Malwa Dal Bafla
A delightful variation of traditional baati from the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, these wheat dough balls are boiled first and then baked to a golden crisp. Served soaked in rich yellow lentils and spicy ghee, it is a hearty and deeply satisfying rustic feast.
75min
Total Time
4
Servings
Madhya-Pradeshi (Malwa)
Cuisine
Recipe
1
In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, semolina, carom seeds, baking soda, salt, and 2 tablespoons of warm ghee.
2
Gradually add warm water to knead a firm, smooth dough, then let it rest for 20 minutes.
3
Divide the dough into medium-sized lemon-shaped balls and roll them smoothly between your palms.
4
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, drop the dough balls in, and boil them for about 12-15 minutes until they float to the top and are cooked through.
5
Remove the boiled baflas, pat them dry with a clean cloth, and bake them in a preheated oven or traditional baati cooker at 200°C for 25 minutes until the crust turns golden and crisp.
6
For the dal, wash and pressure cook the toor dal and moong dal with turmeric, salt, and water for 3 whistles.
7
Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, dry red chillies, ginger-garlic paste, and onions, sautéing until golden.
8
Add tomatoes, red chilli powder, and coriander powder, cooking until the oil separates from the masala.
9
Pour the cooked masala into the boiled dal and simmer for 5 minutes.
10
Crush the hot baked baflas slightly in a bowl, pour the piping hot spicy dal generously over them, drizzle with extra ghee, and serve garnished with fresh coriander.
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup fine semolina (sooji)
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste
1 cup toor dal (yellow pigeon peas)
1/2 cup moong dal (split yellow lentils)
1 finely chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp red chilli powder
3 tbsp desi ghee for tempering and serving
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
*This AI-generated recipe may contain inaccuracies.