Vegetarian●●●Origin DelhiPrep 30 minutes, plus soaking and standing timeCook 30 minutes
Crisp, flaky puffed breads stuffed with a savoury, spiced urad dal filling. They have a rich, aromatic flavour with warm heat from crushed black pepper and chilli.
Cover 120 g urad dal with water and soak overnight, then drain thoroughly.
Transfer the drained lentils to a food processor and blend into a coarse paste. Stir in the filling spices, 1 teaspoon coarsely crushed peppercorns, and salt to taste, then set the mixture aside.
In a mixing bowl, rub flour and 54 g vegetable oil together. Gradually pour in enough water to bring everything together into a stiff dough, knead thoroughly, and rest for 1 hour.
Knead the dough briefly once more, then divide it into 12 to 14 equal balls. Press an indentation into the centre of each portion, add a spoonful of the spiced dal filling, and pinch the edges closed to seal. Flatten each ball between your palms and gently roll on a board to roughly 8 cm (3 inches) wide.
Warm 456 g vegetable oil for shallow-frying in a kadhai or deep, heavy pan over high heat, then turn the heat down to low. Fry the breads in batches for about 2 minutes until golden brown, turn them over to brown the second side, and transfer with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain.