There are certain things you are most likely to stumble upon in an Indian kitchen. A stash of spices is one, we are also very particular about our lentils and legumes. Whether or not we can differentiate between our Moong and Masoor, we sure have both of them, in their dedicated dabbas, at almost all the time. The Mung bean is said to have its origins in the Indian subcontinent, and early records of its domestication can be traced back to 1500 BC. Therefore, it is one lentil, we can proudly call our own.
From North to South, East to West, Moong Dal and its many versatile preparations can be found across the subcontinent. Moong dal preparations can be as healthy or as decadent as you want them to be. We can chomp on a plate of hot moong dal khichdi and a ghee-laden bowl of Moong Dal ka Halwa with equal fervour. Not many of you would know but Moong Dal can also make for an excellent side dish for a Puri or Paratha.
This Masala puri is an excellent brunch or breakfast option for those looking for a typical Desi fare. The Hindi word ‘masala’ refers to ‘spices’, however, sometimes, whenever it is used as a prefix for a dish, it refers to a combination of spices, lentils and veggies. Puri is an Indian flatbread, that is often made with wheat flour. They are much smaller in size in comparison to paratha and our deep-fried in ghee or oil. If the taste of plain puri is getting a tad too monotonous for you, you are going to love this recipe. It is crispy, spicy, tangy, all at once.
To make this puri, you would first have to make a soft and pliant dough with wheat, salt, dry Kasturi methi, red chilli powder, turmeric, carom seeds and oil. Add water gradually, and knead into a fine dough. Make sure you let the dough rest, covered with a cloth for at least 15 minutes before you start making the Puris.
For the Puri, pull out equal-sized round chunks from the dough and roll them flat. Drop them in hot oil, make sure the oil is hot, you can test it by dropping a ‘thumb-sized’ puri in the oil, if it puffs up and comes on top then the oil is hot. If it sinks to the bottom, it is not. Fry the puris on medium heat.
For the moong dal, add overnight soaked dal in the cooker, then add oil, asafetida, red chilli powder, turmeric, salt, cumin seeds, coriander powder, dry mango powder, coriander powder. Pressure cook until the dal is soft.
Serve the poori hot with a portion of Moong dal. Try this delish recipe soon and let us know how you liked it.