Baked Spinach Baati and Panchratna Dal Recipe

No Rajasthani thali is complete without dal baati .Five types of  lentils- toor dal, chana dal, moong dal (split), urad dal (split) and masoor  dal (split) are combined to cook this delicious dal.

Dals/Lentils are rich in dietary fibre, lean protein, folate and iron along with being a good source of potassium, calcium and Vitamin K. This combination of dal is also known as panchratna dal, panchmel dal or panchkuti dal and is easily available in the market.

Baatis are made of whole wheat flour, semolina (sooji) and gram flour (besan). Traditionally they were baked over Kandas (cow dung cakes). Sometimes, they are also deep fried after boiling. They are cooked in electrical tandoor/oven as well. I have used OTG for baking baati. A generous quantity of ghee is usually poured over baati while serving it.

I have tried to enhance its health benefits by adding spinach purée to baati and use very less amount of ghee. Spinach is a low calorie food. It is an excellent source of fibre. It is also rich in iron, Vitamin K, vitamin A, Vitamin C, magnesium and folic acid. Spinach is good for maintaining bone health and a healthy immune system.

I have tried to give a tangy taste to baati by filling it with sweet and sour raw mango chutney.

Makes: 9-10 Stuffed Baati

Serves: 3-4 persons

INGREDIENTS

For Panchratna Dal:

• ¾ Cup Panchratna Dal
• 1/4 Medium Size Onion
• 1 Big Tomato
• 1″ Ginger
• 1/4 Tsp Asafoetida (Heeng)
• 1 Kashmiri Red Chilli
• 2 Bay Leaves (Tejpatta)
• 2 Cloves (Crushed)
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds Powder
• 1 Tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 Tsp Dry Mango Powder
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala
• 3/4 Tbsp Oil
• Salt as Per Taste

For Baati:

• 1 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 Cup Semolina (Sooji)
• 3 Tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
• 2 Tsp Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
• 9 Tbsp Spinach Purée (Approximately 3/4 Bundle Of Spinach)
• 5 Tbsp Milk
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil /Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Melted Ghee
• Salt as Per Taste

For Baati Filling:

• 1 Raw Mango (Grated)
• A Pinch of Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Onion Seeds (Kalaunji)
• 1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds Powder (Saunf)
• 1/4 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 3 1/2 Tbsp Jaggery Powder (Gud)
• Salt as Per Taste
• 1/2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

For Assembling:

• 1 Tbsp Melted Ghee (Optional)

METHOD

For Panchratna Dal:

1. Clean Panchratna dal and soak for 1-1.5 hours in a pressure cooker. You can add approximately 2-2.5 cups of water so that water level reaches above the level of dal/lentil.
2. Once it is soaked, add salt to it and pressure cook it at high flame for one whistle, then lower the flame and cook for 4-5 whistles.
3. In the meantime, heat oil in a kadhai. Add asafoetida, bay leaves and Kashmiri red chilli and cook for a few seconds.
4. Grind onion and ginger in a grinder and transfer this paste to the frying pan. Sauté the paste till it turns light brown.
5. Grind/ grate tomatoes and add tomato paste to the kadhai. Cook for 2 minutes and subsequently add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds powder, cloves powder and red chilli powder.
6. Cook for 5 minutes till tomatoes turn tender.
7. Transfer cooked dal to kadhai. Add garam masala powder and dry mango powder.
8. Adjust the consistency of dal by adding water (if necessary). Do not add too much water as this dal should have a thick consistency Mix properly and cover kadhai with a lid. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

For Baati filling:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan and add onion seeds.
2. Once they splutter, add grated raw mango.
3. Cook for a few seconds and subsequently, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and fennel seeds powder.
4. Cover the frying pan with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add salt and jaggery powder. Once, jaggery powder is completely dissolved, turn off the flame and transfer the filling to a bowl for it to cool down.

For Baati:

1. Transfer whole wheat flour, semolina and gram flour to a big bowl. Add salt, carom seeds, oil and ghee. Mix all the ingredients properly.
2. Now, add spinach purée and milk and knead firm dough. Add a few more tablespoons of milk, if you have trouble kneading the dough. Keep the dough aside for an hour.
3. Preheat the oven at 200 °C for 10 minutes.
4. In the meantime, divide the dough into 9 parts. Flatten the dough with your hand and put 1- 1.5 tsp of filling in the center.
5. Seal the dough by pulling its edges and shape it into a ball. Now, flatten it in form of a baati. Repeat the process till dough is finished.
6. Line the baking tray with parchment paper and transfer baatis to the baking tray.
7. Bake baati in the middle rack at 200 °C for 15 minutes. Then turn the baatis and bake again for 6-8 minutes.
8. Pour ghee over baati (optional) and serve with Panchratna dal.

TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

1. Instead of pouring ghee over baatis, you can brush baatis with some melted ghee. This will lessen the consumption of ghee, yet maintain the aroma of baatis.
2. You can skip adding onion in Panchratna Dal. In such a case, grind ginger with tomatoes and skip step number 4.