RAG Demo

Tag: Malwa

  • Mawa Bati

    Mawa bati is a speciality of Malwa and Nimar in Madhya Pradesh, seen at weddings and festival meals and in sweet shops around Indore and Ujjain. It resembles a large gulab jamun or kala jamun, but the dough is denser with mawa and each ball carries a hidden stuffing of dry fruits and cardamom.

    The baties are fried slowly over low heat until they turn a deep brown, almost black on the outside, then soaked in syrup. The outer layer is slightly firm and caramelised, the inside soft and grainy with khoya, and the centre crunchy with nuts. It is very rich, so one or two make a complete dessert.

    At a glance

    RegionMadhya Pradesh
    CuisineMalwa
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientskhoya / maida / sugar / dry fruits

    Ingredients

    For the dough

    • 250 g soft khoya (mawa), grated
    • 50 g chhena or paneer, crumbled
    • 3 tbsp maida
    • 1 tbsp fine semolina
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tbsp milk, if needed
    • Ghee or oil for frying

    For the stuffing

    • 2 tbsp chopped almonds and pistachios
    • 1 tbsp chopped cashews
    • 1 tsp raisins
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A few saffron strands
    • 1 tsp powdered sugar

    For the syrup

    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 4 green cardamoms, crushed
    • 1 tsp rose water

    Method

    1. Boil the sugar and water with cardamom for 6-7 minutes until slightly sticky but not at one-string consistency. Add rose water and keep warm.
    2. Mix the stuffing ingredients in a small bowl.
    3. Mash the khoya and chhena together with the heel of your hand for 5 minutes until smooth. Add maida, semolina and baking soda and knead gently into a soft, crack-free dough, adding a little milk if needed.
    4. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Flatten each in your palm, place 1/2 tsp stuffing in the centre, seal and roll into a smooth ball or oval with no cracks.
    5. Heat ghee in a kadhai on low heat; it should be warm, not hot. Add the balls and fry very slowly, moving them constantly, for 12-15 minutes until deep dark brown all over.
    6. Lift the baties out and drop them into the warm syrup. Soak for at least 2 hours, ideally longer.
    7. Serve warm or at room temperature, halved to show the stuffing.

    Tips

    • Cracks in the balls will open in the oil – knead until the dough is completely smooth.
    • Frying slowly on low heat is essential; high heat browns the outside while the centre stays raw.
    • The syrup should be warm, not boiling, when the baties go in, or they shrink.

    Serve with

    Warm, with a spoon of syrup, after a dal bafla meal.

  • Indori Poha

    Poha is a breakfast across western and central India, but Indore has made it a civic identity. Street stalls near Sarafa and Chappan Dukan serve it from huge steaming pans from early morning, usually with jalebi on the side. Indore's version is steamed rather than stir-fried, so the flakes stay soft and separate.

    Indori poha is sweeter and more aromatic than Maharashtrian kanda poha. Fennel seeds and a little sugar go into it, and the finishing touches are crucial: a sprinkle of jeeravan masala, a local blend of cumin, black salt, dried mango and other spices, plus thin ratlami sev, chopped onion, pomegranate and coriander. A squeeze of lemon brings it together.

    At a glance

    RegionMadhya Pradesh
    CuisineMalwa
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time25 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientspoha (flattened rice) / onion / fennel seeds / sev

    Ingredients

    For the poha

    • 2 cups thick poha
    • 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 8 curry leaves
    • 2 green chillies, chopped
    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp roasted peanuts

    For the topping

    • 1 tsp jeeravan masala
    • 1/2 cup ratlami or nylon sev
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • Lemon wedges

    Method

    1. Rinse the poha in a colander under running water for 20-30 seconds, tossing gently, until just softened. Drain well and leave for 5 minutes.
    2. Sprinkle sugar, salt and turmeric over the damp poha and fluff with your fingers so it is evenly coloured.
    3. Heat oil in a kadhai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter, then fennel, cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for 20 seconds.
    4. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes until translucent but not browned, then add the peanuts.
    5. Add the poha and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle 2 tbsp water over it.
    6. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 4-5 minutes so the poha steams and turns soft and fluffy. Traditional stalls steam it in a pan set over boiling water.
    7. Serve on plates, topped generously with jeeravan masala, sev, raw onion, pomegranate and coriander, with lemon on the side.

    Tips

    • Do not soak the poha in a bowl – rinsing in a colander keeps the flakes from turning mushy.
    • No jeeravan masala? Mix roasted cumin powder, black salt, amchur, a pinch of black pepper and a little chaat masala.
    • Poha itself is gluten free, but most packaged sev contains wheat or is fried alongside it; check if needed.

    Serve with

    Hot jalebi and a cup of cutting chai.

  • Bhutte ka Kees

    Bhutte ka kees is a speciality of Indore and the Malwa region, where monsoon brings piles of fresh, milky corn cobs to the markets. At the Sarafa night market it is served in leaf bowls alongside garadu, sabudana khichdi and malpua, and at home it is a quick snack when the corn is at its best.

    Kees means grated. Tender corn is grated on a box grater, cooked in ghee with mustard seeds and green chillies, then simmered in milk until it thickens into a creamy, almost custard-like mass. Sugar, lemon, coconut and coriander balance it, so each spoonful is sweet, spicy, tangy and buttery all at once.

    At a glance

    RegionMadhya Pradesh
    CuisineMalwa
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscorn / milk / ghee / green chilli

    Ingredients

    • 4 tender corn cobs (desi or sweet corn)
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1/2 tsp grated ginger
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 1/2 tsp sugar
    • Salt to taste
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1/2 tsp jeeravan or chaat masala (optional)

    Method

    1. Remove the husk and silk and grate the corn cobs on the coarse side of a box grater, collecting the pulp and juice in a bowl. You should get about 2 cups.
    2. Heat the ghee in a heavy kadhai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, then cumin, asafoetida, green chillies and ginger. Fry for 20 seconds.
    3. Add the grated corn and turmeric. Cook on medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the raw smell goes and the corn turns slightly translucent. It will stick if you stop stirring.
    4. Pour in the milk, add salt and sugar, and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until the milk is absorbed and the mixture is thick and creamy.
    5. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
    6. Serve warm, topped with grated coconut, coriander and a sprinkle of jeeravan masala.

    Tips

    • Desi corn gives the traditional starchy, thick texture; sweet corn works but needs less sugar and slightly less milk.
    • Use a heavy pan – grated corn catches easily at the bottom.
    • Add a few spoons of extra milk if it thickens too much while standing.

    Serve with

    Eaten on its own as an evening snack, with a cup of tea.

  • Dal Bafla

    Dal bafla is the Malwa cousin of Rajasthan's dal baati, eaten across Indore, Ujjain and Bhopal at weddings, community feasts and family gatherings. The difference is in the bafla itself: the wheat balls are boiled in water before being baked, which makes them softer and lighter inside than a dense baati.

    After boiling, the baflas are roasted until golden and cracked, then broken open and dunked in ghee. They are eaten with a thin, tangy toor dal tempered with cumin, garlic and red chilli, along with ladoos, chutney and raw onion. It is a heavy, festive meal best followed by a nap.

    At a glance

    RegionMadhya Pradesh
    CuisineMalwa
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time60 minutes
    Total time90 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswhole wheat flour / toor dal / ghee / semolina

    Ingredients

    For the bafla

    • 2 cups coarse whole wheat flour (about 250 g)
    • 1/4 cup semolina
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tbsp curd
    • Water as needed
    • 1/2 cup melted ghee for dunking

    For the dal

    • 3/4 cup toor dal
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3 cups water
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
    • 1 tomato, chopped
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1 tsp jaggery
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • Salt to taste
    • Coriander to garnish

    Method

    1. Mix the atta, semolina, ajwain, salt, turmeric and baking soda. Rub in 3 tbsp ghee and the curd, then add water gradually and knead into a firm dough. Rest for 15 minutes.
    2. Divide into 8 balls, smooth them, and press a light thumb dent in the centre of each.
    3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add a pinch of turmeric and slide in the balls. Boil for 15-18 minutes; they will sink first and float when done. Remove and drain for 5 minutes.
    4. Bake the boiled baflas at 200 C for 25-30 minutes, turning once, until golden brown with cracks on the surface. They can also be roasted on a tandoor, an appe pan or over coals.
    5. Meanwhile pressure cook the dal with turmeric and water for 3 whistles. Mash well.
    6. Heat 2 tbsp ghee, add cumin, asafoetida, red chillies and garlic and fry until the garlic is golden. Add tomato, chilli and coriander powder and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the dal, add salt, jaggery and enough water for a pouring consistency, and simmer 5 minutes. Finish with lemon and coriander.
    7. While the baflas are hot, press each lightly to crack it open and dunk it in melted ghee for a few seconds.
    8. Serve the baflas broken into pieces, with a generous bowl of dal poured over or alongside.

    Tips

    • Coarse atta (or a mix with a little rava) gives the classic crumbly texture.
    • Bake the boiled baflas soon after draining; if they cool completely they turn chewy.
    • The amount of ghee is a matter of taste, but a proper bafla is dunked, not brushed.

    Serve with

    Raw onion, green chutney, lemon and churma or mawa bati for dessert.