Dal Pakwan - Sindhi breakfast

Dal Pakwan is a typical Sunday breakfast at Sindhi households.It is a regular dish at weddings and during 'Havan' or 'Pooja'.Moms' love the simplicity of this dish.Children love the crisp texture and tangy flavor of the pakwan.Sindhi Dal pakwan is a dish everyone loves.This is a special Diwali breakfast recipe too in many households.

It is a wonderful brunch for the weekend.We love to enjoy this delicacy with a tall glass of rose sharbat and lassi /buttermilk.

Cut ripe sweet mangoes go well with it, in summer.

Yum and absolutely delicious!

I love making it whenever possible.Easy yet looks sinful.Most people can get them in Sindhi colony at any roadside stall.Just like how Gujarati stalls sell fafda on streets.However,when abroad,you gotta make your own pakwan.Make it and store it in a can for an easy breakfast later.

Sindhi Diaspora and identity

Sindhi diaspora is spread wide across the world.It was inevitable due to incorrigible partition. You can find a Sindhi colony in most cities because no one bothered to give them a state. Neither did they beg for reservation.They have tried their best to preserve their culture,cuisine and language in spite of adversities.

Here is our small contribution in preserving these age old recipes.

Step by step pictures of the recipe

For Pakwan

1. Knead the dough, take a small portion and roll into a thin flatbread, prick it with fork/knife

2. Fry in oil at low heat.keep it aside.

For Dal

3. Soak the lentil in water for 2-3 hours.

4. Cook them in a pot or pressure cooker with salt and turmeric.

5. Put a portion of lentil/dal in the serving bowl, garnish with red chilli powder

6. Add the hot oil tempering with onion,tamarind chutney

Scroll below to read the Sindhi Dal Pakwan recipe

Print Recipe

4.3 from 10 votes

Dal Pakwan

Dal Pakwan is the signature Sindhi breakfast eaten on Sunday.It is specially served as one of the meals during wedding.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Breakfast, Snacks

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: dal pakvan, dal pakwan, sindhi snacks

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For Pakwan:

• 2 cups plain flour/Maida
• ½ tsp cumin/jeera
• 3 tbsp Oil
• ½ tsp carom seeds /Ajwain
• Salt
• Water to knead
• Oil to fry

For the dal

• 1 cup yellow split peas lentils/channa dal
• 2 cups water
• ½ tsp turmeric/haldi
• pinch of asafoetida/heeng
• Salt as per taste

For tempering

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Garnish on the dal

• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 2 tbsp Mango powder/amchur
• 2 tsp Tamarind chutney optional
• Chopped onions

Instructions

For the pakwan:

• In a bowl, combine all ingredients and knead firm dough,It should not be sticky,but a smooth and bit stiff or tight.
• Cover bowl and let dough rest for 15-20 minutes,divide the dough in 10-12 small portions
• Roll out each portion of the dough with a rolling pin and prick it with a fork at regular intervals to prevent puffing.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and deep-fry it on a medium flame until crisp and golden brown on both sides.
• Drain on an absorbent paper.

For the dal

• Soak the dal in water for 2-3 hours
• Pressure cook chana dal with water, turmeric, asafoetida and salt for 3 whistles.

Tempering

• Heat oil in a deep pan.
• Add cumin and let it crackle,add this to the cooked dal.
• garnish with chilly powder and amchur/dried mango powder.
• Serve the dal and pakwan with chopped onions and tamarind or date chutney.

Here are some great Moong dal recipes from our kitchen

• Dal poori 
• Dal ka paratha
• Moong dal halwa
• Moong dal dosa/Pesarattu

Also, click here to see more such Sindhi recipes.

Click here to see additional recipe videos from our youtube channel "secondrecipe".