Method

• Wash and soak urad dal four hours or more. Drain the water. Blend dal coarsely into a thick paste, preferably in a food processor, using as little water as possible.
• In a bowl mix all the spices. Add to the flour and mix well.
• Add the dal paste (pithi) to the flour and form into a soft dough using lukewarm water as needed. Dough will be a little sticky. Grease your palm. Spread one teaspoon of oil over the dough and knead for one minute. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it sit half an hour or more.
• Oil your palm and knead the dough again and divide into eight equal parts. Oil palm again and roll the eight parts into smooth balls. Set aside five minutes.
• Oil the rolling pin and rolling surface. Roll the balls gently into 6” circles.
• You can roll two or three puris before start frying, but do not roll all the puris at once or they will begin to dry out and fail to puff.
• Heat at least one of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. To test, place a small piece of dough in the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the dough will rise quickly to the top.
• Fry one puri at a time. Place the puri in the frying pan and press with a skimmer. The puri should puff up. Turn puri over and cook until light golden brown on both sides. Take the puri out and place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the process for remaining piries.
• Urad dal puris are best served hot and crisp. Store in a covered container after they cool to room temperature.