DAL POORI WITH SPICED POTATO

This Dal Poori takes me backwards to 80's. I was in middle school,   was friends with our maternal youngest aunt. As soon as my school's vacation started, I used to visit the grandparent's home, 100 km away from Kolkata. I have talked about it in earlier blogposts. Born there, the place shaped my childhood. On some mornings, a dal poori / lentil stuffed puffed bread seller used to visit the neighbourhood, called 'Dal Poori nebe Dal Poori, gorom Dal Poori meaning "want hot dal poori?" The plump, greedy self craved to have. The aunt would ask me to stop him at the gate, herself would run to get her piggybank. Few leaps and I was at gate, shouting 'o dal poori wala  darao, amra kinbo', stop we would buy. 

He carried them inside a square shaped glass box, I wondered how he carried a heavy box. Aunt says one day he stopped coming. We  never asked where his home was. Humans are self centric in general.

The vegan, hand rolled puffed bread tasted heavenly. I rolled each, took heavenly bites without any accompaniments. I never could forget the taste, never did follow any other recipe of dal poori because I still believe that man prepared the best dal poori ever. My little self never thought of asking him the recipe either. For dal poori, I follow my own recipe. Any form of poori n chapatis are favourite with my men. 

Yesterday, I made these dal pooris with a chana dal stuffing, served it with a spicy potato dry curry & home made pickle. 

INGREDIENTS[ for the stuffing] :

Bengal Gram Dal : 1 cup

Onion : 1

Ginger Paste : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seed : 1/4 tsp

Coriander Leaves : 2 sprigs

Green Chilli : 2

Salt : As required

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp

Oil : 1 tbsp

INGREDIENTS [for the dough] :

All Purpose Flour : 1 cup

Whole Wheat Flour : 1 cup

Salt : 2 pinches

Oil : 1 tsp + as required for deep frying

INGREDIENTS [for the spiced potato]

Potato : 2

Chopped Long Bean : 3-4 tbsp

Black Gram : 2 tbsp

Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp

Chilli Powder : 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder : 1/4 tsp

Coriander Seed : 1/4 tsp

Dry red chilli : 1

Chopped Coriander : 2 tbsp

Salt : As required

Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp

Oil : 2 tbsp

METHOD 

THE SPICED POTATO :

Peel, wash the potatoes. Cut into cubes. Add the washed, chopped long beans to it. Apply salt & turmeric, keep aside for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok. Temper with coriander seeds, dry red chilli. Add the potato, long bean mix discarding the marinade. Stir and cover.

After 3-4 minutes add the cumin, red chilli, coriander powder. Stir   and cover.

Better to check every minute. Remove cover after 4 minutes. Add the garam masala powder, chopped coriander and stir. Adjust the salt if required.

THE FILLING :

Wash, soak the chana dal in hot water for an hour. Pressure cook up to a whistle.

Chop and wash the coriander leaves and green chilli. Peel, wash, slice the onion.

Heat oil in wok. Temper with cumin seeds. Add sliced onions. As the onions turn brown, add the ginger paste, salt, turmeric powder. 

Add the boiled dal, stir. Once it starts drying, add the cumin, coriander powder. Give a stir.

As it dries, add the chopped coriander leaves, green chilli. Stir for a while, it's done.

THE POORI :

Take the two flours, salt, 1 tsp oil in a vessel. Rub well for a minute.

Add little water at a time to prepare a dough. Cover the dough with a clean wet cloth for an hour.

Shape into round balls, make hollow space, fill with the dal mix, close it.

Roll into poori as shown below.

Heat enough oil in wok. Fry one at a time. When one side is done, flip over.

Serve hot with the spiced potato and pickle of your choice!