Bedmi Poori

Bedmi Poori is a popular indian street food in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Coarsely ground urad dal (lentil) paste(pitthi) is kneaded with whole wheat flour, spices and then deep fried to make these crispy flavorful pooris.

If you happen to visit streets of Old Delhi, you will see every other stall selling bedmi poori. Street-side fried pooris are an absolute delight. The irresistible fragrance of spices and lentils permeates the air as they sizzle in hot oil, making it nearly impossible to resist the urge to taste.

Beyond the streets of Old Delhi, I also loved eating these during our journey to Agra at food stalls near the Taj Mahal as well as the quaint lanes of Mathura where they served it in bowls made of palm leaves.

What Is Bedmi Poori

Bedmi poori aloo is a traditional, deep fried flatbread loved for its crispy texture. It is an indulgent breakfast or snack item in north india.This commbination of bedmi puri aloo sabzi is perfect to make on special occasions and festivals.

To make bedmi poori, a coarsely ground urad dal (lentil) paste is kneaded with whole wheat flour (atta) along with spices like fennel, cumin and nigella seeds. The dough is then rolled and then deep fried.

Bedmi Poori are typically served with rasedaar aloo ki sabzi (spicy potato curry) or aloo jhol. This combination is referres to as bedmi- aloo on the streets. For an elaborate spread, serve with green chutney and khatta meetha kaddu (sweet & sour pumpkin). Add a small serving of tamarind chutney for a sweet touch or garlic achar for tang.

These days, bedmi mix is also available in stores, it is quite convenient, however, the taste of scratch made bedmi poori is superior.

Bedmi Poori Vs Traditional Poori

Plain puri is puffed deep fried flatbread popular all across India. Poori dough is made with with atta (whole wheat flour), salt and either ajwain (carrom seeds) or cumin seeds. However, addition of coarse dal paste to the dough makes bedmi pooris taste unique and really delicious! Bedmi poori are crispier than traditional pooris and are also known as urad dal ki poori.

Ingredients

• Atta - Whole wheat flour, easily available in indian grocery stores.
• Urad Lentils - We need split or whole skinless urad lentils.
• Spices - Cumin Seeds(or cumin powder), Nigella Seeds, Fennel Seeds (or fennel powder), Black Pepper Powder, Red Chilli Powder, hing (asafoetida)
• Other Ingredients - Fresh Ginger, green chillies

What kind of lentils can be used

Traditionally, urad lentils are used to make bedmi poori. However, you can use yellow mung lentils or chana dal (bengal gram lentils). Urad lentils make the pooris taste so amazing but at the same time because since they are quite protein rich and heavy lentil variety, they can sometimes lead to bloating.

Thats why adding all the spices(particularly the fennel, hing & ginger) makes them easily digestible as well as super flavorful. It is amazing how these traditional indian recipes have been developed keeping tatse and real nourishment to the body in mind.

How to make Bedmi Poori

Make Dough & Roll Pooris

Bedmi puri recipe is similar to making pooris. The difference is only in preperation of dough. You make a firm (but not dry) spiced lentil and whole wheat flour dough, rest it (super important) and then roll it into 4 or 5 inch discs and deep fry.

• Soak the urad lentils in excess water for at least 4-6 hours.
• Once soaked, drain the water completely.
• Add lentils to a grinder/blender along with ginger, green chilies, cumin, fennel, nigella, red chili powder and hing. Grind the dal to a coarse paste. If needed, add little water (1-3 tablespoon).Dont make a fine paste.

Tip - A thick, slightly coarse dal paste is essential for the right texture. We want that little bits of spices are visible in the ground dal(pitthi).

• Place the atta in a large mixing bowl. Add ground dal, oil and salt. Combine the atta and dal using your hands. The atta will feel a bit sticky.
• Start adding a little water at a time and mixing. Once the flour has moistened, start knead using your knuckles into a firm tight dough. I used about ⅓ cup water. Add water slowly while kneading. Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes to make as smooth as possible. The dough should be firm and not too soft. It should be firmer than regular poori dough.Cover with a damp kitchen toweland let rest for 20 minutes.
• Pinch equal portions from the stiff dough depending on how large/small or thin/thick you want to make pooris. Roll the dough portions into small balls.

Deep Frying

• In a kadai/wide pot, pour oil and place on a medium flame to heat up. We want hot oil but it should not be smoky.
• Without using any dry flour, roll the dough balls one by one into to a small circle (3-4 inch). You can use little oil while rolling if needed. 
• Oil Temperature should be medium-high. When you add the pooris, they should sizzle and puff up immediately. If the oil is not hot enough, the pooris will become greasy. You can check the temperature of oil by adding a small pea sized portion of dough into hot oil, it should sizzle and rise immediately.
• Slide the rolled poori into the hot oil and deep fry till golden brown from both the sides. Gently press the pooris while frying so that they puff up.
• Drain them on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat till all pooris are fried up. Serve.

Recipe Tips

1. Dont use un soaked lentils. This helps in even grinding the dal. However, no need to soak the lentils for more than 4-6 hours. This is a little tip of my mom - who says that this way the pooris don't absorb a lot of oil. I swear by it.
2. Go light handed on spices or green chilies. Certainly, spices make the pooris really tasty, however, they should not cover the taste of lentils.
3. You can add a little bit of sooji (fine semolina) to the dough for added crispness.
4. While rolling the pooris, make sure to roll them of uniform thickeness. Too thin and they may become too crispy, while too thick may not cook evenly.
5. Have patience. Such traditional recipes take a lot of practice to master. Don't be discouraged if your first attempt isn't perfect.