Dal Puri (Mauritius)
Dal Puri, the national dish of Mauritius, is a flavorful flatbread filled with seasoned yellow split peas, offering a delicious fusion of Indian and Creole influences that define Mauritian cuisine. Thank you Shelina Permalloo for assisting me with this recipe!
Ingredients
- 100g yellow split peas, soaked in water overnight with 1 tsp ground turmeric 700ml water
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 250g plain flour
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying pinch of salt
Step 1
Drain the yellow split peas and place them in a large pan with water and ground turmeric. Bring to a boil and cook until the peas just begin to break up, about 25 minutes. Drain the peas, reserving the cooking liquid, and transfer the peas to a food processor or blender. Blend until you achieve a very fine paste.
Step 2
Combine the flour, oil, salt, and approximately 150ml of the reserved cooking water in a large bowl and mix well. Knead the mixture until it forms a pliable dough (you may need to add more water if necessary). Let the dough rest in a pre-oiled bowl, covered with a damp cloth, for about 20-30 minutes.
Step 3
After the dough has rested, take a piece about the size of a small plum and roll it into a ball using the palm of your hand. Create a small indentation in the centre of the ball and add a teaspoon of the yellow split pea paste. Carefully fold the dough over the paste and reshape it into a ball. Use a rolling pin to flatten the ball into a circle about 15-20 cm in diameter.
Step 4
Heat a skillet or large frying pan until it starts to smoke. Brush the base of the pan with vegetable oil using a pastry brush.
Step 5
Place the rolled-out dough directly onto the pan and cook until it puffs up and develops air pockets, which should take between 30 seconds and 1 minute. Flip the bread and cook the other side in the same way. Continue this process until all the bread is cooked.