a seasoning with mustard seeds, jeera, green chillies, ginger, garlic and add to the daal.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro.