
Dal bati churma is a famous Indian dish from the state of Rajasthan. 'Dal' is the lentil soup and 'churma' is a sweet dish made with whole wheat flour, ghee and sugar.
Bati is a baked whole wheat flour hard bread. It is made by baking balls of whole wheat flour dough and then soaking it in ghee. It is crispy on the outside but has a soft core inside.
Bati has a lot of variety like masala bati, multi grain bati, makai bati (made with corn flour) and another very famous boiled version known as bafla.
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Dal bafla vs Dal bati
Bafla is also referred as bati most of the times. However there is a slight difference in the process of making bati and bafla.
To make bafla, the dough balls are cooked in boiling water first and then baked in oven. However, to make bati, the dough balls are directly baked in the oven.

Ingredients to make dal bafla
Making bafla requires only few basic ingredients but you surely need lots of ghee. Here is a list of required ingredients
- Whole wheat flour (atta)
- Ghee (checkout this homemade cultured ghee recipe)
- Salt
- Water
- Turmeric powder
- Yogurt (Check out this homemade yogurt in instant pot)
- Semolina flour (optional)
How to make bati or bafla dough?
Bati dough can be made in the food processor, stand mixer, bread maker or by hand. The key is to knead the dough into a soft non sticky ball.
I usually prefer using the food processor to make dough. To make the dough in food processor, fix the blade to the food processor bowl and add all ingredients except water.
Start the food processor on low speed or dough setting and add water from the feeder. Continue mixing until a soft, smooth and well kneaded dough ball is formed.
If you are kneading dough by hand, knead it well until a soft, non sticky and smooth ball is formed. Also, cover the dough and allow it to rest for about half an hour before proceeding to make bafla.

How to make boiled bati or bafla?
Divide the dough and make round smooth balls and flatten slightly. The trick in making a smooth dough ball is to roll the dough between your palms in a way that all the wrinkles and lines are tucked to one side or bottom of the dough ball.
Now make an indentation in the dough ball with your finger at the center, on both sides. This helps prevent bati from breaking while it is baking and helps in cooking it evenly.

At this step, if you were to make bati, you would directly bake it in the oven. But to make bafla or the boiled bati, boil water in a wide pan with about 2 inches filled. Add some turmeric to the water.
Once water starts boiling, one by one add the dough balls. With a spatula carefully scrape them if they stick to the bottom of the pan. Now cover the pan with a vented lid and allow to boil for about 10 minutes.
Bati will start floating once done. Using a spatula, carefully remove bafla from the pot and place it in a plate or tray and let it cool down. In the mean time preheat the oven or air fryer to 375° F.
How to bake bafla in air fryer?
Bafla or bati can be baked quickly in the air fryer. While the bafla were cooled down in the plate, the bottom side still remains moist. While placing them in the air fryer, keep the moist side facing upwards. This will avoid it from sticking to the mesh in the air fryer.

Set the air fryer temperature to 375° F and timer for 10 minutes. Flip bati after 10 minutes and then cook for additional 8 minutes. Bafla should turn golden brown with a few brown patches.
How to bake bafla in oven?
You can bake bati easily in the oven, especially if you are baking a larger batch. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place the cooled down bati (with moist side facing upwards) in the baking tray.

Bake for 25 minutes and then flip the bati upside down and bake for additional 20 minutes. Bati is ready when it is golden brown with a few dark brown patches.
Serving suggestions for dal bati
Keep a large bowl filled with a cup of ghee. Using a mitten, lift each baked bafla from the tray and crack it open by pressing it.
Dip the bafla in ghee and allow it to soak the ghee well. Bafla or bati must be served only after it is soaked well in ghee.

Dal bati accompaniments
Dal bati is a complete meal in itself. Most of the times, churma (a sweet dish) is served along with dal bati. Bati is usually served with panchmel dal.
It is also popularly served with urad dal or toor dal. I also like to add a dash of lemon juice and green chutney to dal while eating dal bati.

How to eat dal bati?
Bati is completely soaked in ghee before serving. Dal is served in a bowl and bati is served on the side. Bati is broken into smaller pieces and eaten after soaking and mashing it in dal.
One can add entire bati into the dal and then break and mash it up. I like to break the bati and then soak it in dal piece by piece to enjoy my favorite dish 🙂

What to do with leftover bati?
Bati is very filling and satisfying, infact you might just need a very light dinner if you eat dal bati at lunch! Most of the times there is leftover bati. It stays well at room temperature or can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Other than eating the leftover bati with dal once again, it can be warmed up in the microwave and sprinkled with some sugar and served like a sweet dish. My kids just love it!
Dal bafla or bati is a true delicacy. Enjoy it with your family and friends during special occasions.

Don't forget to check out below Indian recipes
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📖 Recipe

Dal Bafla (Dal Bati) in Oven and Air Fryer
Equipment
- Convection Oven
Ingredients
For making bafla dough
- 300 grams Whole wheat flour (atta) (2 ½ cup)
- ⅔ + ¼ cup Water
- ⅓ cup Ghee
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Yogurt
- 2 tablespoon Semolina flour (optional)
For boiling bafla
- 6 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
For dipping bafla
- 1 cup Ghee (or more)
Instructions
Making bafla dough in food processor
- Fix the dough blade in the food processor.
- Add all ingredients except water and close the lid
- Turn the food processor on low speed (or dough setting) and pour water from the feeder
- Continue kneading in the food processor until a smooth dough ball is formed and does not stick on the sides of the food processor bowl.
- Remove the dough from the food processor.
Making and boiling bafla
- Boil enough water (about 2 inches) in a wide pan, on high flame.
- Put turmeric powder in the water and continue boiling
- Take about 75 grams of dough and roll into a smooth ball and flatten it to about 2.5 inches in diameter
- Make indents on both sides of the dough ball in the center by pressing with a finger.
- Gently put the dough ball in the boiling water.
- Repeat above steps for remaining dough
- Continue boiling the dough balls or the bafla for about 10 minutes, cover with a lid with a vent.
- Open the lid and check, the bafla will be floating on top of water.
- Turn the flame off and remove the bafla one by one on a plate or tray and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Baking bafla in oven
- Pre heat oven to 375°F
- Lift the boiled bafla one by one and place in baking tray with wet side of bafla on top (this avoids bafla from sticking to the baking tray)
- Bake the bafla for 25 minutes
- Remove the tray and flip the bafla and then place the tray back in oven
- Cook for another 20 minutes
- Bafla is ready when golden brown with a few dark brown patches.
Baking bafla in air fryer
- Pre heat the air fryer at 375°F for about 5 minutes
- Lift the boiled bafla one by one and place in air fryer rack with wet side of bafla on top (this avoids bafla from sticking to the rack)
- Air fry the bafla for 10 minutes.
- Open air fryer and flip the bafla and cook for another 8 minutes
- Bafla is ready once it is golden brown on both sides with some dark brown patches.
Dipping bafla in ghee
- Take a cup of ghee in a large bowl.
- Press the bafla or bati to crack open and then dip in ghee.
- Allow bafla to be well coated in ghee before serving.
Notes
- Bafla dough can be made in a food processor, stand mixer, bread maker or by hands too.
- If making dough by hands, cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before making bafla.
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