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Radhaballavi
Dal-stuffed puris
রাধাবল্লভী: soft Bengali puris stuffed with a fennel-scented urad dal filling, for aloo dum at a wedding breakfast (plus 4 hours soaking)
Named after Radhaballabh, a name of Krishna, these stuffed puris are said to have begun as a temple offering, and they are now what Bengali families serve on a festive morning: at a wedding breakfast, on Janmashtami, or bought hot from a Kolkata sweet shop with a bowl of aloo dum and a sweet like rosogolla or chhanar jilipi on the side. Soaked urad dal is ground coarse and fried dry with ginger, fennel, cumin and hing, then sealed in a soft maida dough, rolled thin and fried until it balloons. The puris are softer and more delicate than kachori, with a thin layer of spiced dal through the middle. They are vegan here, fried in oil; many sweet shops fry them in ghee, which is fine if you do not need them dairy-free. Common mistake: a damp filling, which turns to steam in the oil and bursts the dough; cook it until it is completely dry and crumbly. Chef's tip: roll with gentle pressure from the centre outwards and leave the edges a touch thicker, so the filling cannot push through.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 3 ½ oz split skinned urad dalsoaked for 4 hours
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp fennel seedslightly crushed
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- ¾ in gingergrated
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp roasted ground cumin
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour (maida)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ cup lukewarm waterabout
For frying
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower oilfor deep frying
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain 3 ½ oz split skinned urad dal well and grind it to a coarse, grainy paste with no water, pulsing in short bursts.
3 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp fennel seeds and ½ tsp cumin seeds and let them sizzle, then ¼ tsp asafoetida, ¾ in ginger and 1 green chilli.
1 minStep 3: Add the dal paste, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp roasted ground cumin, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp sugar. Cook on a low-medium heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, for 10–12 minutes until it is completely dry, crumbly and no longer sticks to the pan. Spread on a plate to cool.
12 minStep 4: Meanwhile rub ½ tsp salt and 2 tbsp sunflower oil into 9 oz plain flour (maida) until it holds when squeezed. Add ½ cup lukewarm water gradually and knead to a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
25 minStep 5: Divide the dough into 12 balls and the filling into 12 portions. Flatten a ball into a 6 cm cup, add a portion of filling, gather the edges, pinch to seal and pull off any excess dough at the top.
10 minStep 6: Roll each, sealed side down, on a lightly oiled board into a 10–11 cm round, with gentle pressure so the filling stays inside. Keep the rolled puris under a cloth.
10 minStep 7: Heat 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a kadhai over a medium-high heat until a pinch of dough rises at once (about 350°F). Slide in one puri, press it gently with a slotted spoon until it puffs, turn and fry for 30–40 seconds more until pale gold. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat.
15 minStep 8: Serve hot with Kolkata aloo dum or cholar dal.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does radhaballavi take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of fennel seeds?
- Aniseeds, same amount (a stronger liquorice taste).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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