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Dal Pakwan is a classic breakfast dish from Sindhi, Indian cuisine. Pakwan is a crisp, fried bread, traditionally served with, CHANA DAL, drizzled with some TAMARIND CHUTNEY, MINT-CILANTRO CHUTNEY and some chopped onions. Sharing an easy recipe to make this crisp, fried bread, using pantry staples.
WHAT IS DAL PAKWAN
Dal pakwan is a very popular, authentic Sindhi breakfast dish, relished by all ages. Dal pakwan, consists of mainly two components – dal and pakwan. Typically, CHANA DAL is served over PAKWAN (CRISP FRIED BREAD), drizzled with some TAMARIND CHUTNEY, MINT-CILANTRO CHUTNEY and some chopped onions. This classic dish is mainly served as a breakfast, but makes an excellent brunch or a snack.
As a kid, I was so fond of these crisp, fried, pakwan. Crisp, flaky, pakwan, perfect for weekends brunch. My mom used to make these once a month and we used to devour these Pakwan with some CHANA DAL. Honestly, these were so good, I could eat these whole day.
Dal pakwan were made on special occasions, and/or festivals also, as these are quite rich and indulgent. I remember, during Diwali, Holi, these were a must in my family. My mom used to cook big during festivals, and share homemade food with family and friends. She used to make a big batch of these pakwan to serve it with CHANA DAL. These pakwan can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an air-tight container.
Dal pakwan, is a bit time-consuming, it takes some time and patience to fry the pakwan. But, once you have it, trust me every bite is worth the effort. We all need a treat every once in a while, isn’t. I prepare Dal pakwan, occasionally to treat my family. With a little planning you can make some amazing dish, that will sure bring smile on everyone’s face. And the best part of this dish is that, you can make this dal pakwan using pantry ingredients. Please see I have split this post in half, I will be covering how to make the pakwan in this post. Please refer to my post for CHANA DAL that goes with this pakwan. Enjoy this authentic Sindhi breakfast – Dal Pakwan!
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAKWAN & POORI
Poori and pakwan, are both deep fried, Indian bread. They both are made with whole wheat flour ( atta ), all-purpose flour ( maida ) or a combination of flour.
However, the dough and the technique of making both are different. For regular poori, dough is prepared simply with the combination of flour and water. It is rolled into small circle and deep fried. The regular poori, takes less time to fry. It has a soft, delicate texture.
Poori can be made plain or masala poori. For masala poori, spices and herbs such as ajwain, cumin seed, spinach, are added to the dough.
For pakwan, fat ( moyen ) is added to knead the dough. The fat in the dough, is what gives it crisp and flaky texture. Pakwan is rolled slightly thin and takes longer to cook. The texture of pakwan is crisp, flaky, melt-in-mouth.
INGREDIENTS FOR PAKWAN
1 cup WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
2 tablespoon GHEE ( For VEGAN use oil )
1 teaspoon WHOLE BLACK PEPPERCORNS, coarsely crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
3/4 cup water to knead the dough, as needed
FOR FRYING PAKWAN
2 – 2 1/2 cups oil for deep frying the pakwan
RECIPE VIDEO – HOW TO MAKE PAKWAN
HOW TO MAKE PAKWAN
The method of making pakwan is similar to making puri. We start by kneading the pakwan dough, followed by rolling the pakwan and lastly frying the pakwan.
KNEADING THE PAKWAN DOUGH
In a large bowl, add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ghee and salt to taste.
Mix all the ingredients with your hands.
Take the flour mixture between your palms and rub it to form a crumbly breadcrumb like texture.
When you hold the mixture in your fist, it should hold the shape and not crumble.
Gradually, add water and form into a semi-tight, smooth dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
ROLL PAKWAN
Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Shape the dough into balls and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Take a dough ball and roll it around 5-6 inch circle. Using a fork, prick the rolled pakwan for few times.
Note: It is important to prick the pakwan, so that it does not puff up while frying.
Cover the rolled pakwan with a clean kitchen towel, to prevent the pakwan from drying.
Continue with the rest of the dough. This recipe makes around 16 pakwan.
FRYING PAKWAN
In a kadai or a wok, add around 2 – 2 1/2 cups of oil. Keep the heat to medium-low.
Once the oil is moderately hot, carefully slide the pakwan into the oil.
Note: The oil should not be too hot.
Gently, press the pakwan with the perforated spoon/ladle.
Once the base of pakwan turns slightly brown, carefully turn the pakwan on the other side and let it cook.
It takes around 2-3 minutes to fry the pakwan. Fry the pakwan until both the sides are nice golden brown and crispy. Remove the pakwan on the paper towel. Finish frying rest of the pakwan.
Serve these pakwan with some CHANA DAL and enjoy!
Pic Shown: Closeup of Pakwan
PRO TIPS FOR CRISP PAKWAN
The proportion of flour to fat ( moyen ) is important. I have tried using less ghee, however, it is difficult to get the khasta ( crisp ) pakwan.
Gradually, add water to knead a tight, smooth consistency dough.
The dough should not be too dry or too sticky. If it feels dry add few drops of water and smooth it out. If the dough feels sticky add some more flour and knead it to a tight, smooth dough.
Pakwan, is rolled slightly thin than the regular poori. If the pakwan is rolled too thick, the inside of the pakwan stays uncooked and does not crisp up well. You are looking for a crisp, flaky pakwan.
Maintain the heat to medium -low for best results. If oil is too hot, the outside of the pakwan gets cooked but inside remains under-cooked. If the oil is cold, the pakwan absorbs too much oil.
Cook on both sides for even brown, crisp texture of the pakwan.
Pic Shown: Pakwan served with CHANA DAL
FAQ ABOUT PAKWAN
CAN I USE BUTTER INSTEAD OF GHEE
Yes, you can use butter instead of ghee, works just fine. For VEGAN, use oil.
CAN I USE ONLY ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
Yes, you can make pakwan, with just all-purpose flour.
HOW LONG DO THESE STAY FRESH
Pakwan stays fresh for 1-2 weeks. Store it in an air-tight container.
DO THESE NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED
No, pakwan does not require refrigeration. If these are cooked right, they stay fresh for up to 1-2 weeks at room temperature. Store it in an air-tight container.
CAN I MAKE MASALA PAKWAN
Yes, you can make masala pakwan instead of just plain pakwan. For masala pakwan, you can use combination of spices and herbs such as cumin seeds, ajwain, dry spices – turmeric, red chili powder. I also add some dried parsley for some flavor and color.
Pic Shown: Pakwan served with CHANA DAL, drizzled with some TAMARIND CHUTNEY, MINT-CILANTRO CHUTNEY and some chopped onions.
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PAKWAN / CRISPY FRIED FLATBREAD
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour / atta
- 1 teaspoon WHOLE BLACK PEPPERCORNS, coarsely crushed
- 2 tablespoon GHEE ( For VEGAN use oil )
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 3/4 cup water, as needed
- Flour for dusting
FOR FRYING PAKWAN
- 2 - 2 1/2 cup Oil for frying
Instructions
FOR PAKWAN DOUGH
- In a large bowl, add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ghee and salt to taste.
- Mix all the ingredients with your hands.
- Take the flour mixture between your palms and rub it to form a crumbly breadcrumb like texture.Note: When you hold the mixture in your fist, it should hold the shape and not crumble.
- Gradually, add water and form into a semi-tight, smooth dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
ROLL PAKWAN
- Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Shape the dough into balls and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
- Take a dough ball and roll it around 5-6 inch circle. Using a fork, prick the rolled pakwan for few times.Note: Note: It is important to prick the pakwan, so that it does not puff up while frying.
- Cover the rolled pakwan with a clean kitchen towel, to prevent the pakwan from drying.
- Continue with the rest of the dough. This recipe makes around 16 pakwan.
FRYING PAKWAN
- In a kadai or a wok, add around 2 – 2 1/2 cups of oil. Keep the heat to medium-low.
- Once the oil is moderately hot, carefully slide the pakwan into the oil.Note: The oil should not be too hot.
- Gently, press the pakwan with the perforated spoon/ladle.
- Once the base of pakwan turns slightly brown, carefully turn the pakwan on the other side and let it cook.
- It takes around 2-3 minutes to fry the pakwan. Fry the pakwan until both the sides are nice golden brown and crispy. Remove the pakwan on the paper towel. Finish frying rest of the pakwan.
- Serve these pakwan with some CHANA DAL, drizzled with some TAMARIND CHUTNEY, MINT-CILANTRO CHUTNEY and some chopped onions.
Notes
- Dough should be similar to pastry or poori dough, slightly tight.
- Roll the dough as thin as possible, for crisp, flaky bread
- Pricking the bread before frying is important, this prevents the bread from puffing while frying, and as a result you get crisp bread.
- Oil should be moderately hot, throughout the frying process.
- PRO TIPS FOR CRISP PAKWAN
- FAQ ABOUT PAKWAN
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
KEYWORD
pakwan,dal pakwan,instant pot dal pakwan,poori,puri,crisp fried bread,pastry,
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