DAL BATTI / DAL BAFLYA

Today I am sharing a very popular dish from Maharashtra which is known as Bafla Batti, which is made with whole wheat flour, steamed and then deep fried. Batti is mostly enjoyed in Marathi Month ‘Shravan’. It is mostly famous in Vidarbha and Kandesh region of Maharashtra. There are many varieties of this recipe like fried batti, tandoor batti. Today I am sharing a simple recipe which my mom used to make it i.e. Ghadichi Batti, layerd batti and enjoyed with dal.  Varan- Batti  includes Varan [yellow lentil daal], simple and spicy eggplant curry.  Or you can enjoy crushed batti with jiggery and lots of ghee which is known as churma. I remember my baba use to make it and then share it among all of us. Batti is made with whole wheat flour and deep fried in vegetable oil or vanaspati ghee. My mom used to make it very tasty. Serve it with lots of ghee and dal. Though simple, this dish promise to leave you licking your fingers. It is on heavier side, after eating it will simply put you to sleep.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups coarse Whole Wheat Flour [see notes]

Salt as needed

2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 ½ teaspoon Carom Seeds

2 tablespoon Oil for dough + For deep frying

1-2 tablespoon Curd [optional]

METHOD:

STEP 1 – In a bowl add whole wheat flour, cumin seeds, carom seeds and salt and mix well. 

STEP 2 – Heat 2 tablespoon oil in small pan. Make a well in the center, add the hot oil in it and mix it carefully or use spoon for mixing it.

STEP 3 – Add curd and water and knead well to make hard dough. Rest the dough for minimum ½ an hour and cover it with a thick, wet cloth.

STEP 4 – Knead further to soften the dough and split it in small balls.

STEP 5 – Take one ball, flatten it or roll it on rolling board with rolling pin. The shape should be rectangular.

STEP 6 – Apply vegetable oil on the surface. Now fold the sides lengthwise as shown in the picture below. Again brush it with little oil and fold them to make a small rectangle. Press it gently with light hands.

STEP 7 – Likewise make all the battis with the rest of the dough. 

STEP 8 – Now grease a vessel with little oil, keep the battis in it and pressure cook for 3 whistles. [see notes]. Do not add water in the vessel in which we kept battis. 

STEP 9 – Let the pressure release naturally. Open the pressure cooker, remove the vessel carefully.

STEP 10 – Remove the battis, cut them with a knife as shown below and keep aside. You can cut them in desired shape and size.

STEP 11 – Heat oil in a wide kadai, deep fry battis till nice crispy and golden brown in colour.

STEP 12 – Drain excess oil from it on a kitchen towel and serve hot.

Serve piping hot battis with lots of sajuk toop on it with varan [dal] and vangyachi bhaji [baingan masala/ spicy eggplant curry].

In some place it is served with ambat-god varan, or dal with a tempering of green chillies, curry leaves and hing.

NOTES: *Tell your girniwala bhaiya to grind wheat for batti coarsely. Or otherwise, if you have fine wheat flour then add 2 tablespoon rawa/ semolina in it.

               *My mom use curd while kneading a dough which makes the batti soft from inside.

               *This is my mom’s version to cooking the battis in pressure cooker but you can steam them in steamer or on a strainer. For this heat water in a wide pan, put a greased strainer on it and put batti in it. Cover it and steam them for 10-15 minutes.