Name: Dal ka Phara | Dal Fara | Glutenfree and Vegan Lentil Stuffed Steamed Rice Cakes recipe by SHREYA TIWARI at BetterButter
Prep time: 380 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 390 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: For the outer covering: 1+1/2 cup rice flour (I use store bought); Salt to taste (season carefully, as we will season the filling too); 2 tsp refined oil; Warm water as needed to knead a dough; For the filling: 3/4 cup chana dal (split chick pea); 2″ piece fresh ginger; 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves; Salt to taste; 2-3 nos green chillies; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera dana); A pinch of Hing (asafoetida)

ABOUT Dal ka Phara | Dal Fara | Glutenfree and Vegan Lentil Stuffed Steamed Rice Cakes RECIPE

Dal ka phara or fara is a very popular snack if your visiting eastern Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. The ‘pithii’ or the filling is made of ‘chana dal’ a.k.a split chick peas. Alternatively, this filling can also be made with ‘urad dal’ a.k.a skinless white lentils. However, it’s always made using the former in our house. The outer covering that holds the filling in place is made with rice flour a.k.a ‘Chawal ka atta’.

Ingredients Serving: 4

For the outer covering: 1+1/2 cup rice flour (I use store bought)
Salt to taste (season carefully, as we will season the filling too)
2 tsp refined oil
Warm water as needed to knead a dough
For the filling: 3/4 cup chana dal (split chick pea)
2″ piece fresh ginger
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste
2-3 nos green chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera dana)
A pinch of Hing (asafoetida)

Instructions

For the outer covering: In a large mixing bowl, take rice flour and season with some salt.
Then add oil. Slowly, add the warm water a little at a time and make a dough.
This is a gluten free flour, hence the dough will break if much pressure is applied.
Once the dough comes together, cover it with damp kitchen napkin for 15-20 mins so that the dough absorbs enough moisture.
For the filling: Wash the dal well and soak in about 2 cups of water for 5-6 hours.
Next, drain all the water from the soaked dal.
Place the dal in a blender jar. Add very little water, season with salt, ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, cumin seeds and hing. Grind them together until you have a smooth paste.
Remove the paste in a small bowl.
Assembling the phara: Keep a small bowl of water handy and wet your fingers and palms well.
Take a lemon sized ball of the dough.
Using your fingers and palms flatten the dough to a circle of 3″ diameter.
The thickness should be approximately 1/2 cm but not more as they won’t cook well otherwise.
Then place about 1-2 tbsp of the filling in the center of the flattened dough and gently fold over the dough to cover the filling and pinch the edges to secure the filling within.
Do the same for the entire dough and keep the uncooked pharas ready on a plate.
Now, heat about 2 liters of water in a large pot, season it with some salt.
Once it comes to a rolling boil, drop 3-4 pharas at a time. Let them boil on medium flame for about 5-8 mins.
They will float on the top once they are cooked.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the boiled pharas from the water and place them on a plate.
Cut one of them to see if they are cooked, if the dal is set and looks dry, it means the dal and the rice dough are both cooked well.
Serve with spicy green chutney.

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