Puranache Dind

Wash the Bengal gram /chana dal and soak for 30 minutes. Soaking step is optional but it certainly reduces the cooking time. 

In a pressure cooker add the soaked dal and 3 cup of water. Add pinch of turmeric and 2 tsp of oil to it. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

The dal should be cooked well. If you are not soaking the dal, it make take 7-8 whistles.

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl take whole wheat flour. Add salt to it and mix . Add 2 tablespoon hot ghee to the flour . Rub the floor when it is cool enough to handle to get a bread crumb like texture. 

Add water little by little and knead the flour to a semi soft dough. Keep covered until our stuffing is ready.                             

After cooking the dal for 3-4 whistles, allow the cooker to cool down. Open the lid once all the pressure has been released. Now strain the dal .

In a nonstick pan or a heavy bottom pan take the cooked strained dal and the crushed jaggery. Heat the pan , and keep cooking the mixture on low to medium flame.

Keep stirring continuously to make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom and sides of the pan. The jaggery melts completely and the mixture cooks further to become thick

To check for the doneness of puran , there is a tip , i learnt from my mother. The Puran is said to be done when a ladle stands straight into it without falling. Put off the flame , once this stage is achieved.

 Pass this puran through a soup strainer while it is still hot. (Ideally it is passed through a special strainer meant for it, called Puran Yantra , i use this soup strainer, as i did not have Puran Yantra.) Keep pressing the puran with a ladle against the strainer. The fine puran collected below is what we will be using to stuff the parcels.

 Add Cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, crushed fennel seeds and dry ginger powder to the puran and mix well.

Make gooseberry size ball of the dough and roll it into a poori size disc using rolling pin. Apply little oil if you need while doing so. Pinch out large gooseberry size puran and give it oblong shape. Place it at the center of the disc.

  Make a small hole inside the puran with the help of thumb and add 1 teaspoon of ghee to it. Close the hole

  12.  Take one side of the disc and fold it over the puran stuffing vertically.  Now take the other side and flip it over the first side like shown in the picture

Now close the upper and lower sides similarly, giving it a parcel shape while sealing all the sides.

  13. Make all the parcels similarly

Arrange a clean banana leaf over the steamer. if you do not have a steamer, arrange it over a  steel colander as shown in the picture. Grease it with little ghee. Keep a big vessel filled with 3-4 cups of water below the colander. Put on the flame.

Arrange the dind ( parcels) over the banana leaf in the colander. Cover it with a lid.

  `5. Allow the puranache dind to cook on steam for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, carefully lift the dind and plate them , preferably on a fresh banana leaf.

  7. Serve it piping hot with ghee and enjoy this melt in mouth delicacy with your loved ones !