Dal Bafla Recipe: Madhya Pradesh Style Wheat Bafla with Dal
This Dal Bafla recipe combines firm wheat dough with maize flour, semolina, cumin, ajwain and ghee. The dough is shaped into small balls, boiled until cooked through and then baked until lightly golden.The bafla is served with simple tempered arhar dal and plenty of ghee. The result is a hearty Madhya Pradesh meal with a soft interior, lightly crisp surface and the comforting combination of wheat, dal and ghee. Madhya Pradesh Tourism lists Dal Bafla among the traditional preparations of the Malwa and Nimar food traditions.
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 510kcal
Equipment
- Mixing bowlLarge deep pan for boilingPressure cookerBaking trayOven
Ingredients
- For Bafla
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup maize flour
- ¼ cup semolina rava
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup ghee
- Approximately ½ cup water as required
- For Dal
- 1½ cups arhar dal toor dal, soaked
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 cups water or as required
- For Tempering
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 3 tablespoons fresh coriander chopped
Instructions
- Recipe Details
- Prepare the Bafla Dough
- Combine wheat flour, maize flour, semolina, cumin seeds, ajwain, turmeric and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the ghee and rub it into the flour mixture until it is evenly incorporated.
- Add water gradually and knead into a firm dough. Do not make the dough soft or sticky.
- Cover and rest the dough for about 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each into a smooth, firm ball.
- Boil the Bafla
- Bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pan. Add a little salt.
- Carefully place the bafla balls into the boiling water.
- Cook until they rise to the surface and feel firm when handled.
- Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain well.
- Allow the surface moisture to dry before baking.
- Bake the Bafla
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Place the boiled bafla on a baking tray.
- Bake for about 20–30 minutes, turning them once or twice so they brown evenly.
- The outside should become lightly crisp while the inside remains soft.
- Remove from the oven and keep warm.
- The boiling followed by baking is the defining step in this preparation and is also the method described by Madhya Pradesh Tourism.
- Prepare the Dal
- Drain the soaked arhar dal and transfer it to a pressure cooker.
- Add turmeric, salt and water.
- Pressure cook until the dal is completely soft.
- Open the cooker after the pressure has released naturally and whisk the dal lightly. Adjust the consistency with hot water if needed.
- Prepare the Tempering
- Heat ghee in a small pan.
- Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- Add hing and reduce the heat.
- Add red chilli powder and immediately pour the tempering over the hot dal.
- Finish with chopped fresh coriander.
- Serve Dal Bafla
- Break the hot bafla slightly and pour or spoon the tempered dal over it. Add ghee according to taste and serve immediately.
Keep the dough firm. A soft dough can make the bafla lose its shape during boiling.Do not skip boiling. It is what gives bafla its characteristic softer texture.Drain the boiled bafla properly before putting them in the oven.Bake until the surface is lightly crisp rather than excessively dark.Serve the bafla hot with dal and ghee for the best texture.For a richer version, increase the ghee used for serving rather than making the dough excessively greasy.
Notes
Allergen Information
- Contains wheat (gluten).
- Contains milk in the form of ghee.
- Contains no egg or meat.
- For a gluten-free version, wheat flour would need to be replaced, but that would no longer be the traditional bafla preparation.
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