Dal Poori is one of the tasty Indian dishes known for its richness in flavours and festive appeal. Fluffy deep-fried bread, poori here, accompanied with flavour-filled spiced dal curry, more commonly chana dal - split chickpea, makes this dish even more special. Hailing from Northern India, Dal Poori is a pleasure for places like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to indulge in on an occasion or festival. Its uniqueness lies in preparation, for Dal Poori has dough prepared from wheat flour and sometimes maida. A hint of ghee adds to it the richness. Pooris are rolled out into small discs and fried until fluffed up and turned golden brown, resulting in a crispy yet tender bread. The accompaniment of dal is usually done thick and highly flavoured with a combination of traditional spices. You can add coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, black pepper, and cinnamon. Fresh masala powder, onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and green chilli are often added to enhance taste. Dal Poori, when together, make up a hearty and satisfying meal. It is frequently served with various sides: pickles, yoghurt or a simple salad of chopped onions and coriander that brings a fresh contrast to the dish. Some prefer serving it with spiced fried green chillies for an extra kick. Dal Poori serves a healthful, protein-rich meal with a rich melding of flavour elements between the spiciness of the dal and buttery flavour with the sweetness of poori.

• 1 cup chana dal
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 tomato
• Salt
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 4 bay leaves
• 3-4 dry red chilli
• 1/2 tsp clove
• 1 cup maida
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• Oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• Coriander leaves
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp spice masala
• 3 tbsp besan
• 2 onion

• This is an easy-to-follow recipe of Dal Poori.
• Add the soaked chana dal, turmeric powder, and salt to a pressure cooker. Mix well, cover it, and cook on a medium flame for two whistles.
• Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, Kashmiri red chillies, star anise, and cardamom over a low flame in a pan till the spice becomes aromatic. Allow it to cool down slightly.
• Grind it into a fine powder. Set it aside.
• Grind two medium-sized onions into a nice smooth paste using a mixer jar. Set it aside.
• Add two tomatoes, 1-inch ginger, 5-6 garlic cloves, and one green chilli in the mixer jar. Grind to a smooth paste and set aside.
• Mix three tablespoons besan with 1 cup water in a bowl to get a lump-free slurry. Set this aside for later use.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan on a medium flame. Saut the ground onion paste till oil separates from sides.
• Add tomato, ginger, garlic, and green chilli paste with a pinch of salt. Fry till oil begins to separate from the mixture.
• Reduce the flame and add 1/2 Tsp turmeric powder, 1 Tbsp red chilli powder, 1 Tsp coriander powder, and 1 Tsp prepared masala and sprinkle a little water so it doesn't get burnt.
• Let the masala get fried by keeping it saut ing till the oil oozes out from the masala.
• Pour the prepared besan slurry and mix well.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to ensure it combines smoothly with the masala base.
• Add cooked chana dal to Dal.
• Reduce flame and let it simmer for 7-10 minutes.
• Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves on top.
• Take maida, wheat flour, salt, sugar and 1 Tsp ghee in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add water slowly to make a dough that is medium-soft in consistency. Cover and rest for 10 minutes, then again knead till it is smooth.
• Divide the dough into small portions and roll each into a medium-thick disc. Fry pooris in hot oil, over medium-high flame, till they are golden on both sides. Serve the dal poori hot.