Dal Puri is a traditional and authentic Bihari cuisine made during Dussehra in our home. This is also called "Chana Dal Puri" which is basically a stuffed paratha made with minimal ingredients. It is a simple and tasty dish whish is usually served with `Bakheer`, a traditional Payasam of Bihar, during pujas. Chana Dal Puri is made on Dussehra, Holi, wedding, during winter or on any auspicious occasion or celebration. Dal Puri can also be served with normal kheer, seviyan, curd, pickle or only tea.
Preparation of Dal Puri
Boiled and mashed chana dal with minimal ingredients are stuffed and rolled as paratha and cooked.
Ingredients for Dal Stuffing:
•Chana Dal - 2 cups
•Salt as per taste
•Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
•Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tbsp
•Dry Red Chilli - 8 to 10
•Asafoetida - 1 pinch
•Green chilli - 4 minced
•Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
•Bay leaf - 1
•Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
•Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp minced
•Oil - 1 tbsp for tempering
Ingredients for Dough:
•Wheat Flour - 4 cups
•Salt - 1 tsp
•Ghee - 2 tbsp + for frying
•Water as required
Method:
1. Soak chana dal for over night. Wash the dal and pressure cook for 4 whistles with salt to taste, turmeric powder and water just covering dal. Ensure that the dal is cooked, but firm.
2. Once pressure released, strain dal in a strainer and keep aside.
3. In a pan dry roast cumin seeds and dry red chillies until golden brown and aromatic. Keep aside and allow it to cool and grind to fine powder.
4. Now grind the cooked dal to a fine crumble. Do not add any water as the dal should be like wet powder consistency and not like paste.
5. Heat oil in a wok; add asafoetida and bay leaf. Next add the minced green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and the crumbled daal.
6. Add salt as per taste, garam masala, roasted cumin and chilli powder and coriander leaves. Mix well and keep it aside to cool completely.
7. Transfer everything in a bowl. Discard the bay leaf and divide into equal portions.
8. For dough in a bowl take flour, salt, 2 tbsp oil and mix well, add water in small quantity and make soft dough.
9. Divide dough into equal portions of dal stuffing we have or around 15-18 portions.
10. Take one pieces of dough and make into smooth ball, flatten, dust with flour and roll into small puri or roti.
11. Keep one portion of stuffing in center and bring puri edges together to seal it well, pinch off if any excess dough.
12. Shape gently into ball again, flatten it, dust with flour and roll very gently into paratha. Repeat same for rest of dough and stuffing.
13. Heat a tawa and place puri cook in medium flame until bubbles starts to appear, turn puri and apply ghee generously.
14. Flip puri to another side and apply ghee again. Cook each side 1 minute in slow to medium flame or until both sides gets light brown patches. Repeat same for rest of puri.
15. Server hot, warm or even cold.
Notes:
Dal shouldn"t get fully mashed, so take care of that and add less water than for normal dal cooking. Do it with care so paratha doesn"t get break leaving stuffing outside.
