Bihari Chana Dal puri Recipe

Heat a skillet and pour in one and a half cups of water and add a cup of soaked chana dal to it and set the flame in high mode. Tip in a little turmeric powder along with a pinch of salt. Pop the lid on and let it boil for about five to seven minutes approximately.

Stir in between as you can open the lid anytime unlike pressure cooker. Just after seven to eight minutes approximately, lower the flame and open the lid. Take a spoon and pull out a few chana dal and check with your fingers by pressing it to see whether it has been boiled well. if it mashes under your fingers, turn off the flame and drop in the boiled chana dhal in a colander to get rid of excess water.

Meanwhile, make the dough to make puris as it may need some resting time. Take a cup of wheat flour in a bowl and dust off a little salt to it. Pour in enough warm water to make a smooth dough. Add a little ghee and knead well for a minute or two and make a smooth dough. Close it with a damp white muslin cloth and let it remain for five minutes.

Heat the skillet again and tip in a teaspoon of mustard oil to it. Throw in some cumin seeds and let it splutter. Plop in a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste with a nice stir. Add the measured quantities of red chili, coriander, turmeric, cumin, pepper powders to it along with a pinch of salt. Now add the boiled chana dal and stir in for a while. Scatter some coriander leaves and turn off the flame. When it cools down, drop it into a blender and make a coarse powder out of it. Now the stuffing for the puri is ready.

Take the atta dough and give a final knead to ensure whether it is completely smooth and supple. Make small balls out of it and keep aside. Take a dough ball and make small katori shape out of with with your fingers. Fill up the dumpling with a tablespoon of chana dal mixture and keep folding the edges in the circular motion as you would do for a momo. But here you have to close the mould without foldings at all. Make it as a ball again and knead it gently in a chakla using a belan and keep aside. Make the other puri fillings too in the similar way.

Heat oil in a wok and when it reaches the right temperature, drop in a stuffed puri base into the oil and gently splash in the oil from the sides towards the puri to puff up. When one side gets roasted well, flip to the other side and wait for a second. When the whole puri turns golden brown, take it off from the oil using a slotted spoon and place it over a bowl covered with a paper towel. Similarly, make the other puris and turn off the flame.

Serve it hot with the traditional accompaniment kheer and enjoy the smile from your guest's face.