Dal bati churma : A Rajasthani Delight
Rajasthan ,the Land of Maharajas, is a mesmerizing destination with fascinating fairs and festivals, culture, food/cuisine, arts and crafts and music and dance. If you are at Rajasthan, you would probably sing these lines ‘bhatis bhatis everywhere,where to eat them,can’t choose it’. Yes , these unsalted baked wheat balls has taken over the place.It may look like a simple bread but it has a enticing history.
This a three-in-one dish comprising of the wheat bread bhati , the dal and the churma . Many believe that the dish originated from the kingdom of Mewar.
· Bhati :
Bhati , the round wheat bread is believed to have originated during the time of Bappa Rawal – the founder of the kingdom of Mewar. Back then, the Rajputs were establishing their stronghold in the region and bhatti was their preferred war time meal.
· Dal bhatti :
Later when traders from the Gupta Empire settled in Mewar, that they combined dal and bhatti giving the dish a new makeover. panchmel dal,mixture of five lentils , was a much-loved favourite in the royal court of the Guptas.
· Churma :
Accidents usually give a new twist to the innovation. And churma had the sweetest accident. It was when a cook of Mewar’s Guhilot clan accidentally poured sugarcane juice into some bhatti. This made the bhattis even more softer and so the women of the clan started dunking the bhattis in the sugarcane or jaggery juice in the same way. Then the crushed , sweet flavoured bhaatis evolved to give rise to churma.
· From Mewar to Mughals:
Till then the Mewar kingdom had tried the spicy,sweet,bland flavours of bhaati. The chappathi and rotis flavours are different in different places.The same way bhati also had its flavours when each dynasty added their own twists to it.
And at last, due to Rani Jodha Bai’s (Akbar’s queen) fond over the dish , the dal bhatti churma travelled along with the queen and reached the Mughal courts.
The royal chefs of the Mughal court created their own versions of the dish, giving rise to bafla and kheech . Bafla is a soft bhatti that has been boiled before being baked. Kheech is a kind of traditional porridge made from whole wheat as well as bajra (pearl millet).
Tales from history :
The dish also has its stories and tales.It is believed that the Rajput soldiers would break the dough into chunks and leave it buried under thin layers of sand to bake under the sun. On their return from the battlefield, they would dig out the perfectly baked that were then slathered with ghee and consumed with curd made from goat or camel milk.No ovens, no fire, only sun made meal!!
Here comes the popular story of the king.After being attacked by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, Rao Jodha (the founder of Jodhpur) was fleeing from Chittor when he stopped at a farmer’s house for food. He was served some freshly prepared traditional kheech by the farmer’s wife who was unaware of her guest’s royal identity. A hungry Rao Jodha put his finger right in the centre of the piping hot bowl, burning his fingers. Having witnessed this, the farmer’s wife chided, “You are making the same mistake as our king (Rao Jodha). Kheech is hottest in the centre and coolest at the edge. So one should eat from there.”
It is believed that this is what prompted the King to stop worrying about recovering the central fort of Mandore and focus his attention on outlying forts, which he managed to win with ease. He later won back Mandore too.Perhaps the dish saved the king!
Dal bhatti churma can be made within 20 minutes if it is already cooked .Cooking has 3 stages : (i) making of panchmel dal (ii) making the bhatti (iii) making churma fron bhattis.
The ingredients required for the dish are wheat flour,milk,ghee,dry fruits for garnishing,powdered sugar and for panchmel dal you require channa dal,urad dal,moong dal ,toovar dal,cumin seeds,chillies,masalas,salt to taste.
Bhattis can be made either by deep fry in ghee or baking in the oven.After that they are crushed and grinded and then added along with ghee and sugar to give rise to churma. Panchmel dal is a different process. Often Dal bhaatis and churma serve a great combo.Churma and bhaatis can also be paired along with other dishes.
Nutritional information : Serving Size - 1 small bowl ,Calories – 835, Fat - 42.0 g ,Protein - 13.4 g, Carbohydrates - 101.9 g ,Sugar - 2.7 g ,Fibre - 10.3 g.
The dish has set itself an example for being simple and sample.So if you are heading to Rajasthan , don’t miss out this ethnic dish !!
