Dal Pakwan (Sindhi Breakfast)
Dal Pakwan is an authentic breakfast delicacy in Sindhi homes. Crisp flavored puries known as Pakwan served with spicy dal topped with chutney.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 6-7 curry leaves
Pakwan (Crisp Puries known as Pakwan):
- 1 cup all purpose flour (maida/plain flour)
- 1/4 cup semolina (sooji)
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tablespoon oil
- Approx. 1/3 cup of water
- Oil to fry
Also need tamarind chutney for serving, check the recipe on my website
Instructions
Cooking Dal:
- Wash and soak chana dal for at least 2 hours in 3 cups of water.
- Drain the water and in pressure cooker add dal, 2-1/2 cups of water, salt, turmeric, green chili, and ginger, close the cooker and cook over medium high heat.
- As the pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker.
- Dal should be soft well-cooked but not mushy. Add black pepper, mango powder and garam masala, mix it well. Dal should be thick in consistency.
Seasoning
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready.
- Add cumin seeds, after seeds crack add curry leaves stir for few seconds and pour over dal mix it well and set aside. Curry leaves splatter be careful.
Pakwan
- Crisp Puries known as Pakwan: Mix flour, sooji, salt, cumin seeds, and oil. Add enough water to make firm dough. Knead the dough well.
- Set the dough aside and let it sit for at least 15 minutes or longer.
- Divide the dough in 10 equal parts, Roll the dough into about 5-inch diameter. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin or rolling surface, put couple of drops of oil on the rolling pin and a couple of drops of oil on the surface.
- Prick the rolled dough all over with a fork. This will limit puries from puffing and make them crisp.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. The frying pan should have at about 1 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should sizzle and come up slowly.
- Fry 2-3 puries at time until both sides are a light golden-brown.
- Transfer puries over paper towel, it will absorb the extra oil.
- After the puries cool to room temperature they should be crisp. Puries can be stored in airtight container for 1 month.
Notes
Serve Pakwan with hot dal with drizzle of tamarind chutney.