The dahl puri is called by some the “social security” of Mauritius. In tough times, the dahl puri has been known to nourish many an empty stomach when food was scarce and pockets empty. Today the flourishing sale of dahl puris can be seen at street corners of every major city. Heaped high in custom-made glass cases, you’ll be served a pair of dahl puris with a scoop of “ curried gros pois” (white lima beans) and a spoonful of pickles for around Rs 10. This will “stick to your ribs” for most of the day as it is an excellent source of protein!

Unlike roti, which is made from white or whole wheat flour and cooked until toasted, dahl puri is soft, pliable and golden. It gets its colour from the tasty dahl gram lentils cooked with saffron, crushed and then placed into the centre of a ball of dough. It is then rolled out and cooked for a short time on a tawa (edgeless frying pan).

If you’ve never had dahl puris before, the Rose-Hill bus station might just be the place to try them. Amidst the shouts of bus conductors herding clients into appropriate buses and loud testimonials of food vendors, you’ll find an outdoor cafeteria, brimming with dahl puris among other ready to eat foods. Customers will be sitting on the window ledges of the shops facing the bus station or on plastic chairs and munching away before, during or after work. As you stand among the lines of people waiting for their orders, you’ll be privy to intense discussions ranging from world politics to tomato prices as food vendors scoop out dahl puris non stop. When asked who makes the best dahl puris, the name that springs to most lips is “Dewa” in Rose-Hill. A family business for longer than anyone can remember, Dewa has blossomed from street vending to a large food outlet that runs just off the hustle and bustle of the city centre. If you have a picnic or party planned, you can easily drop in and order a load of dahl puris that you can take away with containers of “gros pois” and pickles!

Making dahl puris on your own is a daunting endeavour, because keeping the lentils in the centre of the puri as it is rolled out takes experience and patience. As a matter of fact, you never really see anyone rolling out dahl puris in the small vendor stalls. They usually arrive royally by car, already hot and steaming. The real experts must be busy at home keeping the secrets of these epicurean delights to themselves! Enjoy!

<B>Angela KEESOONDOYAL</B>