Dal pakwan is one of the popular Sindhi special food, breakfast menu. Learn how to make the crispy puri, chana dal combo for it.

I heard this for first time when my friend Sangeeta said she made this for breakfast. I requested the recipe and promised her that I will post it for my Breakfast menu series.
This is my most favorite followed by Sindhi curry, Sindhi koki and pakoda kadhi I learnt from her.
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I was so excited to try this when I heard the recipe because, it had all my favorite in it. The pakwan is crisp factor and do we need anything else?
So this week, instead of linking my old recipes, its a new recipe post with this famous Sindhi Dal Pakwan. She told they make this in Sundays specifically.
Like my Sindhi lunch menu this is also one of my favorite now! Today I made this and gave it to Aj first, he first told he wasn’t hungry seeing that I tried something new. Then I told just taste I will give you later.
When he tasted his first bite, he wanted more and he finished his breakfast too. Later, I gave to Vj he too loved it. No points for guessing that I too loved it.
This had my favorite green chutney, sweet chutney, raw onion combo. So obvious that I loved it. Here! This week breakfast menu is a recipe post by itself. Enjoy and do try it, you are going to love it too, its easy as well.
In this post, I have shared how to make dal pakwan at home. Let's see how to make it.
Recipe card
Sindhi Dal Pakwan
Equipments (Amazon Affiliate links)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Poori (Pakwan)
- 1 cup All purpose flour Maida
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon Oil + for deep frying
Ingredients for Dal
- ¾ cup Chana dal
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 2 tablespoon Oil
To serve
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- Green chutney As needed
- Sweet chutney As needed
Instructions
Dal
- Soak channa dal for atleast an hour (or overnight). Heat a small pressure cooker with 2 teaspoon of oil, add asafoetida, drained dal and give a stir for a minute.
- Add salt, turmeric and 1 & ½ cups water.
- Give 3 whistles and after 3rd whistle keep the flame in low for 5 mins.
- Open the cooker, heat a pan with oil, temper with cumin seeds, switch off the flame and add red chilli powder.
- Add it to the cooked dal. Stir well and heat again to bring it to boil.
- The dal should be half mashed for creaminess and half seen. And adjust water consistency if its too thick.
Pakwan
- For the Pakwan, mix maida, salt, cumin seeds, oil well and add water to make a smooth dough.
- It should not be sticky, it should be a smooth and on tighter side.
- Keep aside for 15 mins and again knead to make it smooth.
- Make equal sized balls out of it.
- Roll each to thick pooris. Prick well everywhere with a fork to prevent puffing.
- Roll everything and repeat the same.
- Heat oil in kadai and put the flame to low.
- Drop the puri one at a time and cook in low flame or medium flame, until the bubble ceases. At no point, the flame should be high.
- The puri should not puff and it should be super crisp like Papdi. So cook for long time in low flame to ensure the colour remains golden, yet the poori turns crisp.
- Once light and crisp, drain over paper towel.
Notes
- You can add a ½ teaspoon amchoor powder, garam masala too in dal while tempering.
- Soaking dal makes it soft textured.
- Prick puris both the sides to prevent them puffing.
- Oil temperature should be maintained moderate to ensure evenly crispy purri.
Stepwise photos
1. Soak chana dal for at least an hour (or overnight). Heat a small pressure cooker firstly with 2 teaspoon of oil, add asafoetida, drained dal and give a stir for a minute.
2. Then add salt, turmeric and 1 & ½ cups water. Give 3 whistles and after that 3rd whistle keep flame in low for 5 mins.
3. Open the cooker. Heat a pan with oil, temper with cumin, switch off the flame and add red chilli powder. Mix it to the cooked dal.
4. Stir well and heat again to bring it to boil. The dal should be half mashed for creamy texture and half seen. And adjust water consistency if its too dry.
Prepare puri
5. For the poori/ Pakwan, mix maida, salt, cumin, oil well and add water to make a smooth dough. It should not be sticky, it should be a smooth and on tighter side.
6. Keep aside for 15 mins and again knead to make it smooth. Then make equal sized balls out of it.
7. Roll each to thick pakwan (puris). Prick well everywhere with a fork to prevent puffing. Roll everything and repeat the same.
8. Heat oil in kadai and put the flame to low. Drop the pakwan one at a time and cook in low flame or medium flame, until the bubble ceases. At no point, the flame should be high.
The puri should not puff and it should be super crisp like Papdi. So cook for long time in low flame to ensure the colour remains golden, yet the puri turns crisp.
Finally drain in paper towel.
Serve with generous dash of sweet chutney, green chutney and chopped onions along dal pakwan.
Sangeetha Nambi
Super tasty dish, love it ! Have a doubt why the ingredient's header says "grilled veg....." Is it a typo ?!
Divs
Mmm Sindhi's really know how to eat. I can imagine how this delicious combo of dal + chat chutneys and crunchy pooris would make for a yummy meal! have to try real soon.
Deepa N
Yes , I agree with you 🙂
Deepa N
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Deepa N
Excellent clicks, good presentation 🙂
Ambika
hi raks
Raks anand
Yeah typo, edited now 🙂
Durga Karthik.
Have never tried Sindhi food.And a best option to finish my Channa dal before my India visit.Thanks.
Niloufer Riyaz
Bought back memories! long time since I made this ! absolutely delicious!!
Hema Srivastava
tasty,tasty
Anjali Swaroop Kiran
Raks it's really time to change tat kadai it too wore out and over used, using tat kadai for cooking food even is unhealthy. So trash it soon. By the way good recipe keep going.
Raks anand
Its not non stick, its indolium used for deep frying alone, that's why it looks like that 🙂 Anyways thank you for your feedback. I will try to find a new one before changing it.
sujatha thamby
Hi Raks,
Tried it...So YUMMMMMMYYYY!!! My family loved it.
Thank you for a precise post and perfect pic.....
My recipe for tomorrow is baked aubergine.will give u the feedback tomorrow
sujatha thamby
Hi Raks,
Tried it.....YUMMMMYYY!!! My family loved it.Thank you.
tomorrow I'm going to try baked aubergine....will let u know tomorrow
gauri thakar
Hi
Veryy nice receipe
can i suggest smth
in puri add little bit of besan and sooji
Hema Srivastava
yum yum
Adesara Sweta
i tried it today its super delicious... my family totally loved it....
swati m
Once I went to a marriage, there I tasted this for the very first time. I was looking for the recipe. Thanks for posting.
Bharathi
Wow Raks, am big fan of you and tried many recipes from your post. Thanks for awesome recipe again��