Sindhi Dal Pakwan

Community recipe shared by Sandeep Vidwani · Origin: Sindh, South Asia (historically Sindh, now primarily in Pakistan and also associated with the Sindhi community in India)

Jump to ingredients | Jump to method

The dish is strongly associated with Sindhi households and is commonly served as a breakfast or brunch dish, particularly within the Sindhi community.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Chana Dal (1 cup (200 g))
• 3 cup Water (3 cups + as needed)
• 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Salt (1 tsp, or to taste)
• 2 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
• 0.5 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander (chopped)
• 2 tbsp Oil or Ghee
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (Hing)
• 1 Green Chilli (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Ginger (finely chopped/grated)
• 0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• .5 tsp Coriander Powder
• 2 cup All-Purpose Flour (Maida) (2 cups (250 g))
• 2 tsp Semolina (Sooji/Rava)
• 3 to taste Salt
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 0.5 tsp Black Pepper (crushed)
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 1 cup Water (Approximately ¾ cup, as needed)
• 750 ml Oil for deep frying (as needed)
• 4 tbsp Sweet Tamarind Chutney
• 4 tbsp Green Chutney
• 1 Onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander (chopped)
• 0.5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala

Step-by-step method

1. Soak Chana Dal: Rinse 1 cup chana dal and soak in plenty of water.
2. Start Dough: Mix maida, sooji, salt, cumin, pepper and oil. Knead into a firm dough
3. Rest Dough: Cover and let the dough rest while preparing the dal.
4. Cook Dal: Drain soaked dal, add water, turmeric and salt. Pressure cook for 3–4 whistles.
5. Finish Dal: Release pressure, lightly mash part of the dal and simmer. Prepare and add the tempering, then add tamarind, garam masala and coriander. Keep warm
6. Shape Pakwan: Divide rested dough into portions, roll into thin discs and prick thoroughly with a fork.
7. Heat Oil: Start heating oil in a deep kadai over medium-low heat.
8. Fry Pakwan: Fry the pakwan slowly in batches until crisp and golden. Drain on a rack or paper towel.
9. Prepare Toppings: Chop onion and coriander and keep chutneys, chilli powder and chaat masala ready.
10. Final Assembly: Add hot dal to serving plates, top with broken pakwan, chutneys, onion, coriander and spices.
11. Serve: Serve immediately while the pakwan is crisp Tip: The key is to start the dough while the dal is pressure cooking. Once the dal is finished, keep it covered on low heat while you roll and fry the pakwan. This way, the dal stays hot and the pakwan reaches the table fresh and crisp.