Indian
Gluten freeDal panniye
Maize flour breads baked in leaves
दाल पानिये: Bhil maize-flour breads baked between leaves over embers, served with dal
Panniye are the festive breads of the Bhil communities of Jhabua and Alirajpur in western Madhya Pradesh, made for weddings, Bhagoria and harvest gatherings. Thick maize-flour discs are pressed between palash or banana leaves and baked over cow-dung embers until smoky and crisp outside, then served with a garlicky dal and ghee. At home you can bake them on a tawa and finish in the oven. The common mistake is rolling the dough too thin, so it dries out and cracks before it cooks through. Chef's tip: knead the maize dough with warm water and a little curd and let it rest; it holds together much better.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 520 kcal
Ingredients
For the panniye
- 10 ½ oz makki ka atta (fine maize meal)
- 3 tbsp plain yoghurt (curd)
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- ¾ cup warm water
- 4 pieces banana leavesabout 20 cm square, wiped
For the dal
- 5 ½ oz toor and urad dal mixrinsed
- 3 cups water
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 5 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pressure-cook 5 ½ oz toor and urad dal mix with 3 cups water and ¾ tsp salt for 4 whistles until soft. Whisk smooth.
15 minStep 2: Mix 10 ½ oz makki ka atta (fine maize meal), 3 tbsp plain yoghurt (curd), ¾ tsp salt and 1 green chilli, then knead with ¾ cup warm water, a little at a time, for 3 minutes to a soft dough. Rest 10 minutes.
13 minStep 3: Divide into 4. Pat each into a 1.5 cm thick disc between two pieces of 4 pieces banana leaves.
5 minStep 4: Cook the leaf parcels on a hot tawa over medium-low heat for 6–7 minutes a side until the leaves char and the bread feels firm. Heat the oven to 400°F.
14 minStep 5: Peel off the leaves and bake the panniye directly on the oven rack for 8–10 minutes until crusty and lightly spotted.
10 minStep 6: For the tadka, heat 2 tbsp ghee, fry 1 tsp cumin seeds and 5 garlic cloves until golden, add 1 tsp red chilli powder and pour over the hot dal. Serve with the broken panniye.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dal panniye take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of plain yoghurt (curd)?
- Greek yoghurt loosened with a little milk.
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
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