Khapli Atta Sindhi Pakwan

Recipe For An Indulgent Breakfast

Khapli atta Sindhi pakwan rebuilds one half of a beloved festive pairing or something reserved for Sunday mornings in Sindhi households, with a more nutrient-dense flour. Dal pakwan pairs crisp, unpuffed fried puris with a mildly spiced chana dal, with the latter made fibre- and protein-rich courtesy of Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta. The pakwan is the highlight of this dish and contains iron and vitamin B1, which are known to support energy metabolism. The pakwan also has a lower glycaemic index when cooked with khapli wheat. The pakwan recipe uses flour, cumin or ajwain seeds, oil, salt and chilli powder, mixed into a dough that's neither too soft nor too stiff. What sets it apart from a regular puri is that it's meant to stay flat and crisp rather than puff up, which is why every disc gets pricked all over with a fork before frying and skipping this step is the most common reason homemade pakwan ends up ballooning like a puri instead of staying flat and crisp. Khapli atta does change the dough slightly compared to maida, and needs a gentler hand, with higher liquid absorption and more rest time. The dal that goes alongside is where most of the dish's actual flavour comes from. Chana dal is used in this Sindhi dal pakwan recipe, which is soaked, then simmered with a tempering of onion and grated tomato. A second tempering of cumin seeds, curry leaves, and red chilli powder is stirred in once the dal is cooked, and the dish is finished with a scattering of dried mango powder (amchur), coriander leaves, chutneys, and chopped onion just before serving, to keep the flavour sharp.