Chana Dal Puri / Paratha

My husband had lived in Bihar decades ago, for about a year and seems to have traveled extensively through the area. Through the casual conversations we had over the years, I had known that he had first hand experience of good, authentic Bihari food at his friends' houses cooked by generous hostesses. I thought he may throw some ideas at me for today's post other than litti - choka and went asking him whether he would like to try some Bihari food. My husband had of course a question mark on his face for that particular out of the blue question. And he wanted to know why I was being so generous offering him choices. I had to mention about the marathon and asked if he has any suggestions, the only thing he remembered were sattu and littis. Of course the man would remember the gastronomic experiences but not the recipe names, I should have known. 

I wanted to particularly stay away from the predictable sattu and litti for this marathon. And so I diverted back my attention to online sources and found these Chana dal puris that are said to be a part of festivities in Bihar. These nutritious, filling are served with rice kheer and chutney. The pooris are stuffed with a spicy chana dal filling while rolling and then fried. They can be eaten with a pickle on side but remember to prepare the stuffing spicier than you can handle. The outer layer of poori is bland and will take away the heat quotient from the stuffing. I have given the method for dal puris below though I fried only a couple of pooris and made parathas with the rest of the dough and filling. 

Ingredients for 12 puris:
1.5 cups wheat flour / atta
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
3/4 cup chana dal / Bengal gram
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 small bay leaf
1 - 2 green chillies finely minced
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Minced cilantro
Oil to fry pooris / toast parathas

Method:
* Combine flour, salt and 1 tbsp oil in a mixing bowl. Add enough water and form a soft, pliable dough. Let it rest for at least an hour. * Cook chana dal  until soft in a pressure cooker. If cooking in a sauce pan, soak chana dal in water for about 3 to 4 hours to facilitate quick cooking. After the dal is cooked, drain and keep it aside.
* Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add bay leaf and green chillies. Saute for a few seconds and all the spice powders. Saute for few seconds. Then add chana dal and salt. Mash the cooked chana dal well with the back of a ladl and stir until the spices get incorporated. Sprinkle with cilantro, mix once again and keep it aside.

* Make 12 equal portions from the dough. Roll each portion into a ball and roll out into a 3 inch circle. Place a lime sized filling at the center of the rolled out circle.

* Bring the ends of the rolled out dough circle together so that the filling is enclosed within the dough covering. Roll out again taking care that the filling is not spilled outside.

* Heat oil to deep fry. Gently drop the rolled out stuffed pooris into the hot oil.

* Fry until golden brown on both sides, remove it with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent towels.
* Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls.

Check here to know what other marathoners are cooking.

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