Khapli Atta Dal Puri

Recipe, North-Indian Style

Khapli atta dal puri takes the deep-fried flatbread that's made for special occasions in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh and adds more protein and fibre per gram with Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta, instead of regular atta. The typical recipe for dal puri has the dough stuffed with a spiced chana dal filling and shows up everywhere, from celebrating newlyweds to Northern regional cultural festivities like Holi and Raksha Bandhan. The dough for this khapli wheat puri needs to be noticeably tighter than a regular roti dough, since a soft, pliable dough won't hold its shape once it's stuffed and rolled. Khapli atta complicates this slightly with its lower gluten elasticity compared to regular wheat flour. This implies that the dough can feel a bit less stretchy while kneading, so working it a little longer with your knuckles helps it form into the firm, smooth ball this recipe needs. Khapli atta also absorbs more liquid than regular flour, so make sure to add water gradually rather than all at once. As for the filling of this khapli atta dal puri, it’s made with soaked chana dal, pressure-cooked with turmeric and chilli powder, not mushy, then mashed and tempered with cumin seeds, hing, ginger, garlic, green chillies and a broken dried red chilli. A last addition of chopped coriander makes the flavour feel just right. Mash the entire thing into a chunky mix, as a completely smooth, pasty filling is harder to stuff neatly and tends to squeeze out while rolling.