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Published: December 14th 2013
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Alu Baba Temple
Yes you who must leave everything that you cannot control It starts with your family and soon it comes around to your soul It has now become tradition that when I visit Pushkar, I shout a group of friends the cost of preparing the exquisite Rajasthani culinary delight of
dahl bati. My first experience of this meal was in 1983 when my Brahmin friend Janadin (now dead) prepared it for me and a few other foreigners and locals.
Bati are balls made of flour,
desi ghee,
haldi, and a few other spices, kneaded and then boiled and slowly baked over smouldering cow dung before again being soaked in
desi ghee. A few balls are prepared with sugar and other spices to be broken up and have more
ghee added to form
tumera (adding dried fruits and nuts) which
is served as a sweet with the meal. Rice is prepared with the addition of pre-fried cashews and almonds and dried fruits, and
dahi (curd). The
dahl has a rich concoction of a lot of garlic, chilli, onion, ginger and other spices added to it
to produce a very fulsome flavour.
But the real experience of
dahl bati is the 5 plus hours of preparation, done in a temple courtyard, inter-spersed with the preparation of
masala chai and perhaps the odd
chillum or two. Temples are many in the countryside outside Pushkar, so one is chosen as the site for this event. Each temple has an outside area suitable for communal cooking including pots and pans. Alu Baba's Shiva temple is a particularly beautiful setting about 10 kms from Pushkar near Aja Pal.
By the time the meal is ready, appetites are attuned with delicious anticipation, and the meal is served and consumed with great appreciation and gusto. This meal is a treat to all the senses.
To prepare for 15 people, 2.5 kilos of
desi ghee (being the main expense at 350 rupees a kilo), 1 kilo of
dahi, and 4 kilos of flour are purchased together with all the spices,
dahl, and vegetables/nuts/fruits required. The cost is about 1,800 rupees (about Aust $30).
In my position of benefactor, I was told to just sit and relax, and I mostly did just that (between participating in a few of the
preparatory activities). The temple surrounds were peaceful and conducive to an almost meditative state just observing my friends as they worked away. I'd call it a very organised and precise form of chaos. Everything came together in the end.
Alu Baba appeared from time to time (we were after all using his facilities). He is 65, loved and revered by the locals, and has lived in this temple for the past 12 years and become a bit of a Pushkar celebrity for foreigners interested in his now legendary practice of only eating potatoes (and so he did not partake of our
dahl bati – we cooked a pot of potatoes for him). He has been practicing this lifestyle for 35 years. Why potatoes? I don't exactly know other than it is his ascetic discipline that he understands to be part of his particular
dharma. He looks pretty healthy for 65 so by all accounts, a diet of potatoes seems to agree with him. One friend has suggested that perhaps he was Irish in another life (pure conjecture - but there at least is a huge sponsorship deal with a potato chips company going begging here).
The 5 of
us involved in the cooking (OK – say 4, I can't say I was a great help) arrived at 1pm. The meal was ready at 6 and other friends arrived to partake. First though a plate was served to be presented as an offering to the gods. It was all done and over by 7.30 including full cleaning and packing of leftovers. Alu Baba had his place back in pristine state. We rode back to Pushkar and that other reality in the crisp winter night air.
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Rajendra Mohanty
non-member comment
Dahl Bati
Brings back lovely memories. Yes, Dahl Bati is an excellent culinary delight. Earthy to the core both in the simple healthy ingredients used and the manner of preparation. Eaten and enjoyed during the winter months in India, especially in the Rajasthan region by families, friends sitting together around a camp fire and singing folk songs-sounds idealistic but its true.