Dal Pakwan

Blogging Marathon# 28: Week 3/ Day 1
Theme: Sindhi Dishes
Dish: Dal Pakwan

My theme for this week's BM is "Sindhi dishes" and I'm going to start it off with a very indulgent Sindhi dish, 'Dal Pakwan'. Traditionally this is served for breakfast, I have to say it is very a filling breakfast that one might skip lunch after having this. 

It has 2 main components, dal & pakwan and served with green chutney, tamarind chutney, sliced onions and fried green chilies. Chana dal is used to make the delicious dal. Pakwans are deep fried unpuffed puris that are dunked in the dal and relished along with all the accouterments. The taste was just awesome, it was like explosion of flavors and textures in the mouth.

I referred to Vaishali's, Alka's & Tarla Dalal's recipes and came up with a recipe that is a combination of all three sources. Here's how I made the dish:

For Dal:

Ingredients:

Chana dal - 1cup, soaked for 2-3 hours

Onion - 1 large, finely chopped

Green chilies -2, slit

Tomatoes - 2, chopped

Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Ground coriander - ½tsp
Ground Cumin - ½tsp
Red chili powder - ½tsp
Turmeric - ½tsp 

Garam masala - ¼tsp
Cilantro - 2tbsp, finely chopped
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Heat 2tbsp ghee or oil in a pressure cooker; add cumin seeds and once the seeds start to splutter, add onions and green chilies. Cook until onions turn translucent.
• Next add chopped tomatoes and cook until mushy. Add all the dry masalas, cook for 1 minute.
• Add the soaked chana dal along with 1 cup of water. Cook for 1-2 whistles. Dal should be cooked until tender but should retain its shape. Keep the dal warm for serving.

For Pakwan:

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1cup

Atta (Wholewheat flour) - ½cup
Salt - to taste
Cumin seeds - ½tsp

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients and form a stiff dough like poori dough. Cover and set aside for 15minutes.
• Divide the dough into small lemon size balls and roll them out into 5-6" circles. Prick the circles with a fork.
• Deep fry the dough circles on medium flame until golden and crispy. Remove on to paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Other Ingredients:

Green Chutney (Mint-Cilantro Chutney)

Sweet Chutney (Date-Tamarind Chutney)

Chopped Onions

Fried Green Chilies (I didn't have these)

To Serve:

Place dal in a bowl and drizzle with the chutneys and the other toppings. Serve with pakwan and ENJOY!!

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 28.