Dal Pakwan | How to make Dal Pakwan

Dal Pakwan is a traditional Sindhi breakfast dish. Crispy fried maida puris known as Pakwan is served with chana dal garnished with  chutneys  and chopped onions.  The combination of crispy pakwan with the mildly flavoured chana dal, hot and tangy chutneys and raw onions makes it a finger lickingly delicious dish. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

For Pakwan
1 ½ cup refined flour (maida)
1 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp red chilly powder (laal mirch)
Salt as per taste
Oil for frying Pakwan

For Chana Dal
1 cup split chickpeas (chana dal)
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 green chillies, finely chopped (hari mirch)
few curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped (pyaaz)
1 tomato, finely chopped (tamatar)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp red chilly powder (laal mirch)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor)
Salt as per taste (namak)

For Garnishing
Green Chutney
Sweet Chutney
Chopped onions

Method

For the Dal

• Wash and soak chana dal in water for an  hour.
• Drain the water and transfer the dal to a pressure cooker.
• Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook the dal for 2 whistles.
• Do not overcook the dal.
• After the pressure escapes completely, open the pressure cooker.
• Keep this cooked dal aside.
• Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan.
• Add  cumin seeds, asafoetida, green chillies, curry leaves and chopped onions.
• Saute the onions and cook till they turn soft and golden brown.
• Add the chopped tomatoes.
• Cook the tomatoes till they turn soft and mushy.
• Now add the cooked chana dal.
• Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala, salt  and mix gently.
• Now add the amchoor and give a gentle mix.
• Keep this dal aside.

For Pakwan

• In a mixing bowl, add the refined flour.
• Heat the ghee and add to the flour.
• Mix it with a spoon.
• Now add, cumin seeds, carom seeds, salt and red chilly powder. Mix well.
• Add water little at a time and knead to a smooth dough.
• Keep this dough aside for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, take a small portion of the dough and roll into a size of puri.
• Prick the puris  with a fork or a knife so that they  don’t puff up.
• Alternatively, you can take a large ball of dough and roll into a big chapati.
• Place a small steel bowl on the chapati and cut out small puris out of it.
• Do not forget to prick the puris with  a fork. (Watch the video below for better understanding).
• Deep fry the pricked puris (pakwans)  till they turn crisp.
• Serve these pakwans with chana dal, garnsihed with green chutney, sweet chutney and chopped raw onions.

WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: