Balfa With Dal

-FOR BAFLA

- 2 c Flour, whole wheat; 225 g

4 tb Ghee; or oil

1 ts -Salt

-Water for kneading -Extra ghee or oil

--FOR DAL

-- 225 g Mung beans, split; moong dal

5 1/2 c -Water; 1.25 l

1 ts Tumeric powder

2 ts -Salt

1 ts Sugar

2 md Onions; chopped

2 Green chilies

2 Bay leaves

2 Cinnamon sticks; 2 inches

3 tb Oil

2 tb Coriander, fresh; cilantro

-chopped Rajasthani bread Put split mung beans (moong dal) with water in a heavy pan over high heat. Add half of the chopped onion, salt, sugar, green chilies, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks. Sift flour with salt; rub in ghee or oil. Knead to a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 10 parts and shape them into round balls. Drop these balls in the boiling dal, reduce heat. Cook for 25 minutes then remove the cooked flour balls one by one from the dal. Place the cooked flour flour balls in a greased baking dish. Bake in a preheat oven 375F (190 C/ gas mark 5) until the skin of the balls begins to crack and the colour turns light brown. Place them in a dish and press each of them in the centre with your thumb. Break lightly and put 1 or 2 tsp ghee in each bafla. Can be eaten without ghee too. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a pan. Fry remaining half of onions until lightly broened. Pour cooked dal. Stir well. Let it boil 2-3 times. Remove from heat and sprinkle with chopped coriander. Serve baflas with dal. Note: Dal (beans) should be poured over the baflas, breaking them completely. Other vegetable dishes or chutney can be served with it also. SERVES: 10 SOURCE: _Rotis and Naans of India_ by Purobi Babbar, published in Bombay posted, not tested by Anne MacLellan