A classic Sindhi street food of thick lentils and crispy fried dough. Vegetarian. Can be vegan if you replace ghee with oil and milk with water.

Ingredients:

1 cup Bengal Gram

1/4 cup Refined Flour

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Garam masala powder

1/2 tsp amchur or dried mango powder

3 tbsp ghee or vegetable Oil

1 tsp whole Cumin seeds

Pinch asafoetida or hing

2 slit Indian Green chillies

9 fresh Curry leaves

FOR DOUGH

1 cup maida or all purpose refined Flour

1 cup atta or indian wholewheat flour

1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee melted

2 tbsp fine Semolina

1 tsp black pepper powder

1/4 cup plain wholemilk

Water as required

GARNISH

1 small red Onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves

Sweet and green chutney

METHOD FOR THE DAL

Soak chana dal 3-4 hours until puffy.

Drain, wash and pressure cooker in 3 cups water for two whistles.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, dry mango powder and salt and 1 tbsp ghee.

Stir gently and cook on low heat until mixture thickens. This dal should have a chunky, spreadable consistency.

Heat oil or remaining ghee in a small tempering spoon or mini skillet on high heat.

Add green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and cumin seeds and cook till fragrant .

Pour the oil and spices over the dal.

Mix well. Taste for salt and adjust to taste. Remove from the fire.

FOR THE PAKWAN

Sift refined flour or maida and atta into a large bowl.

Add semolina, half teaspoon cumin seeds, black peppercorn powder, oil and salt.

Add milk and stir.

Add room temperature water a little at a time and knead into a soft pliant dough. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and let rest 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into eight portions and keep covered with a damp cloth.

On a flat clean surface dusted with maida, roll each portion into a flat chapati of five-inch diameter using a rolling pin.

Prick lightly with a fork. This prevents the pakwan from puffing up while frying.

Heat vegetable oil in a large kadai or deep heavy bottomed dutch oven on high heat. When hot but not smoking lower temperature to medium and deep-fry pakwan in hot oil until golden and crisp in 2-3 batches. Make sure they are golden on both sides.

Drain over paper towels. Serve immediately with the dal. Spread luke warm cooled dal over the fried dough.Garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves and chutney as desired.