Dholl Puri

Dholl Puri is a traditional food from the African island of Mauritius. Dholl is the word for legumes, like lentils, peas, or chickpeas, similar to the words for legumes in many South Asian and Middle Eastern countries (dahl, dal, etc...). Puri, a skillet-cooked flat bread, is also common in the same regions, particularly India. I added the recipes for two great condiments, a yogurt sauce and sauteed onion filling.

Dholl Puri

Dholl Puri:
2 c. white flour (plus extra for sprinkling)
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water plus a few tablespoons, as needed
1 c. cooked, pureed yellow peas, lentils, or chickpeas
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Sauteed Onions:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lg. onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. coriander
pinch of cinnamon
1 c. sweet white wine

Yogurt Sauce:
1/4 c. yogurt
1/4 c. sour cream
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lemon

Combine flour, turmeric, and salt. Add water until dough is soft and supple (consistency of pizza dough). Separate dough into eight balls and let rest 1/2 hour. To roll out, flatten each ball into a disk, fill with 2 tbsp legume paste and close dough around paste. Flatten into a disk again, coat thoroughly with flour, and roll out with rolling pin until puri is as thin as possible. Brush a large skillet over medium heat with a bit of the oil, and brush the top of the puri with more oil. Cook dholl puri until edges look dry, and flip. Keep cooked puri wrapped in foil in a heated oven until ready to serve.

For onions: Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until they begin to brown. Add garlic and spices. Cook for 1 minute. Carefully pour in wine, and simmer until no liquid is left. Let each person fill the dholl puri with onions, and serve with cilantro yogurt.

For yogurt: Combine all ingredients.

Serve dholl puri with yogurt and onions. Stack two puri, fill puri with onions, fold in half twice and dip in yogurt sauce, to eat dholl puri tradtionally.