Bangladeshi Dal Poori-Red Lentil Savoury from Bangladesh

A post after quite a long time. I have been busy travelling for a week. Landed home last Sunday after a week long travelling. Not involving further on any off-topic conversation. Here’s a tummy satiating Bangladeshi styled Dal Poori or deep fried lentil stuffed flatbread.

Missed out sharing a post on the occasion of International Father’s Day on 16th June, 2016. Last night got some craving for these lentil stuffed pooris which are favourites of my Father and I.

As I was preparing the stuffing last night, childhood memories of eating those crunchy and soft pooris with my father had gotten me nostalgic.

Those memories took me back to good old days when my father who was posted in moffusil then use to get these pooris from a tiny food stall located in a by-lane of a busy commercial area in my hometown of Agartala whenever he was home on a short trip.

The best thing about my father was his love for street-side food like me unlike my Mom who was wary about street food which involved the hygiene and freshness.

That was one reason savoring our favourite street side savouries was a hush hush affair when Mom was around. 😀 😀

There is a similarity in Bangladeshi and Indian Dal Pooris. Of the Indian variations one goes by same name in the eastern state of Bihar, Bedmi Poori in many parts of the northern state of UP (areas of Benaras, Mathura or Agra) and Radhaballavi of West Bengal.

Thus the one vital ingredient common to both Bangladeshi and Indian versions of the dal poori is the spicy lentil stuffing (split black gram/urad dal, split bengal gram/chana dal, split pigeon peas/arhar dal or even red lentil/masoor dal stuffing).

Bangladeshi dal poori and Radhaballavi of West Bengal has all purpose flour as the main ingredient for the dough along with clarified butter/ghee. Although one can replace all purpose flour (APF) with wheat flour. Yet the taste is best when made with APF.

My home state of Tripura shares an international border with Bangladesh as such an advantage for us to relish authentic Bangal cuisines too since most of the local Bengali population has their roots in Bangladesh.

For this East Bengal styled dal pooris the lentil (red lentil/masoor dal) is washed and soaked in water before cooking. Then boiled with sliced onions, ginger and garlic paste, salt and spices in water.

Once done the cooked lentil is mashed with a spoon or ladle and fried in oil until dry mashed mixture is left with all the water drying up in the frying process.

The mixture is then shaped into small round balls and then placed on round and a flat disc shaped dough mixture which is then sealed by pulling and bringing the edges together and folding them. Gently reshaped into round balls.

These are then rolled into a flat and slightly thick round disc again. These flat pooris are deep fried in oil or clarified butter until lightly brown on both sides.

Once done these soft and crunchy pooris are served and eaten  with Aloor Dom or Potato curry or can be relished with a cup of tea in the evening.

In search of the typical dal poori recipe, I google searched and came across this particular blog which has used red lentils.

Since I wanted the same taste, I tweaked some ingredients for the exact tasty  dal pooris of that humble and tiny food stall back in my hometown.

Much delighted that my son and hubby enjoyed them fully along with few close family friends.

Bangladeshi Dal Poori

Ingredients

For Stuffing

1 cup (250 ml) Red Lentils/Masoor Dal

1 medium size Onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp Ginger, grated

1 tsp Garlic, grated

1/3 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli/Pepper powder

1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera powder

Salt

For Dough

2 cups (480 ml) All Purpose Flour/Maida

2 Tbsp white Oil

A pinch of turmeric (optional)

A pinch of salt

Water

For Tempering and Deep frying

1 Tbsp Oil for tempering

1 Tbsp Clarified Butter/Ghee

 1 tsp Carom seeds/Ajwain

Oil for Deep frying

Method

1.In a heavy-bottomed pot or pan bring the pre-soaked lentils to a boil with enough water to cover the lentils along with the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Boil and cook uncovered on medium heat until the lentils are done properly. Occasionally stir in to avoid burning the lentils at the bottom. Mash the mixture with a spoon or ladle and keep aside.

2.In a wok or separate pan heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp clarified butter/ghee on medium heat, add the carom seeds/ajwain. Once the seeds turns aromatic add the mashed lentils, cumin powder. Saute for about 20 mins until the water dries up completely and the residue mixture left is dry yet soft in texture.

3.Now for the dough, on a wide plate or a flat board put the flour, add 2 Tbsp oil or ghee, pinch of turmeric and salt each. Mix properly until the oil is incorporated into the dry flour.

4.Gradually mix water ( I have added approx. 150 ml water) and knead the flour to a soft, non-sticky and pliable dough. Set aside for 20-25 mins.

5.Shape the dough into small lemon size or ping-pong ball size round balls. Approximately 18-20 balls. In the same way shape the mixture into equal number of balls, each one a size smaller than the dough balls. Flatten the stuffing balls gently into pattice shape and set aside.

6. Roll each dough ball into 3 inch diameter round flat disc. Place each stuffing pattice in the centre of each flat dough disc and seal the edges properly by pulling and bringing them together.

7. Now grease each stuffed dough balls with little oil on the sealed side and gentle press and flatten with your hand. Gently roll them on the same side into 4 inch diameter round flat disc using a rolling pin. Be careful not to let the stuffing come out. (refer to the above two collages for step by step stuffing and rolling procedure)

8. Heat oil for deep frying in the same wok or pan on medium and fry the pooris one by one until they puff up and are lightly browned on both sides. Gently press the sides of the pooris while frying with a flat spatula and keep rotating clock-wise to avoid burning the pooris. Flip and fry the other side until properly done.

9.Serve the Dal Pooris hot with Aloor Dom/Potato curry or enjoy with a cup of hot tea.