#indianfoodhistory

[bella--indiano]

Having been born in Jodhpur and visiting Rajasthan every year during summer vacations, made me fall in love with the cuisine which is rich in flavour and taste.

Dal Baati brings back so many memories. I remember the minute we reached Jodhpur, the first thing that we asked for was dal baati. The panchmel dal has a beautiful flavour to it which goes perfectly with the baati which is a dough ball which is cooked in a tandoor and then dipped in ghee for at least 30mins for it to soak and become soft from inside.

Usually it is combined with choorma on the side which is baati grinded with lots of ghee and sugar to make a sweet accompaniment. However, I am not a fan of choorma and so went ahead and prepared some lehsun ki chutney. The beautiful garlic flavour combines very nicely with the dal baati.

This dish is not only popular in Rajasthan but also consumed extensively in certain regions of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. During the time of Bappa Rawal, baati was the preferred war time meal. The soldiers just broke the dough into chunks and bury them in the sun and left them to bake. When they came back, they dug up the baati and poured lots of ghee and ate it with curd. The combination of Dal Baati came into existence when traders from the Gupta Empire settled in Mewar.