Diwali Faral - Chakli (Bhajani)

Whew! It was difficult to make this chakali. I had decided when I started this blogs that I won't be taking shortcuts. I need to know the very basics of everything. Hats off! To all the women of yore who would do this regularly. They didn't have electric grinders either. They would grind all their grain on the stone grinders and must have had to spend considerable time just sweating over it! Gawd!

Yet, I loved the whole process. It gave me immense satisfaction to say the least, especially when my husband and my daughter ate my chaklis with gusto. I am however going to post this recipe in two parts. Here I am only going to outline the recipe for bhajni. If you are going for the  store bought bhajni then just go for the next post.

You do not have to go to the lengths I did. Just go and get bhajani peeth (Bhajani Flour) from any of your local shop. I am sure they will stock this now that Diwali is coming close. If you are as adventurous as I am, and prepared to face swollen hands the next day, by all means, go right ahead. Follow my recipe.

Ingredients

• 500 g rice 
• 250 g  split chickpeas (chana dal)
• 250 g split black gram (urad dal)
• 250 g sago (sabudana)
• 200 g split green gram (moong dal)
• 100 g split yellow lentils (toor dal)
• 30 g coriander seeds (dhania seeds)
• 30 g cumin seeds (jeera)
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds (til)

The grains drying in the sun in my window

1.  Wash all the grains separately to remove the fine powder coating on them. Dry them individually under the sun if possible. If not you can dry them under ceiling fans as well. Dry them completely.
2. Dry roast the grains separately. Keep them separate. Put the coriander seeds and cumin seeds and sesame seeds on any of the hot grain, so they get just warmed. You don't have to roast them.
3. If you have an electric grinder (gharghanti), then first grind the split chickpeas. Then grind the sago. Then grind everything else in any order.
4. If you have to go to your flour mill, then you can combine all ingredients except sago and chana dal, and ask for them to be ground first. 
5. Do not, under any circumstance, attempt to powder them in your blender. You will not get a fine enough flour for the chakalis.

The various grains required. Also the caption next to the grains Live, Work, Play is my husband's idea.

 Happy Cooking!