Dhal pouris

Dhal pouris

Ingredients:
500 grams yellow split peas,
750 grams white flour,
2 teaspoons powdered cumin seeds,
Turmeric powder,
Salt to taste.

Preparation:
Boil the yellow split peas in water with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste, until well cooked but not sticky. Strain the boiled yellow split peas and reserve the boiling water for pastry use later. Blend the strained yellow split peas until well blended but not watery. The blend must be on the dry side rather than wet..
Sift the flour with some salt to taste into a mixing bowl. Using the warm reserved boiling water in small quantities, gradually work the pastry until very soft but not sticky. Wrap in cling wrap and allow to rest for one hour.
Add the powdered cumin seeds to the blended yellow split peas. Add some more salt to taste if necessary. Mould the dough into small balls of a size sufficient to roll out into the pooris. Using a finger make a hole into the centre of the dough balls and carefully place in one teaspoon of the yellow split peas mix. Close the hole by pushing in the sides. Roll out the dough balls in flour and carefully roll out into as thin circular pooris as you possibly can.
Heat up a flat saucepan of a size sufficient to hold the pooris. Brush the pan with oil and place the pooris in. Cook on one side until slightly puffed up and flip onto other side until just cooked. About half a minute in all. Do not overcook or the pooris will harden.
Serve hot with blended tomato or coriander chutneys (see recipes above).
Hint: Dhall pooris may be wrapped individually in aluminium foil and frozen for later use. Place in microwave between kitchen papers and warm up individually for thirty seconds only.