DAL BATI CHOORMA

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

13/V/2025

 

Enough of Indo-Pak dhishoom-dhishoom for the time being. Thoughts kept flashing in the mind but now after a pause in the battle there is peace. We made enough “Choorma” of the enemy. Time now is to ‘chew the stew’.

 

That reminded me of what I have just finished doing. Making ‘Choorma’ for my birdie friends. Each day, they wait for me desperately to enjoy the roti morsels I serve to them. These days we have set a signal to indicate “Bhojan Prastut hai Shirman” as our Mess Havildar used to report when food was laid for the officers to proceed for a meal.

 

Pieces of roti are spread on a tin sheet. Birds come to feed/rest & take a break. We have shade, food, and water, plus security from cats. It is a nice perch for them to spread their wings for a while.

 

Though they are alert and waiting but moment I spread their “dastarkhwaan”, I bang the plate on the tin sheet. Boy, you have to hear the ‘chirpy excitement’ as if Kalender has served Khana for them. Even before I leave, they are zipping past me. It is like in kindergarten, the teacher left a bowl of toffees & told us to take as many as we could. Can you imagine the chaos? These girls are civilised.

 

Thinking of Choorma, it reminded me of a Dhaba on the highway, just opposite our colony. Dal, Bati and Choorma is a delicacy in this part of Rajasthan. That is what they serve and nothing else. The turn over was visible with the crowd. We knew that the food would be delicious.

 

Prices are exorbitant, for four batis and unlimited dal. Believe you me ‘seventy bucks’ for a thali. An ‘urban senior citizen’ like me at best can eat two batis, but for the local folk, sky's the limit. In case they ‘bet’, you can imagine.

 

The art of serving the Bati is unique. One has to have a “jiggra” to watch it and then eat. Bati is served piping hot, straight from a ‘cow dung cake’ fired ‘tandoor’. ‘Kande/Chaane’ as they are called.

 

If made in bulk, the Dhaba chap will put them in a gunny bag and make them run around the length and breadth of the bag, like a baby in a ‘plana’ (cradle), till all dust gets separated. Then he blows air from his mouth to clear any residue of ash sticking to it before stowing/serving them.

 

When the Bati cracks open, it is  considered fully cooked. There would be burnt black patches on its sides depending on how close to the ambers the Bati was kept. The crispiness adds to the rustic and smoky flavoured wheat roundel.

 

Then comes the real thing, when he puts it on your plate and gives the Bati a twist to break it into smaller pieces. Two or three twists are enough. It is followed by a golden liquid called ‘shudh desi ghee’. Depending on your “paachan shakti” (digestive capacity) you may indulge at your own risk. But frankly, no Bati can be eaten without being soaked in ghee. You are supposed to pour the Dal over it and then make a mix of it.

 

Dal-Bati is best eaten with bare hands. Though hotels now use gloves to serve and give it a hygienic kind of look, the real ‘swad (taste) will never come.

 

At the end comes the pudding called Choorma. It is the same Bati crushed into small pieces again, soaked in over flowing ghee. Melted gur or jaggery is poured over it. This concoction is rubbed together with bare hands again till it is a homogeneous mixture. Some have it like that, others make ‘laddus’ to enjoy later. Mind you, it is a whole meal in itself.

 

Batis are made of ‘coarse grain’. The dal is a mix of “pachmail dal” (five kinds of dals mixed) or “Chana dal with Chilke wali Hari Moong dal”. It is best served with ‘Mirchi ka Koota’, a recipe of fried green chillies as an accompaniment plus my favourite “Lassan ki Chutney”. On the sides “finely diced Pyaz” and half a nimbu to be squeezed over the dal-bati mix. It sends signals to your taste buds to activate and salivate.

 

The culmination to all this is a chilled glass of ‘Masala Chaach’ or salted butter milk, which comes with very finely julienned ginger strands, black salt and jeera or roasted cumin seed powder. All this washes down the meal smoothly.

 

The feeling of ‘Tripti’ or bliss comes when you lie down for your afternoon siesta and sleep like a log for the next two hours devouring Bati after Bati in your dreams.

 

Larai-Larai maaf karo, Dal Bati Choorma ke sath Insaaf karo.

 

Would you guys like to “Padharo” to ‘Jeemo” sa? I wonder!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

©® NOEL ELLIS

BATI PREPARATION

CHOORMA LADU

DHABA BOARD

 

PIPING HOT DAL