Briani & Dholl Puri

Today, I prepared a healthy and hearty, Indian-inspired Mauritian meal that's not only fun to make but is also fun to eat: Briani with Dholl Puri. My sincere thanks once again to the Philippes, who also shared their recipes for these dishes with Mauritius Food Recipes, a site that's chock full of wonderful ideas for every meal from breakfast to dessert.

Dholl puri (a.k.a dhall puri or dholl poori) are the closest thing I could find to a national dish for Mauritius. Dholl refers to the peas that are blended into dough that's then used to make the thin, circular bread called puri. The chef, who makes them in this very handy YouTube video I found, claims dholl puri are among the most popular foods on the island. The puri may seem complicated but, really, they're not. So, be brave and you'll be rewarded - they're absolutely delicious!

These flat breads are typically used as both the dish and utensils for eating curry on the go, so I chose briani-style curry. (The briani recipe I referenced is a baked dish, layered with basmati rice, but I modified it to a stove-top version that we can eat with the puri.)

Mauritians often eat curry with chutneys and pickles. A favorite is coriander chutney, made with lots of fresh cilantro. We were given several Indian chutneys and pickles in a gift basket for Christmas, so we used those, but there are many easy recipes available if you decide to make your own.

There are only two of us, but I made the full recipe for each dish. If you pack them carefully, separating each piece with parchment paper and sealing them tightly with foil, the puri freeze well. So, we'll be able to thaw and enjoy them at a later date!

To make the dholl puri, boil 1 pound of yellow split peas in 2 cups of water with a ¼ tsp each of ground turmeric and salt for about 15 minutes, then take them off the heat and let sit for an hour. Don't let them get sticky or they won't grind well; they should be easily chewed but still have some bite to them. Drain the peas thoroughly, but save the water. Using a food processor, grind the peas, 2 tsp of ground cumin and a pinch of salt till you achieve a dry, grainy consistency.

In a large mixing bowl, slowly add the reserved water to about 4-5 cups of flour and blend till you get a pliable (but not sticky) dough. Cover it with a towel and set it aside in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. Then, pinch off some dough (about the size of a golf ball), create a well in it, and insert about 1 tsp of the pea mixture. Close the dough around the peas, dredge it in flour, and roll it out as thin as you can. Keep the board well floured and don't push too hard with the rolling pin.

In a large, hot skillet sprayed lightly with non-stick spray, cook each puri for about 30 seconds, flipping once, till slightly puffy and lightly browned on each side. The puri need to remain flexible, so be careful not to overcook them.

While the dough was resting, I prepared the briani:

Oil
2 onions, thinly sliced into strips
1 lb. beef, cut into small, bite-sized chunks
2 Tbsp garlic-ginger paste*
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 oz fat-free plain Chobani Greek style yogurt
1 cup water, wine or broth
1 tsp garam masala
1 bay leaf

¼ cup fat-free half-and-half
1 cup peas and diced carrots, thawed (if using frozen)

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, for garnish

*To make this paste, combine 1 Tbsp each garlic and fresh ginger that's been grated using a microplane. If you don't have a microplane, finely mince each and smash with a spoon or mortar-and-pestle till pasty.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the onions till slightly softened. Add the cumin seeds and garlic-ginger paste and sauté till the onions are crispy. Add the beef, keeping the pan fairly hot, and sear on all sides. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then, add the yogurt, water/wine/broth, garam masala and bay and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 45 minutes till most of the liquid has been absorbed and the meat is tender. (If the meat cooks before the liquid reduces, take out the meat and boil the liquid till it's think and creamy, then return the meat to the pan.) Add the half-and-half, herbs, peas and carrots, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Enjoy your briani by spooning some onto a dholl puri (along with your chutney and pickle) and folding it into quarters so that the bread forms a pocket around the curry. No utensils required! That made this meal fun and delicious!