Dal Pakwan is a popular Sindhi Breakfast dish. It is
basically a flavored crisp fried snacks (Pakwan) served with a spicy dal (
Chana dal / Bengal gram) topped with a sweet and tangy Dates and Tamarind Chutney.
Doesn’t this combo sound delicious ? This snacks is indeed very tasty and i generally make it as my Sunday brunch .
Pakwan is usually made with refined flour but I have added
the whole wheat flour and plain flour in equal quantities. Also have added suji
which make the pakwan more crispy. Pakwan get flavors from the Cumin seeds and
crushed black pepper and addition of ghee and milk while kneading the dough
imparts a nice texture and rich taste to the pakwan.
The dal which is served with pakwan is a simple cooked chana
dal ( Bengal gram) which is spiced up with green chilies and spice powders .
Dry mango powder (Amchur) powder gives a slight tangy tasty to the dal. This
dal is onion garlic free.
Dal Pakwan serves one of the best menus for brunch and kitty
Parties . Can also be served for lunch or as an after school snacks for kids .
A lip smacking tamarind and dates chutney is drizzled on the dal along with
finely chopped onions while serving. Usually a green Coriander Chutney is also served. All in all , Dal Pakwan is an irresistible dish and tastes
awesome when had with our loved ones :)
Ingredients
For the Dal :
- 1 cup
Bengal gram / Chana Dal
- 1/2
tsp Turmeric powder / Haldi
- Pinch
of Asafoetida / Hing
- 1 tsp
red chilly powder
- 1 tsp
of dry mango powder / Aamchur powder
- 1/2
tsp of roasted Cumin powder
- 1/2
tsp garam masala
- 2-3
split green Chilies
- 1/2
tsp Cumin seeds
- 1-2
tbsp of finely chopped Coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp
of clarified Butter / Ghee
- 1/2
inch root Ginger (made into juliennes) (optional)
- Salt to taste
For the Pakwan:
- 1/2
cup Whole wheat flour
- 1/2
cup Refined flour / Maida
- 2 tbsp
of Semolina / Suji
- 1/2
tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2
tsp crushed Black Pepper
- 1-2
tsp of clarified Butter / Ghee
- Salt
to taste
- 1/3
cup milk or water for kneading or as required.
- Oil for deep frying
For serving:
- 1/2
cup finely chopped Onions
- Dates and Tamrind Chutney / Khajur Imly Chutney
- Coriander chutney
For making the Dal :
- Rinse the dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 3-4 hours. Soaking reduces the cooking time.
2. In a
pressure pan add the soaked dal with 1 1/2 cup of water , turmeric powder
, asafoetida powder and few drops of ghee. Pressure cook the dal for 2-3
whistles. You can also cook the dal in an open vessel. The dal should be
cooked well but the grains should be separate.
3. Menwhile in a
mixing bowl , take the whole wheat flour , refined flour and suji. Mix the
flours, to this add the ghee , salt , cumin seeds and black pepper powder.
Using milk or water knead the flour into a firm dough.
4. Cover and keep the dough for 10 minutes.
5. By this time our dal must be cooked. Let
the pressure cooker cool down completely before opening the lid. Transfer
the dal to a pan or wok. Add salt and spice powders to the dal and stir
well. Add 1 cup water or as per requirement. Simmer the dal on low flame for 5-7 minutes or
till the desired consistency is attained. The dal thickens on cooling, so
adjust accordingly.
6. Knead the dough which is resting for 10 minutes for a few seconds. Make
gooseberry size balls and roll out each ball into a 5 inch
diameter disc or circle. Prick the disk all over with fork. This is to
limit the puri from puffing up and thus become more crispy.
7. Repeat
the same for rest of the dough. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Deep fry the
pakwan in it until they become golden brown from both sides. Allow the pakwan to drain on an absorbent paper
to remove excess oil. The pakwan become crisp on cooling. Transfer them to an
air tight container, once they cool down.
8. Now our dal which is on simmer for 7 minutes , is thick enough .In
another pan heat ghee on a low to medium flame. Add cumin seeds to it.
Once the seeds crackle , add the split green chilies and saute for about
30 seconds. Put off the flame. Pour this tempering over the dal. Give a
quick stir. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and ginger
juliennes.
9. Serve
the crispy pakwan with hot dal along with finely chopped onions and Khajur Imli Chutney / Dates and Tamarind Chutney and enjoy this tasty sindhi dish with your loved ones !
Notes:
- The
pakwan last upto 15 days in an air tight container at room temperature.
Apart from having them with this dal , they can also be had as it is as
tea time snacks.
- The
dal can be served along with roti , paratha or rice, if you do not want to
have deep fried pakwan with it.
For more such recipes, do check my posts on
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