Churma/Choorma of Dal Bati Churma fame is a very popular Rajasthani Dessert served on special occasions.
Step by Step procedure of making Churma/Choorma at home
Royal Rajasthani delicacy of Dal Bati and Churma/Choorma is a part of any Rajasthani meal menu. This particular trio is synonymous to Rajasthani food. Churma is coarsely crushed bati served as part of Royal Rajasthani meal thali.
Bati is baked or fried unleavened dough ball made plain or stuffed and served with spicy Rajasthani Dal. It's a complete meal, choorma is crushed bati mixed with sugar and nuts and served as dessert.
Churma/Choorma for Saawan Special Menu
Saawan or Shravan is auspicious month in Hindu calendar. There are many festivals that we celebrate like Teej, Shivaratri(in western U.P) Raksha Bandhan, Janamashtami. Many people keep fasts and offer prasad or food mainly a sweet dish to The Divine .
In Western U.P from where I belong people make sweets and desserts like Chawal ki Kheer(Rice Pudding, Meethe Jave(Sweet Vermicelli Pudding), Ladoos made with Coconut , Kalakand Sooji Halwa or Besan Halwa. Ghever a very popular dessert is made during Saawan or monsoon months. It is quite tricky to make Ghevar at home , so many people prefer buying it from the traditional sweet shops.
Last year I tried making Ghevar, and was not quite happy with my results. Thinking of giving it a try again.. hopefully shall be able to post my Ghevar recipe soon this year!!
Festivals are associated with elaborate and rich meals. So if you are planning Teej special party or treating your loved ones this Raksha Bandhan with something different, include Churma in your menu.
Linking my Churma to my facebook group, Healthy Wellthy Cuisine, for the theme #SaawanSpeciaatHW.
What is Churma/Choorma
Churma is made with Whole Wheat Flour, Besan/Chickpea Flour or even with Cornmeal/Makkai Ka Atta and Bajra Flour. The most popular is with Whole Wheat flour.
Churma is also very popular in other North Indian States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. In Punjab it is known as Choori. As per state and region that way of making this dessert may differ.
Churma It is very nutritious especially for kids as it is made with whole wheat flour, nuts and ghee. Though calorie conscious people should consume it in limited portions. It is a high calorie dish that is made using desi ghee. To get the authentic Churma taste there is no compromise in adding ghee. No substitution with oil of any kind.
History of Churma
Dal Bati was considered as wartime meal. I will cover the history in my Dal Bati post. Churma was discovered by chance when one of the chef of the royals accidently dropped baatis in sugarcane juice. The plain baatis that were served with Dal became sweet. This started the tradition of dropping batis in sweet juice, and thus evolved the tradition of serving sweet crushed baatis with spicy dal bati.
How to make Churma
Making Churma is very easy and baatis for Churma can be baked in oven or deep fried.
Many people like to fry dough balls(batis) and many like to make thick chapatis, bake and then make churma with it. I prefer the baking method.
To make Churma, whole wheat flour and semolina is mixed and kneaded into a soft dough with ghee and warm milk and cardamom for flavour. You can also add add dried edible rose petals for exotic lok and flavour.
There is another version of Churma.. Gulab Churma where Churma is flavoured with rose essence and petals.
Dough is then divided into portions, shaped in balls and then deep fried or shaped in thick chapatis and then baked.
Making Baatis for Churma
Fried or baked Batis or Chapatis are then crushed coarsely with hand or in food processor. It is then mixed with very fine sugar/boora and finely chopped nuts.
Making Churma from Baatis
One can also make ladoos with Churma. Add more ghee(warm) to coarse wheat, chop or grind nuts very finely and shape into balls/ladoos.
Let's see how to make the popular Whole Wheat Churma...
Churma/Choorma
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour/Atta
- ¼ Cup Semolina/Sooji
- 4+2 tbsp Ghee for kneading flour
- ½ Cup Fine or Powdered Sugar use as required
- ¼-½ tsp Cardamom Powder
- 1/2 Cup Mixed Nuts like Almonds, Cashew Nuts,Raisins
- ½ Cup Warm Milk/Water
- Dried Rose Petals for additional rose flavour optional and as required
Instructions
- Mix whole wheat flour/atta, semolina/sooji and ghee. Make a stiff dough using warm water or milk.
- Keep covered for atleast 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat oven at 400°F or 200°C
- Make the dough balls with a slight indent in between.
- Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.
- Once baked ansd brown, let it cool a bit.
- Crush baatis and mix with sugar,cardamom powder, chopped nuts and raisins and 2-3 tbsp of ghee.
- You can also add dried rose petals and essence for flavour.
- Kepp in an air-tight container, add warm ghee while serving.
To fry Baatis for Churma
- In a heavy bottomed pan or kadhai, add ghee, and fry baatis whn ghee is warm enough. Drop a tiny piece of dough in ghee, it should rise slowly. Frying baatis in very hot oil, will keep these raw from inside.
- Fry till baatis are light brown in color. Crush when cool or slight warm and mix with nuts and ghee.
Do give me your feedback about the post and recipe whenever you make it.
Check out what my fellow bloggers have cooked for Saawan Special..
Ragira Ladoos by Poonam
Badam Kheer and Meethe Pude by Shalu
Quinoa Payasam by Vanitha
Besan Kheer by Sasmita
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Thanks for stopping by and keep coming back!!
Sasmita Sahoo Samanta
Such a lovely presentation dear Swaty !! churma looks really delicious :0 Wanna dig into using a spoon 🙂
Shalu
Churma is signature dish of Rajasthani cuisine. Yours is looking so perfect and so inviting. Beautiful presentation Swaty!!
poonampagar
Dal Baati Churma is a signature dish of Rajasthan. You have done full justice to the Churma recipe. I also follow almost same method. We make this for Janmashtami . Loved your beautiful presentation here Swaty !