Ingredients

• For the dal or lentil:

• 1/2 cup chana dal/Bengal gram lentil

• 1/2 cup urad/urid dal or black gram lentil, with skin

• 1/2 cup mung/moong dal or green gram lentil, with skin

• 1/2 cup arhar dal (tuvar/toor dal)

• 6 cups water

• 1 level tsp. or less turmeric or haldi powder

• 1 1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)

• For Tarka or tempering:

• 1 tbsp. oil or ghee

• 1 tsp. cumin seeds

• A large pinch of hing or hing or asafoetida powder

• 1 tsp. grated ginger

• 2-3 green chillies (to taste) finely chopped

• 1/4 tsp. (to taste) red chilli powder

• For bati or dumplings:

• 3 cups chapatti atta or flour (3/4 white and 1/4 plain flour mix can be used)

• 1 cup semolina

• 1 cup yoghurt

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

• Water to make dough

• A small bowl of melted ghee or clarified butter

Instructions

1. Clean, wash and cook dals with turmeric, salt and water until tender. It will cook in pressure cooker in 2-3 whistles or pressures. Add more water if too dry. It should be stew like consistency.

2. Tempering or tarka:

3. Heat ghee or oil in a ladle.

4. Add cumin and asafoetida.

5. When the seeds splutter, add ginger and green chillies and fry for a few seconds, until ginger is lightly brown.

6. Add chilli powder and quickly add to the dal, covering the lid immediately This helps to infuse flavours.

7. Keep aside

8. Making dumplings:

9. Place all ingredients in a large bowl or a food processor and make a firm dough.

10. Divide it into 16 portions and make balls.

11. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F or 180 C for 20 minutes.

12. Turn over and cook for further 10 minutes.

13. Turn oven off and leave dumplings in for a further 10 minutes. Oven times vary so make sure dumplings do not burn and are cooked thoroughly. They should be lightly browned.

14. Dip each dumpling in melted ghee and take out immediately. Keep aside in a warm dish or casserole dish (insulated dishes used commonly in India).

15. Serve hot with Dal. They are eaten dipped in dal.

16. Also see Dal, often a mix of chana and urad dal, and Choorma.

Notes

• You can make dumplings up to 2-3 hours before up to the point of cooking. Then place on a greased tray, cover with a cling film and keep aside. Start cooking 30 minutes before serving.

• Dumplings can be stuffed with a mixture of mashed potatoes, boiled peas, grated ginger, green chillies and salt, cooked with a cumin or jeera tarka.

• You can add chopped green coriander leaves to the dal, as a garnish.