Step by step photos are here
Yellow Split Peas (~1kg)
Wash peas in cold running water (no need to soak)
Strain peas and place in large pan of water (no salt)
Add 1teaspoon of tumeric to the water and stir in well. Bring the pan to the boil.
Check the texture of the peas - should be soft but firm (you are not making dhal). so that it can be ground. Stir occasionally while peas simmer, peel some garlic cloves.
Prepare self-raising flour (~800g) and baking powder.
Check the peas after 10 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms. Sift the flour with 2-25 teaspoons of baking powder, mix well and then add some salt.
After 20 minutes, check the peas (try biting one) - should be soft enough to bite through, but still firm - could be 25 minutes.
When the peas are ready, strain them.
Add some oil to the flour (about 2-3 teaspoons) and mix together by hand until it is almost dry again.
Add (800ml - 1litre cold water, a bit at a time to make an 'elastic' dough (be careful not to make it too wet).
If it sticks to your hands its too wet.
Cover the dough in cling film whilst you grind the peas.
Set up a food mill/ grinder and grind the cooked peas in batches (if using whole cumin seeds, add them to the peas to be ground at the same time). Add 3-4 garlic cloves to the peas to be ground at the same time. Aiming for quite a fine consistency. When all the of the peas are ground put them in a very large bowl and season well with black pepper, ground (roasted) cumin and salt (~ 1 tablespoon) - check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Ground peas should be quite dry but if they are too dry, but if they are too dry and some oil to moisten them.
(At this stage the ingredients can be left to rest)
Put some oil in a flat bottomed saucer and place a flat-bottomed glass in it.
Prepare a teatowel over another plate.
Divide the dough into clementine sized rounds.
Lightly flour the rounds to stop them from sticking and leave them to rest for a while.
Lightly flour a spare plate.
Take each round and flatten it out with a circular motion - use more flour to keep it dry.
Cup a flattened round in the palm of your hand (the round should be around 6 inches across) and pack some of the pea mixture into it.
Draw the sides up to form a pasty and then pinch the edges together.
Pinch the edges well together. Press onto the plate to seal into a round dumpling shape.
Don't prepare too many filled rounds at once (let them rest, but not for too long).
Heat a large flat griddle (tawwa) over a high heat (then drop to medium).
Take a filled round and roll it out to around 8 inches diameter.
Use the glass to wet the griddle with oil.
Place the flat round onto the hot oil - put more oil on to the dry side - and turn it over. Push the dhal around for a few seconds and turn again. It should start to swell. Turn again and push to stop in burning - allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
If you find one with a hole, block the hole to allow the steam to inflate the pouri.
Keep the cooked pouri warm in a tea towel.
(the rounds need to be well sealed to make sure that none of the dhal escapes).
Any unused dhal mixture can be frozen or used for soup.
Photos showing the whole process are here
