A few years back my husband and I took wine classes at the Devine Wine Emporium in Niantic CT. Ken, the wine educator started the 6 weekend long class saying (and I am paraphrasing here) “Good wine is like a trip down memory lane. Each layer of aroma and flavor is transcending, taking you back to a memory”. Good food has the exact same effect on me.

This dish brings back numerous good memories. My dad coming back from his evening walks with a bag of fresh green peas, all of us helping with peeling pea pods, eating half of it in the process, chit chat, laughter and so much more fun. And the fact that my husband absolutely loves this (Even learnt to say it like a bengali) is an added bonus.

Hope that you make some wonderful memories of your own while trying out this recipe.

Traditionally this is made in winters (because fresh green peas are available in abundance in the season) for breakfast and served with Aloor Dom (potato curry). Husband likes to eat this as is, so I usually don’t make the potato curry, unless entertaining.

Time for Prep: 30 mins     Time to Cook: 30 mins    Yield: 10 Kochuri     Level: Medium

Ingredients:

For the puri:

• 1.5 cups All purpose flour or whole wheat flour or a combination of both.
• 1/2 cup warm water (Plus more if needed)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil or clarified butter (I prefer using Clarified butter)

For the stuffing:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp pepper corn
• 4-5 dry red chili
• 1/4 tsp asafetida
• salt to taste

Process:

Poori dough if making by hand: (I make it in the food processor)

1. Sieve the flour. Make a well in the center and add salt and oil/Ghee. Mix it together till it looks like crumbles
2. Once again make a well in the center and pour warm water, little at a time to make a soft dough.
3. Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 30 mins to an hour.

Stuffing:

1. Wash and clean green peas in water, if using frozen peas then thaw them first.
2. Put the peas in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 5 – 6 mins or until cooked. This can be done on stovetop by adding the peas to a heated heavy bottom pan and steam it. Set it aside to cool.
3. Heat a non-stick sauce pan and add the cumin, fennel, pepper corn and dry red chillies to it. Dry roast them for 3-4 mins. Set it aside to cool.
4. Corse grind the spice mix in a coffee grinder.
5. In a food processor add the green peas and pulse them. Mix in the spice mix, salt and asafetida.
6. If the stuffing is wet, dry it out by cooking it a little in a non-stick pan

Assembling or putting it all together:

1. Make small balls from the dough
2. Take one ball at a time, press gently with your thumb to make it bigger and flatter. Be careful not to make the center to thin. Make it bigger by gently streching at the edges.
3. Add a ball of filling to each flattened ball, bring together the edges to seal the stuffing inside.
4. Grease your work surface and roll out the stuffed balls. Be careful not make any cracks by over stretching the dough.

Cooking:

1. Deep fry each stuffed puri one at a time.
2. Gently slide the rolled puri in hot oil. It will go to the bottom first and then slowly float up.
3. Gently press the center with a spatula. Two things will happen at this stage: The puri will puff and will turn golden brown, flip and let the other side get some color too. Remove when it gets a golden brown color and place on paper towels to rid off the excess oil.

Serve them hot!

Note:

• The stuffing needs to be dry or it will be really difficult to roll them out.