Recipe: Jayanti's Panchmel Dal And Baafle

Fans of Dal Bati, here is another chatpata Rajasthani combo to sample -- Panchmel Dal and Baafle. It's traditional 100 per cent!

The dal is a combination of five lentils, as its name suggests, and it is served mostly with crispy baafle, and at times with chapattis in Jayanti Soni's home, where the most unusual Rajasthani food is made.

It takes over an hour to make, but according to the Mumbai-based homemaker, it's an hour well-spent, given the satisfaction it achieves when she serves it to her family.

While the dal takes a little longer to make, the baafle can be prepared under 15 minutes and differs from bati as it requires the flattened dough balls to be first steamed and then deep-fried in ghee, no less.

Baafle

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 400 gm atta or wheat flour
• 100 gm corn flour
• 400 ml ghee + 3-4 tbsp for the dough + extra for greasing the moulds
• Pinch baking soda
• ½ tsp ajwain or carom seeds
• ½ tsp dhania or coriander seeds
• Water
• Salt to taste, around 1 tsp

Method

• Using a mortar and pestle, crush the coriander seeds.
• In a bowl, combine the wheat flour, corn flour, salt, ajwain seeds, soda, crushed coriander seeds along with 3-4 tbsp ghee.
  Add enough water to knead into a smooth, stiff dough.
  Be careful to not add too much water or the dough will become sticky.
• Divide the dough into small balls of 2-3-inch diameter (please see the pic above or the video below).
  Using your palms, flatten the balls.
• Bring 2-3 cups water in a deep saucepan or large pressure cooker (no whistle) or idli maker to a slow boil.
  Grease the moulds of an idli maker/stand with a little ghee and place the flattened balls in it.
  Gently place the idli stand inside the saucepan/cooker/idli maker and cover.
  Steam the dough balls for 20 minutes.
  Take off heat, cool a little and cut the flattened baafle balls into two or four pieces.
• Heat ghee in a large kadhai over low to medium heat. 
  Deep fry the steamed baafle, in batches, until golden brown.
  Drain and transfer onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate.
  Serve hot with the dal (please see the recipe below).

WATCH: How to make Baafle:

Panchmel Dal

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 30 gm masoor dal or red lentils
• 30 gm black urad dal or black gram
• 30 gm yellow mung dal
• 30 gm chana dal or Bengal gram 
• 30 gm green mung dal or green gram
• 1 cup chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped
• 10 pods garlic, crushed or minced
• 4 green chillies, finely chopped
• 10 curry patta or curry leaves
• 10 black peppercorns, optional
• 4 lavang or cloves
• 1 dry red chilly, broken in small pieces
• 1-inch stick dalcheeni or cinnamon
• 2 tsp red chilly powder
• ¼ tsp haldi or turmeric powder + extra ¼ tsp while boiling the dals
• 2 tsp dhania or coriander powder
• ¼ tsp rai or mustard seeds, optional
• ¼ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
• Salt to taste, around 1 tsp + extra ¼ tsp to while boiling cook the dals
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• Water + 3 cups hot water

Method

• Combine all dals together and wash them really well.
  Soak for an hour in a bowl of water.
• Drain the water from the soaked dals and add into a pressure cooker.
• Add 1 cup water, ¼ tsp of the salt, ¼ tsp of the turmeric powder.
  Boil the dals in the pressure cooker over medium heat for 6 to 8 whistles.
  Lower the heat and let the dal continue to simmer for a few more minutes.
  Take off heat and let the pressure release on its own.
• Heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil in a kadhai or saucepan over low heat.
  Add the jeera, mustard, methi seeds once the oil/ghee is hot.
  Now add the cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, red chilly.
  Add the crushed garlic, ginger, garlic, green chillies, chopped onions, curry leaves.
  Saute for about 30 seconds.
  Add the chopped tomatoes.
  Add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, remaining salt, remaining turmeric powder and mix well.
  Allow the masalas to cook for 5-8 minutes till well bhunoed or fried.
  Mix in the cooked dals.
  Stir well and add the 3 cups hot water and bring the dal to a boil.
  Add the chopped coriander leaves and take off heat.
  Serve piping hot with freshly-fried baafle.

WATCH: How to make Panchmel Dal:

Jayanti Soni lives in Mumbai, and Rajasthani food is her speciality.

Photographs and videos: Dhairya Soni