Dal Bati is a traditional Rajasthani dish that forms an integral feature of every conventional Rajasthani menu. It consists of a special ‘dal’ made of lentils and seasoned with certain Indian spices which is poured over the ‘baati’, i.e. the baked balls made of wheat flour, crushed and made tastier with a generous helping of clarified butter or ghee.
Method of Preparation
For the dal- about a 1/2 cup each of raw green gram dal (or split yellow lentils), raw whole Urad Daal (or whole black lentils), raw Toor Daal (or split yellow pigeon peas) and raw Chana Daal (or split Bengal gram) are used as the primary ingredients. These are first cleaned, soaked in water and subjected to pressure cooking along with sufficient water, 1 teaspoon each of red chilli and turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida powders. Once the dals are completely cooked, they form a thick soupy consistency. Salt is added as per taste. The dal mixture is tempered with a little grated ginger, 2-3 chopped green chillies and a teaspoon of cumin seeds.
For the baati- Whole wheat flour, 1/2 the amount of coarse semolina and some Bengal gram flour (besan) and a little salt form the main ingredients. The mixture of these is kneaded well with about 3 tablespoons of clarified butter (ghee) until a firm dough is formed. After resting for about 10-15 minutes these can be uniformly portioned into round balls, placed in the traditional tandoor, or the modern oven that has been preheated to 400 F as the case maybe. When they toughen and change shade to a slight brown tinge on all sides evenly, they may be removed from the oven.
While serving, the hard baked baatis are broken hence the name dal baati churma, ghee poured on top and then dipped into the daal and consumed.
Nutritional Information
• About 258 Calories are provided by an average serving of dal baati of which 104 calories come from fat.
• With a total fat content of 11.6g of which Saturated Fat is 6.6g while Trans Fat is 0 g, Cholesterol is 0 mg.
• About 425mg Sodium is present in this dish.
• A Total of 30g of Carbohydrates of which Dietary Fiber makes up 4g and Sugar constitutes 2g
• The Protein content is ~ 9g.
• The dish also provides about 20% of Vitamin A, 18% of Vitamin C, and minerals Calcium ~ 9%, and Iron ~24%.
Nutritional Improvements
1. Considering the fact that this dish uses mainly combinations of wheat and lentils it could as such be a very healthy meal option. The only deterrent is the high amount of clarified butter or ghee that is used. Use of smaller amounts of vegetable oils instead of the ghee could incorporate more unsaturated fats and reduce saturated fat content of the dish.
2. Mixed Lentils make the dish high in proteins and the combination with wheat proteins enhances amino acid values. Milk or a little yoghurt may be used to knead the dough while cutting down the fat content to a third. This may help mildly leaven the bread as well.
3. Soy flour could be used in small amounts along with wheat flour and semolina to add to the nutritional value of the final product. Similarly a teaspoon of flaxseed or sesame seeds can enhance omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin E content of the dish and also supply a large number of minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus etc. Also sesame tends to increase levels of Vitamin B1 (thiamine) which in turn has a positive effect on absorption of proteins and carbohydrates present in the dal and baati.
4. Smaller portions of the dal and baati would tend to make a person satiated owing to the high protein content. Pureeing some boiled spinach and adding it to the dal could increase the fibre content.
5. Coarsely powdering some rolled oats and substituting for semolina can help Diabetics and cholesterol patients maintain more uniform blood sugars and lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Persons on a low carb, high protein diet for weight loss could benefit from this with smaller amounts of the baati and more of the daal providing a nourishing and satiating alternative to the usual meals.
Suggested Accompaniments
• A raw vegetable salad (with tomato, cucumber, carrot and onion) as an accompaniment may be a good idea too for additional vitamin, mineral content.
• A green chutney with coriander, chilli and garlic would add some spice to the dish.
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