Like many great foods, the origin of bati is ascribed to happenstance. It is believed that a soldier accidentally left kneaded dough for making rotis on hot sand. The next day, when he returned, the dough was baked through – and it tasted great. This started a soldierly tradition: the bati became a food of choice among warriors because they could carry it easily into the battlefield. It travelled with Maharani Jodha to the Mughal court, where it was given a twist by boiling the dough (later popular as bafla). Panchmela Dal (a mix of five lentils) came as a later addition as people started exploring different combinations.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    1h 45m

Ingredients

For Bati

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup ghee (or refined oil)
  • 1 tsp carom seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
  • Luke warm water

For Churma

  • 4 prepared bati
  • 2 tsp crushed cardamom
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • Ghee

For Panchmela Dal

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup mixed dal (equal amounts of Toor, Chana, Green Moong, Urad with and without skin)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder

For Tadka

  • 2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ghee
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 3-4 green chilli, or adjust to taste
  • 3-4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • A pinch of asafoetida
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly chopped coriander and extra ghee to garnish

Preparation

For Bati

  1. In a bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, salt, carom and cumin seeds with the oil. Knead into tight dough using lukewarm water and let it sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
  2. Divide the dough into equal parts and make tight smooth balls. These are you batis.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200 degree Centigrade and bake the batis for 20-25 minutes, or until they are slightly browned.
  4. Ideally, they should crack open on top. That’s when you know they are baked well.
  5. Dip in ghee and serve with Panchemala dal.

For Churma

  1. Take 4 batis and crush them roughly using a grinder or a mortar and pestle.
  2. Heat ghee in a pan and add the fennel seeds and crushed cardamom.
  3. Slip in the crushed bati and toss for a minute.
  4. Transfer this mix into a bowl, add in the powdered sugar, and give it a thorough mix.

For Panchmela Dal & Tadka

  1. Wash and soak the lentils for 2-3 hours.
  2. Pressure-cook the lentils with turmeric powder and salt in 4 cups of water till one whistle. You could also do this in an open pot. Make sure not to overcook the lentils. They must retain a little bite.
  3. In a separate vessel, heat the ghee. Add asafoetida, followed by mustard and cumin seeds.
  4. Add the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté until the raw smell is gone. Toss in the onion and continue sautéing until they turn translucent.
  5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and give everything a good mix before pouring the masala into the boiled lentils. Give it a thorough mix.
  6. Put in the chillies and coriander powder, place the lid and cook for 15 minutes on medium to low flame.
  7. Take off the lid and adjust the salt and heat. If you want, you can add garam masala at the end.
  8. Top it up with freshly chopped coriander leaves and ghee before serving with bati and churma.
Sadaf Hussain

Sadaf Hussain

Sadaf Hussain is the author of Daastan-e-Dastarkhan, a consultant chef based in Delhi, and a TEDx speaker. He was one of the top MasterChef India contestants in 2016. He is a passionate storyteller and his interest lies in discovering stories related to the origin of various kinds of food. He runs a food website, www.foodandstreets.com, and hosts online food shows that feature street food and rare dishes.

See more