Bafauri (Steamed Chana Dal Dumplings)
Chhattisgarh's oil-free answer to pakoras: coarsely ground chana dal with onion and herbs, steamed into small dumplings, then tossed in a light tempering.
- Region
- Chhattisgarh
- Status
- Traditional
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Soak 4 h · Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min
- Serves
- 3 (about 8 pieces each)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Good for
- Tea-time, tiffin, lower-fat snacking
- Tags
- Good source · High fibre · Lower-fat · Dairy-free · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free* · No added sugar · Meal-prep friendly
- Allergens
- Sesame
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 205 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Headline values are per serving, as written.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per serving | 205 | 12 g | 26 g | 5 g | 1 g | 9 g | 2 g | 5.5 g |
Good source — protein is 11.7 g before rounding, just under the 12 g mark. With 75 g hung-curd mint dip: 275 kcal, 16 g protein (High protein). Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 150 g chana dal
- 60 g onion, finely chopped · 2 green chillies · 10 g ginger · 3 tbsp coriander · ½ tsp cumin · ¼ tsp ajwain · 4 g salt
- Tempering (optional): 6 g groundnut oil · ½ tsp mustard seeds · 5 g sesame seeds · 8 curry leaves
Method
- Soak chana dal 4 hours. Drain well.
- Grind coarsely with chillies and ginger, without water, to a thick, grainy paste.
- Mix in onion, coriander, cumin, ajwain and salt.
- Shape into small balls or flattened ovals, about 20 g each, with wet hands.
- Steam on a greased plate or idli stand for 12–15 minutes, until firm and a skewer comes out clean.
- For the tempering, heat oil; add mustard, sesame and curry leaves, then toss the bafauri for 1 minute. Serve with tomato or coriander chutney.
Protein optimisation
- Chana dal supplies 10.5 g per serving.
- Boost: serve with 75 g hung-curd mint dip (+4 g protein, +70 kcal), or replace 30 g chana dal with 30 g moong dal (similar protein, softer texture).
Variations, serving and storage
- Shape variation: roll into finger-length logs before steaming, then slice and temper with sesame and dry red chillies.
- Substitution: mixed chana and moong dal.
- Storage: 2 days refrigerated; re-steam or toss in a hot pan.
- Food safety: refrigerate within 2 hours.
- Meal prep: excellent; freezes well for 1 month.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com