It’s Seren here, with a recipe that is very close to my heart. Knorr challenged me to create a dish inspired by my Caribbean heritage and memories of childhood with a little twist, and this little beauty is the result. Growing up, I loved eating my mum’s Channa Curry and Dhal Puri Roti – a classic recipe that is based on traditional Indian flavours. Often cooked before special occasions, my mum would spend all day bringing this meal together: cooking the curry and then rolling and frying the roti. Our house would be filled with the smell of spices, and it’s a food memory I will always cherish. My dish is also a celebration of going to school in St Lucia. Dhals were sold in the playground as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack and were always so fresh and delicious. Typically, a yeasted dough is filled with split peas and saltfish and fried until golden. To make my Dhals, I’ve taken inspiration from my mum’s Channa curry dish and added Knorr Veggie Stock to add another depth of flavour to my dish. This combination of flavours is a match made in heaven! The Caribbean is built on fusion food and this combination of dishes calls to that part of our culture. Make Seren’s recipe yourself and buy all the ingredients here
Begin by making your curried chickpea and kale mixture. Dice your onion, ginger and garlic and add to a heavy based pot with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Fry the aromatics until golden brown and have softened on a medium heat. Then add in the spices; curry powder, garam masala and turmeric. Bring the heat down slightly to avoid burning the spices. Add in the drained chickpeas, water, coconut milk and your Knorr Stock Cube. Leave to simmer and reduce the heat.
Once the chickpeas have softened and the curry has reduced, add in your kale and fresh coriander. Turn off the heat and allow the residual heat to steam the kale. The curry should be relatively thick.
While the curry cools, make the dhal dough. In a bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then gently pour in lukewarm water to bring the dough together. Tip the dough into a clean surface and knead gently for 3-4 mins. Place in an oil bowl and allow to rest for 30 mins.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a palm sized round, then stuff with about 2 tbsp of the chickpea and kale curry. Seal by squeezing the edges of the dough together and then using a fork to create a crimp. The dhal should be the shape of a small cornish pasty.
Once you have stuffed all the dhal’s, bring a large pan of oil to 170 degrees and fry until golden brown and the dough has puffed. Remove from the oil and place onto a kitchen towel to drain any excess oil.
Serve the stuffed dhal’s while hot with fresh chutney and hot pepper sauce.
