Bafla (Potato filled Whole Wheat Dumplings in Lentil Soup)

I came across this recipe a few days ago on a TV channel. It is an interesting take on the traditional Rajasthani dish - Daal Baati.

While daal-baati remains a favorite of many in India, I am not particularly fond of this dish. This is mainly for 2 reasons - I find the Baati pretty bland and secondly it is very difficult to eat with a spoon due to its hard texture. Also deep frying is something that i try to avoid as much as possible, whereas the baati is invariably deep fried.

I found all the above reasons taken care of in this variation of daal-baati, called Bafla. The dish is quick to make, utterly delicious and the best part is, Arya too ate it without complaining and agreed to me making it in future. This I take as a big compliment.

So here is the recipe -

Ingredients 

For the Bati

Whole Wheat Flour - 2 Cups
Fennel Seeds - Crushed - 2 tspns
Carom Seeds  - 1/4 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Cayenne Chili Powder - 1 tspn
Oil  - 1tbspn
Salt to taste
Clarified Butter - 2 tbpns

For the Stuffing

Mashed Boiled Potatoes - 2
Fennel Seeds - Crushed - 2 tspns
Cayenne Chili Powder - 1 tspn
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tspn
Amchur Powder - 1 tspn
Sugar - 3  tspns
Salt to taste

For Lentil Soup

Clarified Butter (Ghee) - 2 tspns
Urad Daal- Soaked - 1/2 Cup
Chana Daal - Soaked - 1/2 Cup
Fennel Seeds - 1 tspn
Cayenne Chili Powder - 1tspn
Lemon Juice  of 1 lemon
Cilantro - Chopped - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Directions

Mix the ingredients for the Bati with sufficient water to make a firm dough that is still very pliable
Mix the Ingredients of the stuffing and keep it ready
Cook the Urad Daal and Chana Daal

In a big pot put about 8 cups of water to boil
While the water is boiling, start making small ball of the dough and making round disks of these balls with hands
Place a small ball of the stuffing on this disk and then wrap the disc around the stuffing and cover the stuffing completely with dough making sure that it is sealed from all sides.
Keep the stuffed bati aside and keep making more till the water boils
Once the water boils, gently drop these stuffed balls in boiling water and let them cook till they rise to the top.
Once they rise to the top, it means they are fully cooked.
Remove them from water and place them on a paper towel

While the bati is being cooked in water, heat the Ghee in a pan
Once the Ghee is hot, add the Fennel Seeds and Cayenne Powder
Next add the cooked Daal, Salt and Sugar
Add water to make it into a soupy consistency
Bring it to a boil
Take is off the stove and add lemon juice and cilantro

Once the balls are cooked in water and dried on a paper towel, take some Ghee in a pan
Once the ghee is hot, put the balls in the Ghee
Shallow fry them in the Ghee till they are golden brown on all sides.

Cut the balls in half and serve them with the Lentil Soup
Garnish with Cilantro, Ghee and some Garlic Chutney