Halwa Puri Recipe

The night before, wash the chickpeas and soak them in plenty of water.

⏱ 480 min

Drain the chickpeas and boil them in the 5 cups of water with the pinch of baking soda until soft enough to crush between your fingers. In a pressure cooker this takes about 15 minutes. Keep the cooking water.

⏱ 45 min

Meanwhile mix the maida, salt and 2 tbsp oil, rubbing the oil in with your fingers. Add the water gradually and knead into a firm but smooth dough, stiffer than roti dough. Cover and rest.

⏱ 30 min

For the chanay masala, heat the oil, crackle the cumin, then fry the onion until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, salt and the powdered spices and bhuno until the oil separates.

⏱ 10 min

Add the boiled chickpeas with about 2 cups of their water. Mash a handful against the side of the pot to thicken the gravy, add the green chillies and simmer on low heat until thick but still pourable.

⏱ 15 min

For the halwa, boil the 3 cups of water with the sugar and food colour until the sugar dissolves, and keep it hot.

⏱ 5 min

In a heavy pan, warm the ghee with the cardamom, add the sooji and roast on low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and turns light golden.

⏱ 8 min

Standing back, pour the hot syrup into the sooji (it will splutter) and stir hard to stop lumps. Cook, stirring, until it thickens and the ghee starts to show at the edges, while it is still soft and loose. Add the almonds, cover and keep warm.

⏱ 5 min

Heat the frying oil in a karahi on medium-high heat. Divide the dough into 12 balls and roll each into a 5-inch circle with a smear of oil instead of dry flour.

⏱ 5 min

Slide one puri into the hot oil and press it gently with the back of a slotted spoon until it puffs. Turn and fry until light golden, then drain. Fry the rest one by one and serve at once with the halwa and chanay.

⏱ 1 min