Dal bhari puri as my nani would always call it, is an Indian bread filled with a chana dal stuffing. The dal is first pressure cooked, then tempered with garlic, chilies, cumin seeds and then stuffed inside a whole wheat dough and deep fried. This puri is especially made in states of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh in Indian for special occasions and festivities.
A dish rooted in culture!
My nani used to tell me that when a new bride arrived at her in-laws’ home for the first time, dal puri with rice kheer was prepared to welcome her. She said it was always made for the daughter-in-law. I didn’t know how to cook back then, but I loved listening to her stories. My family is from eastern Uttar Pradesh and my nani was from a small town right at the border of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
My mom used to make dal bhari puri occasionally for Holi or sometimes for Raksha Bandhan. She also made it for us when my husband and I bought our first home in the U.S. and moved in. The dish itself symbolizes prosperity and happiness.
I have very fond memories of relishing these hot puris with achaar (pickle) while simultaneously complaining about how the filling was all over my plate, just like in sattu paratha. We also used to carry these puris for our long train journeys. Since the filling is just lentil and it is fried, it doesn’t get spoiled easily and would stay good at room temperature even during summers in India!
Hope you guys make these puris for your next special meal and enjoy it along with my simple matar paneer, and chilled kheer.
Let’s Make Dal Puri
- Knead a tight dough
The dough for this puri is just basic atta, salt, a little bit of ajwain and oil and water. Make sure to knead a tight dough as compared to a roti dough which is soft.
- Cook and mash the dal next!
First cook the chana dal with salt, turmeric and chilli powder in a pressure cooker. The goal here is to not overcook it, but just until cooked. Then drain all the water and transfer it to a plate and mash. Some chunks are okay, we are not looking for a pasty consistency.
- Spice up the dal!
The chana dal filling gets its flavor from cumin seeds, garlic, dried chili, green chilies, hing and fresh cilantro.
- Now it’s time to roll!
Once the dough and the filling is ready, then is time to roll the dough into puris. Roll a smooth ball from the dough (no cracks) , flatted and then stuff it with the prepared filling. Do not overfill.
- Make sure the stuffing doesn’t come out
The stuffing will be all over in your kadai once you fry it if you are not careful about this step. Pinch the edges to seal the dough and then gently use you hands to flatten the dough. I roll it a little just using my hands.
- These puris are slightly bigger than your regular puris!
I make them around 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Make sure to roll the puris evenly.
- Oil temperature is important while frying
Carefully drop puris into hot oil. Immediately start pressing the top side with a spatula, this helps in the puri puffing up. Make sure the oil is hot, else puris absorb a lot of oil. Fry each side for just around 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Important things to keep in mind
- The dough should be smooth yet firm. This way the puri will be easier to roll without applying any excess flour, it will also hold its shape and absorb less oil.
- The temperature of oil should be hot, around 375 F degrees in ideal. Low temperature will result in puri that absorb a lot of oil.
- Do not overfill the puris, 1-2 tablespoons per puri is sufficient. Else the filling will ooze out when you fry the puris.
- Roll the puris gently, do not apply too much pressure while rolling the puris else they will tear.
Dal Puri (Chana Dal Puri Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal, 190 grams , soaked for an hour
For the dough
- 2 cups atta, 260 grams
- ⅛ teaspoon ajwain
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil, 15 ml , I used avocado oil
- water, to knead the dough, around ¾ cup
Dal Filling
- 2 cups water, for pressure cooking the dal
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 & ½ tablespoon oil, 22 ml , I used avocado oil
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1-2 green chilies, chopped, adjust to taste
- 1 dried red chili, broken
- 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- oil, to fry the puris, I used avocado oil
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup chana dal twice and then soak it in enough water for 1 hour. Do this step first.
- To make the dough- take a large paraat/plate and add 2 cups atta (260 grams) to it along with ⅛ teaspoon ajwain, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix everything with your hands. Now, start adding water little by little to bring the dough together and then knead using your knuckles and wrist into a smooth yet firm dough. I used around ¾ cup water for this, but it may vary depending on the flour type. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest 30 minutes.
- After the chana dal has soaked, now drain the water using a strainer. Transfer the dal to a pressure cooker, add 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon chili powder. Stir with a spoon and then close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook on medium-high heat for 3 whistles, then lower the heat and cook 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and wait for the pressure to come down.
- Then drain the dal using a strainer to get rid of any excess moisture. Transfer the dal to a bowl and mash it slightly using a potato masher.
- Now, put a pan on medium heat and add 1 & ½ tablespoons oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them sizzle, then add ¼ teaspoon hing, 1 teaspoon minced ginger and garlic each, 1 green chili, and 1 broken dried red chili. Cook for a few seconds until the garlic and ginger start changing color.
- Then add the cooked and mashed dal, mix well using a spatula, cook for the dal with the tempering for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat. Then add 2-3 tablespoons cilantro (chopped) and mix. The filling is ready.
Make puris
- Take a small dough ball (around 45-50 grams), and smoothen it out by rolling between your palm. Now, flatten it and press with your thumb to make a notch in the center. Fill with 1-2 tablespoons of the prepared dal filling.
- Bring the edges together with your fingers and seal the dough. Now press it down to flatten it. Then pat and roll it a little using your hands. Then carefully roll it into a circle, around 5 inches in diameter. Be careful while rolling, roll it gently so that the puris don't tear up.
- Heat oil in a kadai on high heat (around 375 F degrees). Once the oil is hot (to check you can slide a piece of dough in the oil it should come up immediately, the oil is ready to fry at this point), gently slide a rolled puri into the hot oil.
- Press it with a spatula immediately while moving it in a circular motion- this helps the puri puff. Fry on one side for around 30 seconds, then flip and fry the second side as well until golden brown from both sides. Fry all puris similarly.
- Enjoy with rice kheer for a festive meal.
Notes
- I have never tried any other dal in the filling since dal puri was only made with chana dal in my home but urad dal will be nice too, just like in my dal kachori.
- You can use any flavorless oil to fry the puris.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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