Radhaballavi
Radhaballavi is a classic Bengali delicacy! Often served during festive occasions, Radhaballavi is a fluffy, stuffed puri (deep-fried bread) filled with a spiced urad dal (black gram) mixture.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1.5 cups Urad Dal (no skin split black gram)
- 1.5 inch Fresh ginger
- 3 Green chilies
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 tablespoon Nigella seeds
- 2 tablespoon Mustard oil
For the dough
- 1.5 Cups All Purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fennel Powder
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- Water to make the dough
Other Ingredients
- Vegetable oil To fry the stuffed bread
Instructions
Make the filling
- Wash and soak the Urad dal in enough water for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Once it's soaked and puffed enough, discard the water and blend to make a course texture thick paste. Add water if needed, but avoid adding too much water.
- Using a motor pestle, pound the ginger, green chili, fennel seeds and little salt.
- Place a heavy bottom skillet in medium heat and pour the mustard oil. Once the oil heats up, add the nigella seeds. Stir it around for a few seconds to release the aroma.
- Add the pounded ginger and chili along with asafoetida and stir it around. Cook for 2 minutes or release the aroma.
- Lower the heat to medium low and add the lentil paste. Sprinkle salt and cumin powder. Now stir and cook the mixture until all the moisture is gone and it comes together as a dough.
- The filling is ready and once it's cooled it can be used to stuff to make the fried bread, or you can store it for a few days in the refrigerator.
Prepare the Dough
- In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, sugar, nigella seeds, and fennel powder. Give it a mix.
- Pour oil and mix it around to incorporate the oil all over. Hold a small portion of the flour in your fist and if it holds shape, it is ready for the next step. If the shape doesn't hold, pour a little more oil and mix it around.
- Next, pour water little by little to make a smooth dough. Once the dough is ready, rub a little oil on it and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest for 30 to 40 minutes.
- After the dough is well rested, divide the dough into small portions. Let the small portions rest for 10 minutes.
Filling and Frying the bread
- Take one small portion of the dough and flatten it out. You can either roll it gently or just use your hand to press and rotate. Try to keep it in an even layer as you spread it out.
- Fill the center with some of the filling and then bring the edges together to seal tight. Be gentle as you do this step, as you want the filling to stay inside and burst out.
- Next, roll the stuffed dough using gentle pressure. You can either run a little oil or flour as you roll the dough out. It doesn't have to be a perfect circle, but just try to keep it evenly rolled out so it cooks evenly in hot oil.
- Pour enough oil in a heavy bottom wok and bring the oil to high heat. It should be at, 360F to 375F. One good way to test if the oil is hot enough or not is by dipping the wooden stick in hot oil and if you see bubbles showing up around the stick as soon as it is dipped, the oil is ready.
- Very gently and carefully, slide the stuffed dough. The oil will start to sizzle and within a few seconds the rolled dough with puff up. If the dough is rolled evenly and the filling didn't burst out, then the hot air will pass though evenly, making the rolled bread puffed perfectly. Flip and fry for a few more seconds. Take radhabhallavi off the hot oil using a slotted spoon and place it on a wire rack for it to cool down a little bit before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 1276kcalCarbohydrates: 164gProtein: 21gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 35gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 5116mgPotassium: 413mgFiber: 13gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 12mg