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Dal bafla
दाल बाफला: Malwa's wheat dough balls boiled, baked and dunked in ghee, with dal and chutney
IndianDal bafla is Malwa's answer to Rajasthan's dal baati: the dough balls are first boiled until they float, then baked until crusty, so they turn out softer inside and lighter than baati. In Indore and Ujjain it is the meal for Sunday lunches, picnics and big family gatherings, broken open and drowned in ghee next to a bowl of tadka dal and garlic chutney. The common mistake is skipping the rest after boiling; wet baflas go straight into the oven and stay pale and leathery. Chef's tip: let the boiled baflas dry for 10 minutes and score a cross on top before baking, so they crack open and soak up the ghee.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the baflas
- 10 ½ oz coarse wholewheat flour (atta)
- 2 tbsp fine semolina
- ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt (curd)
- ½ cup water
- 8 ¼ cups water for boiling
For the dal
- 5 ½ oz toor dalrinsed
- 3 cups water
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tomatochopped
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
To serve
- 2 ⅞ oz ghee, melted
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz coarse wholewheat flour (atta), 2 tbsp fine semolina, ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds), ¼ tsp ground turmeric and ¾ tsp salt. Rub in 3 tbsp ghee until the flour holds in a clump when squeezed.
4 minStep 2: Add 2 tbsp plain yoghurt (curd) and ½ cup water and knead to a firm dough. Shape into 10 smooth balls.
6 minStep 3: Bring 8 ¼ cups water for boiling to a rolling boil, drop in the balls and boil for 15 minutes until they float and feel firm. Lift out and leave to dry for 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F.
25 minStep 5: Score a cross on each bafla and bake on a tray for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until golden brown with crisp cracks.
25 minStep 6: For the tadka, heat 1 tbsp ghee, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, then 1 tomato and 1 tsp red chilli powder and cook until soft; pour over the dal and simmer 5 minutes.
7 minStep 7: Press each hot bafla open and dunk it in 2 ⅞ oz ghee, melted. Serve with the dal.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dal bafla take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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