Urad dal stuffed poori is also called kochari, it is very flavorful and cooked for the celebration offestivals like Holi, Dewali and Ramnomi, and accompanied with Boondi raita (yogurt), Kaddu ki sabzi (sweet pumpkin curry) , Aloo tamater ki sabzi (potato with tomato curry) and sooji (cream of wheat) halwa. Urad dal poori is prepared with whole wheat flour dough and urad dal stuffing which is prepared by soaking white urad dal in the water and then
coarsely grinded. After grinding dal aromatic species are added to make it
spicy and tasty. After stuffing the dough is rolled and deep fried. Urad dal pooris are loved by people of all ages,
for its aromatic flavor of asafetida and sunf (fennel seeds). They taste delicious not only when they are hot but they also taste good when they are cold. These pooris are perfect food for picnic or while traveling.
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Ingredients for dough:
2 Cups of whole wheat flour ¾ Cup of water or as required for making the dough Ingredients for stuffing:
1 Cup white urad dal
½ Teaspoon red Chili powder 1 Teaspoon Fennel seed powder (Grind saunf to make powder) 1 Pinch of asafetida (Hing) 1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste 3 Cups of vegetable oil for frying the Poori’sCooking measurement conversion Measurement converter |
 Whole wheat flour
 White Urad Dal
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Whole wheat flour dough
Directions for making the dough:
1. Place the flour into a bowl, add little water at a time and mix it with flour in a rotating motion from the center of the bowl to outward until it form a dough and it cleans the sides of the bowl, knead it for few minutes. Dough should be stiff enough to roll without or very little dusting.
2. Once the dough become soft and smooth just the right consistency, take some oil in your palm and roll it to make a ball and put it back into the bowl, cover, and keep it aside for at least half hour. Food processor or dough maker could be used to make the dough.
Urad dal stuffing
Directions for making the stuffing:
1. Wash and soak the urad dal for at least two
hours. Once dal is soaked rinse well, drain
all the water out.
2. Place the dal in the blender and grind it
coarsely,with as little water as you can. You
want a grainy, coarse grind, not a fine paste.
3. Mix red chili powder, fennel seed powder,
asafetida and salt in the grinned dal.
4. Stuffing should not be too watery. If the dal paste is watery, then heat a
nonstick frying pan on medium heat, grease the pan with little oil add grinded
dal, continuously keep stirring until all the water dry up. It should not take
more than a minute.
 In a pan add grinded urad dal
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 Urad dal stuffing become dry
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1. Take some extra flour in a plate for dusting.2. Heat 3 cups of oil in a medium size kadhai (Indian frying pan) or in a frying
pan.3. When oil start smoking that means it is hot enough, to test drop a small ball of dough in the hot oil, if the dough start sizzling and comes up it means it is the right heat but if it become too dark quickly it means oil is too hot, turn the heat down.
 Heat the oil
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 Flour for dusting
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4. Knead the dough with wet hands for a minute, and then roughly divide the dough into 30 equal parts without forming into the balls.
5. Oil your hand slightly and take a small portion of the dough and roll it in between your palms in to a small ball.
6. Now with thumb press the ball of dough in the middle and make it like a cup. Fill the cup with stuffing then gather all the edges and fold to seal.
 Press the ball of dough and make it like a cup
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 Fill the cup with stuffing
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7. Place the stuffed ball into the flour and press gently, dusting on both sides.
8. Place the ball on the rolling board or on a chackla (Indian roti rolling board) and with the help of a rolling pin roll in to a 5” circle. Keep in mind that stuffing should not come out and it spread evenly all through. Do not panic if little bit stuffing comes out it requires little practice.
 Seal the edges
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 Roll the dough into 5″ circle
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 Gently slip the poori in hot oil and press
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 Poori is fried
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10. Now flip the poori over to the other side and fry until golden brown. It takes less than a minute to fry the poori.
11. Once both side become golden brown lift the poori with the spatula and shake all the oil out, take the poori out from the hot oil and put it on a plate over paper towel, so that all the extra oil absorbed by the towel.
12. Repeat until all the pooris are made.
13. Pooris taste best when serve hot.
Tip:
1. Grind the soaked dal with stick blender. Grinding with stick blender does not require water to lubricate for grinding.