Podi Dal Pakwan: Put the Roasted Flavour in the Dal

Dal pakwan is a lovely excuse to make breakfast a proper sit-down meal. Break a piece of crisp pakwan, scoop up thick chana dal, and eat while the contrast in texture is still there.

This is a podi variation on the Sindhi dish. Tamil Podi goes into the cooked dal near the end. The pakwan stays simple, thin and flat so the dal gets the attention.

Ingredients for 4 servings

Prep: 25 minutes, plus 2 hours soaking. Cooking: about 50 minutes. Makes 8 small pakwan. Use a 240 ml cup.

For the dal

• 1 cup chana dal, about 180 g
• 750 ml water to start, plus more as needed
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons oil
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Rapidli Tamil Podi, then adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional
• Chopped onion and coriander for serving, optional
• Salt only if needed

For the pakwan

• 1 cup plain flour, about 125 g
• ¼ cup atta, about 30 g
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil, plus oil for frying
• About 70 to 90 ml water, added gradually

Cook the chana dal

1. Rinse the dal and soak for 2 hours. Drain. In a hot kitchen, soak in the fridge and allow longer if needed.
2. Put the dal, turmeric and 750 ml fresh water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for about 35 to 50 minutes. Add hot water if needed. The dal should be tender when pressed but still have some shape.
3. In a small pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Sizzle the cumin, add ginger and tomato, and cook until the tomato softens. Stir this into the cooked dal.
4. Simmer uncovered until the dal is thick enough to scoop. Lower the heat, stir in the podi and turn off the heat. Taste before adding salt. Add optional lemon juice gradually.

Roll thin, flat pakwan

1. While the dal cooks, mix both flours, cumin and salt. Rub in 1 tablespoon oil. Add water gradually and knead into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
2. Divide into 8 balls. Roll each into a thin disc about 12 cm wide. Prick all over with a fork so it stays mostly flat in the oil.
3. Heat frying oil in a stable, deep pan to about 160 to 170°C. Leave plenty of headspace. Lower in one disc carefully.
4. Fry over moderate heat, turning, for about 3 to 5 minutes until evenly golden and crisp. Adjust the heat between batches. Drain on a rack or kitchen paper.

If the pakwan is soft

It may be too thick or have browned before it dried through. Roll the next one thinner and keep the oil moderate. Don’t stack hot pakwan immediately; trapped steam softens the surface.

The dal will thicken as it stands. Loosen with a little hot water before serving if needed.

Serve the components separately

Keep the pakwan dry until you’re ready to eat. Spoon dal into individual bowls and add optional onion and coriander. Let everyone scoop rather than soaking the whole batch in advance.

For a simpler dal dinner, try our podi moong dal. Our podi timing guide explains the late addition used here. This recipe contains wheat; check the podi pouch for its other allergens.