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Where to Eat Dal Baati Churma in Udaipur

What dal baati churma is, how it's made and eaten, and the best places in Udaipur to try Mewar's signature meal.

By the Shades of Udaipur team Published 2 min read
A metal thali with dal, vegetables and sides
A metal thali with dal, vegetables and sides. Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Quick answer

Dal baati churma is Mewar's signature meal: hard-baked wheat balls (baati) dipped in ghee, broken into spiced lentils (dal), with sweet crumbled churma on the side. In Udaipur, try it at Krishna Dal Bati Restro, Natraj Dining Hall's unlimited thali, or Poppy by Royal Repast for a keema baati twist.

Key facts

  • Baati: wheat dough balls baked over coals or in an oven
  • Dal: usually panchmel (five lentils)
  • Churma: crushed baati with ghee and sugar or jaggery
  • Eaten with the hands, by breaking the baati into the dal

If Mewar had one dish, it would be this. Dal baati churma was soldiers’ food: baati could be buried in the sand to bake in the sun and survive long campaigns. Today it’s the centre of every celebration meal.

The three parts

  • Baati. Hard, round wheat-flour dumplings, baked over cow-dung coals or in an oven until crusty, then cracked open and soaked in ghee.
  • Dal. Usually panchmel dal, made with five lentils and tempered with ghee, cumin and chilli.
  • Churma. Baati crushed with ghee and sugar or jaggery, sometimes with cardamom and dry fruit. Sweet, rich and crumbly.

How to eat it

  1. Break a baati open with your fingers.
  2. Pour ghee and a ladle of dal over it.
  3. Mash it slightly and eat with your right hand.
  4. Take a little churma between bites to balance the spice.

Where to eat it in Udaipur

  • Krishna Dal Bati Restro. Where locals send you for dal baati churma.
  • Natraj Dining Hall, near the railway station. Unlimited vegetarian thali with dal baati, ker sangri, gatte and churma, served fast and hot. See Rajasthani thali.
  • Poppy by Royal Repast, near Chetak Circle. Try the keema baati for a meaty twist.
  • Heritage hotels often serve it as part of a Rajasthani dinner.

Variations

  • Bafla: baati boiled before baking, softer inside.
  • Masala baati: stuffed with spiced peas or potato.
  • Keema baati: stuffed with minced meat.

Make it yourself

Learn it in a family kitchen in our cooking class guide. More dishes in the Udaipur food guide.

A cook at work in a kitchen
A cook at work in a kitchen. Photo by Sanjeev Malhotra on Unsplash

Frequently asked questions

What is dal baati churma?

A Rajasthani meal of baked wheat balls (baati) served with spiced lentils (dal) and a sweet crumble (churma).

How do you eat dal baati?

Break the baati with your fingers, pour ghee and dal over it, mash a little and eat with your hand. Take churma between bites.

Where is the best dal baati in Udaipur?

Locals usually point to Krishna Dal Bati Restro. Natraj Dining Hall includes it in its unlimited thali.

Written by the Shades of Udaipur team, who have been sharing Udaipur's food, festivals and hidden corners since 2016. Prices and timings change; if something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.

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