Originating in India, this simple wrapper of yellow peas has become a popular street food in Mauritius. Dholl Puri, like South Africa’s Bunny Chow, is a somber reminder of the 19th-century enslaved Indian laborers living in Mauritius.
Although I was fortunate enough to enjoy the Dholl Puri specially prepared for me at the Domaine de Grand Baie by Madame Ajnisha Ungnoo, she is the only female chef on the island to win the Concours des Meilleurs Ouvriers de Maurice; the best way to truly experience the dish The best way is on the streets of Mauritius. Ajnisha Ungnoo of Indian origin excels at adding flavour to this lovely spicy dish, and every bite will leave you curious about the origins of the now famous Mauritian Dholl Puri.
Dholl Puri is a popular Mauritian street food, and as its name suggests, it has an important connection to India. The backstory of this dish is reminiscent of indentured laborers who migrated from India to Mauritius in the 1800s. Domaine de Grand Baie chef Ajnisha Ungnoo is an expert on Mauritian cuisine. We were discussing Mauritian food when the famous Dholl Puri came along. Ungnoo recounts the origin of the meal. For a week or so, indentured laborers were given a fixed portion of food and fresh water. Given the scarcity of fresh water, their families combine the dough with the water used to prepare the dough.
Some dal will always go into the dough making a flatbread with dal. However, in today’s Dholl Puri, the paratha is filled with crushed chana dal mixture. Despite its name, this flatbread is not fried. Instead, it’s prepared on a Tava or griddle. Curry with toppings on a pair of spreadable buns. Some speculate that Bhojpuri-speaking Indian workers brought the delicacy to the country more than a century ago.
Not surprisingly, it resembles an Indian wrap flatbread like Navratan Paratha. Among other variations, Maharashtrian Puran Poli is a sweetened version of Dholl Puri, while buss-up-shot is a Trinidadian variety of the same meal, very similar in impression to Dholl Puri. Ungnoo also explains why the flatbread is made with refined flour. Wheat flour is shipped from India, although it often spoils. Maida (refined flour) performs better on the go because it has a longer shelf life. This is probably why maida is still used in almost all Indian-inspired recipes in Mauritian cuisine.
Although Ungnoo presents Indian cuisine in a luxurious setting, she notes that eating Dholl Puri alone is difficult because it is very dry, has a crumbly texture and has minimal flavor. So it’s a street meal that relies entirely on ingredients like Creole tomato ragu, pickles or pineapple pickles, all of which improve the palatability of the dish and make it easier to eat without sticking to the throat . She told me that the locals prefer it with rice pudding, which is an Indian Kheer and Halwa.
Mauritian chefs add their own creative touches to the meal, such as onions, peppers or cilantro to spice it up. It’s also not uncommon to buy a bunch of Dholl Puris from the nearest vendor and take them home to eat with homemade curries and kimchi. Served in roadside shacks or in glass boxes delivered by bike, this price-sensitive meal has few variants. But you’ll notice that the flavors of this street food are consistent throughout the island nation. Without a doubt, this is a must-try dish when you visit Mauritius. According to Ajnisha Ungnoo’s sampler in and around Port Louis, try the Dholl puri at the central market in Flic en Flac.
These Dal Puris are sold wrapped in paper on the streets of Mauritius along with soda water. Dholl Puri, also known as Chana Puri, is an easy-to-prepare dish. Because it is delicious and filling, the dish is loved by locals and tourists alike. Boiled yellow peas (chana dal) are mashed into powder and used as the filling for this daal roti. Here’s how to make the best Dholl Puri in your own kitchen.
Dough Ingredients:
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You can use all-purpose flour, but adding a pinch or two of whole-wheat flour will provide more fiber and work well for binding.
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The dough is usually made with lentils boiled in water, but plain water can also be used.
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Season with salt and oil
Filling material:
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Split Yellow Peas (chana dal)
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Cumin powder
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turmeric
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pepper or paprika
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season with salt
How to make Dholl Puri:
Soak chana dal for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain the lentils. In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and water. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and continue to cook the lentils until they are cooked through. Drain the cooking liquid and set aside. Let the cooked dal cool completely on a large plate. After cooling, mix with ground cumin and salt to make a smooth powder. Make the dough while the lentils are cooling. Combine flour, salt, and turmeric in a mixing bowl.
Add oil and reserved dal cooking water. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead into a soft, malleable dough. Roll out 10 lemon-sized balls from the mixture. Let stand for 15-20 minutes, cover with lid. Cut the dough into equal-sized pieces. Make a depression in the center and flatten them into a disc. Place the ball of dough into the indentation and wrap the filling with the end of the dough. Flatten lightly. Repeat the process using the remaining dough and filling. To prevent the filling dough from sticking together, sprinkle with flour.
Roll each wrapped dough into thin scones on a lightly floured work surface—the thinner the better. Place the packaged Rotis on a heated griddle or Tawa. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned and small brown spots appear on both sides. While cooking, brush with oil. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and dal.
This type of flatbread is available in various forms in several African countries.
