Steamed Chana Dal Lentil Bafauri

Bafauri is an easy-to-make chana dal dish. Cooking lentils in a steamer makes it a healthy Indian evening snack. Try this vegan Indian snack recipe from the Bhojpuri cuisine today! It's a healthy alternative to fried pakoras, low in calories, high in protein, vegan & very delicious!

It comes from the Bhojpuri cuisine

I am so thrilled to have discovered this recipe from Chhattisgarh (a state in the center-east of India)! Steamed Bafauri is an easy to make vegan snack recipe from the Bhojpuri cuisine. They make this during festivals in Chhattisgarh. I stumbled upon this recipe while exploring through different Indian and International cuisines.

Thanks to this quest of mine, I have come across many such amazing recipes that may be long forgotten today or are only made in some households and no one else has ever heard or got to taste it. This makes me want to recreate that recipe all the more and help spread the word that such an appetizing recipe exists.

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Chhattisgarh Bhojpuri Cuisine

Until now, I only knew that Chhattisgarh has a rich heritage and that it's known for its ancient temples, dense forests, and mesmerizing waterfalls. But when I began to read about their cuisine, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a healthy mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes. There is also some tribal influence in their cooking.

I was pleased to find out that rice-based dishes are rampant in this cuisine which made me want to explore this cuisine even more. Each and every authentic recipe from this part of India has intrigued me and now I want to try them all in my kitchen. However, it was Bafauri that caught my eye first!

It's a healthy Indian evening snack

• It's a high protein vegan snack made with chana dal lentils.
• It's also high in fiber and carbs plus low in calories. Great for health-conscious people.
• Its a steamed dish so all the nutrients are intact and that makes it a zero-oil, low-fat recipe. 
• It's plant-based, nut-free and gluten-free. 
• It is a toothsome and wholesome snack that can be made under 30 minutes using basic pantry staples.
• Suitable for kids as well.
• It is a very fine alternative to the oily pakoras. 

How to cook lentils

Cooking lentils need not be very overwhelming. In fact, it is very easy to cook lentils. For today's recipe, we need chana dal. It is very nutritious and easy to digest. Cooking them can be divided into 3 main steps.

• Rinse -  using a fine-mesh sieve under the faucet. While rinsing, make sure to pick out any bad lentils, debris or small stones which can sometimes sneak in.
• Soak - Lentils do not require it like other legumes and beans but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Depending on the recipe, they can be soaked for as little as 15 minutes to 8 hours.
• Cook - Lentils are very versatile and you can cook them using any cooking method. Here are some examples.
  • You can make a crunchy snack.
  • Cook it in an Instant pot to make the Indian Dal. 
  • Steam them to make Bafauri or Spicy & Steamed Vegan Lentil Balls.
  • Use them to make pancakes. 
  • Mix them with other veggies to create a hearty meal. 
  • Use them to make fried fritters.
  • Can use them to bake savory donuts.

Some Indian snack recipes with lentils for you

• Crispy Moong Dal Pakora
• Baked Lentil Donuts (Dahi Vada) in Yogurt Sauce
• Spicy Quinoa & Red Pumpkin Adai | Lentil Dosa
• Kale Adai | Kale & Lentil Savory Pancakes

Recipe to make Steamed Bafauri

This is a lentil-based Indian snack recipe and we will be cooking lentils a bit differently here. 

1. Soak chana dal/split chickpeas for 3-4 hours.
   • Drain the water and grind it to a smooth paste. Add little water while grinding if required.
   • Transfer this paste to a mixing bowl. It should resemble a thick lumpy paste.
2. Then add finely chopped green chillies.
3. Next, add sweet pea leaves and cilantro.
4. Add chopped onions, ginger and garlic.
5. Followed by baking soda, turmeric powder, chilly powder, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt.
6. Then add oil and water, mix and prepare a thick batter.
   • Grease your steamer plate with some cooking spray if you want. I used an Idli cooker for this recipe.
   • Pour a spoonful of the batter into each mold and steam these cakes for 20-30 minutes on medium flame. Once done, open the steamer and de-mold the bafauri carefully.

Serving suggestions

Serve it with some spicy green chutney or ketchup along with your evening tea/coffee. This Indian snack recipe makes a great tea time vegetarian snack which also works as a pre/post-workout snack. I like to even have it for breakfast. 

Tips to make this veggie snack

• Chana dal is the lentil to be used here. The English name of which is Indian split yellow chickpea lentils. You can find this daal in any grocery store. It's available on Amazon as well. You can experiment with other lentils too. 
• You can substitute Indian green chillies to jalapenos. Remove the seeds from inside to reduce the spice level. The traditional recipe does not call for any other greens other than cilantro. But I like to add greens to make it even more nourishing. You can add any greens you have like spinach or kale. You can even skip adding any greens but cilantro. Carom seeds or ajwain have a distinct taste and is a good spice to have in your pantry. It's an excellent digestive with a rich aroma. You can find it on Amazon or in an Indian grocery store. 
• Why add baking soda to batter - Baking powder and baking soda are both leavening agents. They lighten the batter by adding tiny bubbles of gas. Add only enough water to make it resemble a very thick batter. 
• You can use any steamer available to you. I use an Idli cooker. But you can also steam bafauri in an Instant pot. The timings may vary depending upon the steamer and temperature. But approximately, it could take from 20 - 30 minutes for it to cook completely.
• You can give it any shape you want. Steamed and fried Bafauri stays good for 4-5 days when stored in the fridge. You can also make the batter a day before and store it. If you notice the batter becomes a bit watery, add some chickpea flour to thicken it. 
• You can enjoy this veggie snack once they are steamed or go a step further and turn it into a fried snack. Remove them on a serving plate. Cut them into medium size chunks. Fry or shallow-fry them in hot oil. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, and roasted peanuts in a teaspoon of oil and add the fried bafauri to it.  Lightly toss it all together and serve. 

If you’ve tried this Steamed Bafauri or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how it went by commenting below, I love hearing from you!

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Steamed Bafauri - A Healthy Snack

Bafauri is an easy-to-make chana dal dish. Cooking lentils in a steamer makes it a healthy Indian evening snack. Try this vegan Indian snack recipe from the Bhojpuri cuisine today! It's a healthy alternative to fried pakoras, low in calories, high in protein, vegan & very delicious!

4.41 from 15 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Bhojpuri, Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Soaking time: 4 hours

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 198.43kcal

Author: Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Idli cooker

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.5 cups chana dal/split chickpeas
• ▢ 1 onion
• ▢ 5-6 bulbs garlic
• ▢ 1 inch ginger
• ▢ 2 green chillies
• ▢ 1 tsp chilly powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp ajwain/carom seeds
• ▢ 1 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ▢ 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped sweet pea leaves
• ▢ 1 tbsp oil
• ▢ water as required
• ▢ salt as required

Instructions

• Soak chana dal/split chickpeas for 3-4 hours.
• Drain the water and grind it to a smooth paste.
• Add little water while grinding if required.
• Transfer this paste to a mixing bowl.
• It should resemble a thick lumpy paste.
• Then add finely chopped green chillies.
• Next, add sweet pea leaves and cilantro.
• Add chopped onions, ginger and garlic.
• Followed by baking soda, turmeric powder, chilly powder, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt.
• Then add oil and water, mix and prepare a thick batter.
• Grease your steamer plate with some cooking spray if you want. I used an Idli cooker for this recipe.
• Pour a spoonful of the batter into each mold and steam these cakes for 20-30 minutes on medium flame.
• Once done, open the steamer and de-mold the bafauri carefully.
• Serve it with some spicy green chutney or ketchup along with your evening tea/coffee.

Notes

• Chana dal is the lentil to be used here. The English name of which is Indian split yellow chickpea lentils. You can find this daal in any grocery store. It's available on Amazon as well. You can experiment with other lentils too. 
• You can substitute Indian green chillies to jalapenos. Remove the seeds from inside to reduce the spice level.
• The traditional recipe does not call for any other greens other than cilantro. But I like to add greens to make it even more nourishing. You can add any greens you have like spinach or kale. You can even skip adding any greens but cilantro. 
• Carom seeds or ajwain have a distinct taste and is a good spice to have in your pantry. It's an excellent digestive with a rich aroma. You can find it on Amazon or in an Indian grocery store. Add it to savory fritters, crepes, waffles, paratha, Chickpeas stir fry, etc. 
• Why add baking soda to batter - Baking powder and baking soda are both leavening agents. They lighten the batter by adding tiny bubbles of gas. 
• Add only enough water to make it resemble a very thick batter. 
• You can use any steamer available to you. I use an Idli cooker. But you can also steam bafauri in an Instant pot. The timings may vary depending upon the steamer and temperature. But approximately, it could take from 20 - 30 minutes for it to cook completely.
• You can give it any shape you want. 
• You can enjoy this veggie snack once they are steamed or go a step further and turn it into a fried snack. Remove them on a serving plate. Cut them into medium size chunks. Fry or shallow-fry them in hot oil. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, and roasted peanuts in a teaspoon of oil and add the fried bafauri to it.  Lightly toss it all together and serve. 
• Steamed and fried Bafauri stays good for 4-5 days when stored in the fridge. You can also make the batter a day before and store it. If you notice the batter becomes a bit watery, add some chickpea flour to thicken it. 
•  

Nutrition

Calories: 198.43kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.76g | Protein: 7.83g | Fat: 4.59g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 268.96mg | Potassium: 55.63mg | Fiber: 13.01g | Sugar: 2.36g | Vitamin A: 393.24IU | Vitamin C: 4.36mg | Calcium: 86.7mg | Iron: 2.1mg

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