Bedmi Puri Recipe (Urad Dal Poori)

Ingredients

For Dough

• 2 cups (240 grams) whole wheat flour (atta)
• ¼ cup sooji – finer textured (rava or cream of wheat)
• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Soaking Urad Dal

• ½ cup (100 grams) urad dal (hulled and split black gram)
• 1.5 cups water – for soaking lentils

To Roast Spices

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 to 2 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ginger – chopped
• ½ teaspoon green chillies – chopped
• ⅛ teaspoon or 2 to 3 pinches asafetida (hing)
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), optional

More Ingredients

• ½ cup water – for grinding urad dal
• oil – for deep frying, as required

Steps

Soaking Lentils

1. Rinse the urad dal in water a couple of times. Leave it in 1.5 cups of water overnight or for 4 to 5 hours to soak.
2. After soaking, drain the lentils very thoroughly and put aside.

Roasting Spices

1. In a small frying pan over low heat, dry roast or toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon and green cardamoms for about 2 minutes, or until lightly fragrant. Stir frequently and take care not to burn them.
2. Put in the chopped ginger and green chillies and sauté over low heat for a couple of seconds.
3. Switch off the heat before adding the asafetida, red chilli powder and dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi).
4. Mix thoroughly and leave the spices and herbs to cool.

Making Urad Dal Paste

1. Put the soaked urad dal in a grinder or blender.
2. Follow with the roasted or toasted spices and herbs.
3. Grind with water into a semi-fine paste. It must be neither too coarse nor too fine and fluffy.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add this lentil paste to the whole wheat flour along with the salt and dry mango powder.
5. If the whole wheat flour contains a lot of bran, sift it a few times first, before combining with the urad dal paste.
6. Use a spoon to mix and combine the ingredients first.
7. Follow with the fine rava/sooji and ghee.
8. Mix once more and knead to a semi-soft dough: stiff, but still soft and pliable.
9. Keep water out of the kneading stage.
10. If sticky, work in some more flour and knead again.
11. Cover with a moist cotton napkin and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Assembling & Shaping

1. In a kadai or wok, heat as much oil as needed for deep frying.
2. Divide the dough into lemon-sized balls and roll each between your palms to make it neat and even.
3. Flatten a ball with your fingers, then spread oil over both sides.
4. Use a rolling pin to make a round disc or circle of 4 to 5 inches.
5. You may roll all the dough balls at once and cover them with a moist cotton napkin before frying. Alternatively, roll and fry the lentil puris side by side.

Making Bedmi Puri

1. Gently lower the rolled dough into the oil, which should be moderately hot.
2. Once the puri starts to puff, gently press and nudge it with a spider spoon or slotted spoon as it fries, helping it puff nicely in the hot oil.
3. When the first side is golden, turn carefully and fry the other side to golden.
4. When evenly golden and perfectly fried, carefully lift the puri out with a spider spoon or slotted spoon.
5. Drain on paper towels and fry the remaining puris the same way in batches. Keep the oil medium hot.
6. Offer the Bedmi Puri hot or warm with a potato curry of your choice. Urad Dal Puri can also accompany Chana Masala, lemon or mango pickle, or spicy chutneys.