Mung Dhal Parcel

This recipe was inspired by the traditional Indian Samosa. Samosas are a baked or fried parcel containing a potato-based filling. In this recipe, I use mung dhal as a substitute for the potato in the hopes of creating a healthier alternative. I elected to use mung dhal as it a very fragrant and flavourful dhal.

Mung dhal is available in most Indian grocery stores. I use the skin removed whole dhal version for this recipe. I also roasted the mung dhal to release its fragrant aroma.

This recipe makes 20 parcels. You can make the parcels and freeze them for future use. Just ensure the parcels are defrosted to room temperature before baking them.

Ingredients

Serve: 20 parcels
(Vegetarian, Vegan - if the pastry is vegan)

½ cup mung dhal
1 large carrot
½ cup frozen peas
1 medium sized onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon salt
5 sheets of puff or short cut pastry


Preparation

1. Mung dhal: Roast the mung dhal for 20 minutes in a large saucepan on low heat. Stir the mung dhal often to avoid burning the mung dhal.
2. After roasting, cook the mung dhal for 30 minutes with 2 cups of water until it is tender. Add more water if required. Once the mung dhal is tender, drain any excess water.
3. Carrot: Dice the carrots into ½ cm size.
4. Onion: Finely chop the onion.

Cooking the filling

1. Vegetable oil & onion: Heat the vegetable oil on low flame in a large saucepan. Cook the onion until it's fragrant, about 3-5 min.
2. Carrot: Add carrot and cook until tender, about 5-10 min.
3. Peas: Add the peas and cook for a few minutes.
4. Spices: Add the turmeric, chili powder (if using), cumin and coriander powder and salt. Mix well and cook for a few minutes.
5. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).

Making the parcel

1. Heat the oven to 200C. (The pastry I used cooks well at 200C. The packaging on the pastry would suggest the optimal oven temperature to cook the pastry).
2. Cut each piece of pastry into four square pieces.
3. For each square, spoon about 1½ tablespoons of filling on to it's centre. Fold the pastry in half to make a triangular parcel. Seal the parcel well using a fork to press down on the sides of the parcel. (see picture below)
4. Bake the parcel for 20 minutes. I turn the parcel once half way through to ensure the pastry is cooked evenly on both sides.

Seal the parcel well using a fork to press down on the sides of the parcel