This is one recipe which I had at my Sindhi friends house for the first time and was taken aback by the unusual elements and combinations which at first I found strange but just settled in for more and more and more..... until a voice inside me said, "now enough Yasmeen what will Khushi think?"
Khushi Pawan Alwani, my Gujrati friend was but most hospitable, apt for her name (meaning happiness), truly brought joy into that first memorable meal she hosted for us.
Like I said, I found strange that the puris unlike usual weren't fluffy and puffed up but were just flat and crisp with a crunch. And they aren't puris she says, its called pakwan! So how are we to eat it? dip it into this rich dal, topped with sweet and sour chutneys and chopped onions and crunch..crunch.. crunch you go. To sum it all up, it gave me an chatpata chat experience, but more filling with enriched flavours.
So I had to learn this breakfast cum brunch cum lunch recipe from her, tried it... and yes it was a winner-keeper at home! and found its way to my blog, that too on her birthday!! Many happy returns of the day and thanks Khushi for sharing this recipe with those everlasting positive vibes! Until we meet again!!
So let me give you a peek into how those crispy pakwans are made. The key to its crispyness is adding piping hot oil into the flour before kneading it to a stiff dough. Once the dough is ready, pinch out a small ball sized dough, roll it to slightly thick discs or cut it out into discs for that perfect circle. (I pressed it into 4.5 inch disc with a bowl) like this.
Poke it with a fork all over, which will ensure that the puran does't fluff up like a poori, but remains flat and crisp.
Deep fry it until golden brown and crisp, like a biscuit.
And that's how the final platter looks like.
Ingredients
- For Pakwans
- All purpose flour- 1 1/2cup
- Whole wheat flour- 1/2cup
- Red chilly powder- 1/4 tsp(optional)
- Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
- Carrom seeds(ajwain)- 1/4 tsp
- Semolina- 1 tbs
- Salt- 1/4 tsp
- Oil- 2 tbsp hot oil.
- Water to knead to a stiff dough
- Oil for deep frying
- For Dal
- Chana dal- 1 cup (soak for 1/2 an hour)
- Moong dal- 1 tbsp(soak for 1/2 an hour)
- Water 2-3 cups water
- Ghee/canola oil- 2 tbsp
- Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
- Green chillies- 2 chopped
- Curry leaves- a few
- Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
- Kashmiri red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
- Asofotieda(hing)- a pinch
- Sugar/ jaggery a tsp or more(as per taste)
- Salt- to taste
- Coriander leaves- Chopped(handful for garnish)
- Onion- 1 finely chopped(for garnish)
- Chaat powder- (for garnish)
- Lemon juice- (for garnish)
- Green Chutney
- Mint leaves- 1/4 cup
- Coriander leaves- 1cup
- Green chilly- 1-2(to taste)
- Garlic- 2 cloves
- Ginger- an inch piece
- Small Onion- 1
- Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
- Chaat powder- 1/2 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Water-1/4 cup
- Whisked curd- 1/4 cup
- Sweet sour Tamarind-dates Chutney
- Tamarind- 1/2 cup(seedless, soaked in 1/4 cup hot water for 1/2 and hour)
- Dates-1/2 cup(seedless, soaked in 1/4 cup hot water for 1/2 an hour)
- Jaggery- 1/2 cup(pounded to powder)
- Fennel crushed(sauf)- 1/4 tsp
- Cumin crushed- 1/4 tsp
- Chaat powder- 1/4 tsp
- Red chilly powder- 1/4 tsp or more as per taste.
- Ginger- 1/2 inch
- Salt to taste
Directions
- To make the Dal
- 1Pressure cook the soaked moong dal, chana dal, salt and turmeric in a cooker, with enough water to cover the dals for 3-4 whistles or until done.
- 2For the tadka, in a saucepan, heat ghee, add cumin, hing, chopped green chillies, curry leaves, red chilly powder. Now tip over the tadka into the cooked dal. Stir, adjust the seasoning, add Jaggery and water to adjust consistency (a thinner porridge like consistency is desirable). Stimmer for 4-5 mins. Keep the dal aside.
- For the Green Chutney
- 1In a blender add mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilly, garlic, ginger, onion, cumin powder, chaat powder and blend to smooth paste. Remove in a bowl and stir in the curd and add salt to taste.
- Sweet sour Tamarind-dates Chutney
- 1In a blender add all the ingredients mentioned, i.e tamarind, dates, jaggery, fennel, cumin, chaat powder,red chilly powder, ginger and Salt to taste. Sweet and sour chutney ready!
- To make the Pakwans
- 1In a mixing bowl take the All purpose flour and wheat flour, mix. Add in all the remaining dry ingredients like red chilly powder, cumin seeds, carrom seeds, semolina and salt.
- 2Heat 2 tbsps of oil and pour it over the flour- masala mix and rub it together. (this step ensures crispiness in the pakwans). Now add water and make a dough (just like chapathi dough)
- 3Once the dough is ready, pinch out a small ball sized dough, roll it to slightly thick discs or cut it out into discs for that perfect circle. (I pressed it into 4.5 inch disc with a bowl)
- 4Poke it with a fork all over, which will ensure that the pa does't fluff up like a poori, but remains flat and crisp. Deep fry it until golden brown and crisp, like a biscuit.
- Assemble
- 1In serving bowl add the dal, topped with chopped onions and coriander leaves. Drop blobs of Green chutney along with some sweet and sour dates-tamarind chutney over the dal. Serve alongside crispy pakwans with lemon wedges. Yumminess ready!
