Bedmi Puri Recipe (Delhi Style Urad Dal Poori)

Bedmi Puri is a traditional North Indian bread, particularly popular in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Made with an unleavened dough of wheat flour, suji (rava) and ground spiced urad dal (black gram) mixture, a classic Bedmi Puri recipe is deep-fried until golden and crispy. Bedmi Poori is also a quintessential street food or festive meal, and is typically served with a Potato Curry and a side of tangy pickles or chutney.

About Bedmi Puri Recipe

Bedmi Puri is a distinctive fried, unleavened bread from Uttar Pradesh, made with whole wheat flour, urad dal paste, roasted ground spices, and fragrant herbs.

Unlike regular poori, a Bedmi Puri recipe has a rich blend of spices and herbs, giving it a unique flavor.

There are 2 methods to prepare Bedmi Poori: either by mixing the urad dal paste and spices directly into the flour or by stuffing cooked lentil paste into rolled dough, similar to making Urad Dal Kachori.

A small amount of semolina (suji/rava) is often added to the dough, along with the urad dal, to enhance the crispiness. The addition of urad dal lends a nutty, earthy taste to the puris.

The process of assembling, rolling, and frying Bedmi Puri is similar to preparing regular Poori or Bengali Luchi.

In my recipe I add the urad dal paste with the whole wheat flour and form the dough. This variation is easier to make than the stuffed variant.

Also note that this Bedmi Puri recipe differs from masala puri, which incorporates only spices into the dough without any lentil paste.

How It Is Made

To make Bedmi Poori recipe, first the urad dal & spice paste is mixed with whole wheat flour.

After mixing these ingredients, the dough is kneaded, divided into small balls, and each ball is rolled evenly with a rolling pin before being deep-fried until puffed and golden.

When incorporating ground urad dal into the flour, do not add any water to form the dough. If needed then only add water and care must be taken to add the water sparingly to prevent the dough from becoming overly soft or sticky.

Once you get the perfect consistency in the dough, you are sorted to make these pooris easily.

Preparations include soaking the urad dal for a few hours, grinding it, and roasting the spices for the stuffing or dough.

This special dish is traditionally served with a spicy potato curry (aloo sabzi) and is enjoyed as a breakfast, snack, or brunch item, though it can also be eaten for lunch.

While typically paired with a robust potato curry, it can also be served with Aloo Chole for a flavorful variation.

How to make Bedmi Puri

Soak Urad Dal

1. Rinse ½ cup of husked and split urad dal a couple of times in water. Soak the lentils in 1½ cup water overnight or for 4 to 5 hours.

Later, drain all the water really well and set the soaked lentils aside. You could also rinse the soaked lentils a few times in water, if you prefer.

Remember to drain lentils thoroughly. Excess water in the lentils will result in the dough becoming too loose and difficult to handle.

Roast Spices

2. You will need the following spices:

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 to 2 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 green cardamom

3. On low heat, in small frying pan, dry roast/toast these whole spices together for about 2 minutes or until lightly fragrant. Ensure not to burn them.

4. Add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and ½ teaspoon chopped green chilies (or 1 green chili) and sauté for a couple of seconds on low heat.

5. Turn off the heat and add ⅛ teaspoon (or about 2 to 3 pinches) asafoetida/hing, 1 teaspoon red chili powder and 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), optional.

6. Mix well and let the spices and herbs mixture cool at room temperature.

Make Lentil Dough

7. Add the soaked urad dal in a grinder or blender. Ensure there is no water in the soaked urad lentils.

Next, add the roasted/toasted spices and herbs.

8. Add ½ cup water and grind to semi-fine paste. Do not make the paste too coarse or too fluffy like that when making Dahi Vada or Medu Vada.

9. Add this ground lentil paste to 2 cups whole wheat flour (240 grams) in a large mixing bowl.

Also, add 1 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur) and 1 teaspoon salt or according to taste.

10. Mix and combine the ingredients with a spoon.

11. Next, add ¼ cup fine rava or sooji and 1 tablespoon ghee or oil.

12. Mix again and knead to a semi-soft dough. The dough should be stiff and yet soft & pliable.

Remember not to add any water while kneading the dough. But if your dough looks dry and floury, add water bit by bit and knead until you get the right consistency.

If the dough looks sticky, then add some flour and knead again.

Cover the kneaded dough with a moist cotton napkin and set it aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Assemble & Shape Dal Puri

13. Heat oil as needed for deep frying in a kadai or wok.

Portion lemon-sized balls from the dough and roll them between your palms to make them even.

14. Flatten a dough ball with your fingers and spread oil on both sides of the dough ball.

With a rolling pin, roll evenly to a 4 to 5 inches round disc.

15. You can opt to roll the dough balls and cover them with a moist cotton napkin, before you fry them.

Alternatively, you can roll the dough and fry the puris side by side. 

Fry Bedmi Poori

16. Place the rolled dough gently into the hot oil. The oil should be moderately hot.

17. Let the puri begin to puff up. Gently press and nudge with a spider spoon or slotted spoon while frying so that the puri puffs nicely in the hot oil.

18. Carefully, turn over, when one side is golden and fry the second side until golden.

19. Once the Bedmi Puri is evenly fried and golden, remove with the spider spoon or slotted spoon.

Avoid flipping the puri many times during frying. Flip them only once for the both sides and fry until crispy and golden.

20. Drain on paper towels.

Similarly, fry the remaining puri in batches. Remember to fry these puris in medium hot oil.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Bedmi Puri hot or warm with your choice of potato curry. You can also serve with Chana Masala.

These uniquely spiced pooris are traditionally enjoyed with a satvik, no onion no garlic potato curry or gravy.

Some good satvik options to try are:

– Aloo Rasedar
– Dum Aloo Banarasi
– Aloo Ki Sabji

By the side, you can serve some lemon wedges, chopped tomatoes, cucumber and either lemon or mango pickle.

You can also enjoy these spiced Urad Dal Puri with your evening Chai.

Storage

If you are unable to serve these puris hot, store them in an air-tight container to be enjoyed later on the same day. They won’t be that crispy but will taste nice.

On refrigeration, these pooris may become chewy or dense, so I would suggest to eat them on the same day and not refrigerate.

Expert Tips

• The Perfect Dough: Make sure to knead the dough to a semi-soft texture. It has to be stiff and yet soft, smooth & pliable. A hard dough will make the puris dry and chewy. A soft dough will make it difficult to roll, leading to an unevenly rolled puri, which on frying, will soak more oil. The puri also won’t puff and will have unevenly fried edges.
• Spices: You can adjust the quantity of ground spices accordingly. Roast the spices until they are lightly fragrant.
• Urad Dal: Use lentils which are in their shelf period and are not old. Grind the soaked dal to a semi-fine consistency. Do not make the lentil paste too coarse or too fine.
• Resting Dough: It is important to rest the dough for a minimum time of 20 minutes or until 30 minutes. This helps to roll the dough evenly which in turn later helps the puri to puff.
• Oil Temperature: Ensure to fry in medium hot oil. If the oil is warm, the puri will become soggy and loaded with oil. If the oil is very hot, the puri will brown more and the inside portion of the dough may remain undercooked. 
• Scaling: This Bedmi Puri recipe can be scaled to make for small or large servings.

Bedmi Puri & Braj Cuisine

Bedmi Puri is often prepared without onions and garlic, making it a key part of Braj cuisine, which is celebrated for its satvik dishes free from these ingredients.

Braj (also known as Vraj, Brijbhumi or Brij) encompasses regions in North India, including parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, with Mathura and Vrindavan at its heart. These areas are deeply associated with the legends of Lord Krishna and Radha.

Key features of this regional cuisine include:

• Focus on simple, wholesome, and flavorful dishes made with fresh, local ingredients.
• Heavy use of dairy products like ghee, butter, curd, and milk, reflecting the love for dairy in Krishna’s stories.
• Spices like hing (asafoetida), fennel seeds, cloves, tej patta, cinnamon, cumin, and black pepper are used to enhance flavor without overpowering.

Apart from Bedmi Poori, other popular dishes from Braj cuisine include Mathura Peda, Dubki Wale Aloo, Hing Kachori, Petha, Vrindavani Arbi, and more.

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