The 3 Course Meal Kit Gift Bag -Masoor di Dhal Method Instructions

We want you to enjoy meal prepping with our meal box, and for it to be helping you in achieving your lifestyle goals.

If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch, Simply click 'reply' to this email, and let us know how we can help you.

Your instructions

Below are your step-by-step instructions for:
- Starter
- Main
- Bread
- Dessert



Dishes to make in advance.

Filling vegetarian samosa - make this the day before. Make the pastry on the day, or can be made and the samosas assembled in advance and fried just before serving.
Dhal - Make this the day before
Besan - Make this the day before

All these dishes can be frozen, so you can make 3 or 4 sachets at one time, portion them up, and divide the dishes between your fridge and freezer. At the bottom of each set of method instructions, it tells you how to prepare each item for freezing.



Please note: The chilli quantity in each of the instructions below are a guideline. Feel free to make each of the dishes as mild or hot as you like. Do also bear in mind that the heat from every chilli can vary...it's an art not a science! So you can put in a conservative quantity at first, and taste the finished dish and add more at the end if you'd like the dish to be a bit hotter.



Starter

Vegetarian Samosas Mix instructions

This mix will make Vegetarian Samosas (a snack served for guests or at times of celebration) for 4 - 6 people.
Samosas are traditionally a dish made to use up leftover "vegetarian curry" (called Saabji). As such, it requires the filling to be made the day before, and refridgerated overnight, so that it is firm, and therefore, easier to handle.



We have listed the instructions for the samosa filling separately to the making & filling of the samosa pastry, as this would be done in two separate stages.

Should you wish to make these samosas for a party, and want to prep as much as possible, you can make these in advance, and freeze the uncooked samosas in advance. Simply follow the process below, right up to the stage where you have all of the samosas filled and ready to fry. For full instructions, see the bottom of the instructions.


Making the vegetable filling (the day before)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Simmer time: 20-30 minutes

1 teaspoon ghee (or sunflower oil if dairy-free or vegan)
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
25g  ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 or 2 green birds eye chillis, finely chopped (if you like it very hot, add as much as you like)
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi Samosa Mix - spice sachet (the smaller one)
½ tin of chopped tomatoes (approximately 200g)
6 medium potatoes
approximately 150g frozen peas (or one large handful)
 

Once prepped, the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli should be small (not at all chunky)...

 
Method:

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Prep as you cook the onions: peel the potatoes and cut them into small bitesize pieces. Par boil the potatoes and drain them.

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1. On a low to medium heat, fry the onion in 1 teaspoon of ghee (or sunflower oil) until translucent (not brown).

2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir. The mixture can stick at this point so stir every 30 seconds or so, or add ½ - 1 tsp of ghee (or oil). Cook for a couple of minutes on a low heat to cook the raw flavour out of the garlic and ginger.

3. Add all the spices from the Vegetarian Samosas Mix sachet (the smaller sachet). Then add 200g of tinned chopped tomatoes. Remove any remaining chopped tomatoes from the tin and store them in the fridge for another dish. Keep the empty tin to one side for later use.
Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes on a low heat.

4. Take the empty tomato tin and fill up a quarter of the can with water & add this water to the spicy tomato mixture. Add the par-boiled potatoes and the frozen peas to the pan, and coat them in the spicy tomato mixture.

5. Put the lid on the pan and slowly bring the vegetables to the boil and then turn down to a low heat. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes (up to 40 minutes), or until the potatoes are cooked (it's ok if they are a little mushy, as this will make for a softer samosa filling). Check the pan every 10 minutes or so, as you may need to top up the water a little to stop the mixture from catching (starting to burn) as some will evaporate off and the vegetables will soak up the rest.

6. Once the potatoes are cooked (almost slightly mushy), adjust the seasoning (if needed) and cool. Refridgerate overnight, so that the filling is cold and easier to work with when making the samosas.
 


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Making the pastry

Prep time: 5 minutes
Rest time: 10-15 minutes
Filling & Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

1 sachet of Pure Punjabi Vegetarian Samosa Mix - the flour section
3 tablespoons melted ghee (or Vegetarian ghee or 'Crisp n Dry' if dairy-free or vegan)
3 - 4 tablespoons of water
A separate bowl of water, for brushing the pastry.

Sunflower oil, for frying

Method:

1. Tip the flour section of the Pure Punjabi In a bowl, add the melted ghee and rub it into the flour mixture, till it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the water, a little at a time, and knead till a firm dough is formed. Cover the dough with a tea towel to rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 6 portions. Roll each portion into a round circle. Each circle should have a diameter of approximately 21cm.
4. Heat the oil in a fryer, or wok, over a medium heat. If you have a food/cooking thermometer, the temperature should be 180 degrees celsius.
5. Cut each round into a semi-circle. Take the rounded edge of the semi-circle and line it up with the edge of the workshop (ie. with the flat edge facing away from your body).
6. Brush the edges of the semi-circle with water. Put a tablespoon full of the cold saajbi (vegetable filling) in the middle. Don't be tempted to over fill the samosas, as you'll find that the filling will squeeze out of the sides as you fold the pastry!
7. Fold the edges over each other and press them down. Repeat the process till all the samosas are ready (as seen below)...

8. Fry the samosas till they are golden.


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How to prepare the samosas for freezing...

Should you wish to make these samosas for a party, and want to prep as much as possible, you can make these in advance, and freeze the uncooked samosas in advance. Simply follow the process below, right up to the stage where you have all of the samosas filled and ready to fry.

Then, flash freeze the samosas (put them uncovered into the freezer for 30 minutes, making sure the samosas do not touch each other). Once the outside pastry has frozen, then gather the samosas together and place them in a freezer bag to continue to freeze through fully. The flash freezing stops the samosas sticking together.

On defrosting the samosas - take them out of the freezer the night before you want to cook them. Line a plate with greaseproof paper and lay out the samosas onto the plate (it's important to make sure the samosas do not touch each other so that they don't stick together once defrosted). The next day, fry the samosas just before serving.
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We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi Vegetarian Samosas’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!

Welcome to your instructions for
The Pure Punjabi Masoor di Dhal meal kit sachet

We want you to enjoy meal preparation with our meal sachets, and for it to be helping you in achieving your lifestyle and health goals.

If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch, Simply click 'reply' to this email, and let us know how we can help you.


Below are your step-by-step instructions, with guidelines for preparation times and cooking times, along with a picture of the finished dish.

If you discover any particular favourites as you cook your way through your meal kit sachets, then simply click on the image of the dish to re-order that sachet.

Masoor di Dhal Mix instructions

 
This mix will make Masoor di Dhal (red split lentils) for 4 people

"It is quite possibly the best dhal I have ever encountered"

Annabel Venning, Journalist

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Simmer time: 20-30 minutes
 
1 teaspoon ghee (or sunflower oil)
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
25g  ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 or 2 green birds eye chillis, finely chopped (if you like it very hot, add as much as you like)
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi Dhal Mix
½ tin of chopped tomatoes (approximately 200g)
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander

Once prepped, the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli should be small (not at all chunky)...

Method:
 

1. On a low to medium heat, fry the onion in 1 teaspoon of ghee (or sunflower oil) until translucent (not brown).
2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir. The mixture can stick at this point so stir every 30 seconds or so, or add ½ - 1 tsp of ghee (or oil). Cook for a couple of minutes on a low heat to cook the raw flavour out of the garlic and ginger.
3. Add the spice pack section of the Dhal kit. Then add 200g of tinned chopped tomatoes. Remove any remaining chopped tomatoes from the tin and store them in the fridge for another dish. Keep the empty tin to one side for later use.
4. Wash the lentils from the Dhal mix pack up to 4 times (or until the water is clear), drain well. Do not skip washing the lentils - they must be washed.
5. Add the washed lentils to the base mix. Take the empty tomato tin and fill it up with water & add enough water to cover. Scrape down any lentils from the side of the pan.
6. Slowly bring the lentils to the boil and then, turn down to a low heat. Simmer the mixture for approximately 20 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked (but not mushy). Check the lentils every 5/10 minutes or so, as you will need to top up the water as some will evaporate off and the lentils will soak up the rest. The consistency should be that of a thick soup, please reference the picture to see.
   It is very important that you do not allow the water to evaporate off without replenishing it.
7. In the last 10 minutes of simmering time, add the freshly chopped coriander. Once the lentils are cooked, adjust the seasoning (if needed) and serve hot.

Masoor di Dhal is traditionally served with roti (chapattis). Our Roti Mix comes with step-by-step pictorial instructions, showing you how to make these using the traditional methods.

* Tip: Only want to eat 1 or 2 portions at a time? Make the entire Masoor di Dhal Mix and freeze the remaining portions as soon as they've completely cooled, so that they're ready for the next time you want to eat Masoor di Dhal. Don't forget to thoroughly defrost each portion before re-heating and serving. Ensure that food is always served piping hot.

We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi masoor di dhal’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!

Welcome to your instructions for
the Pure Punjabi Roti meal sachet

We want you to enjoy preparing North Indian dishes the traditional way using our meal sachets, and for it to help you in achieving a healthy lifestyle and nutritious meals.

If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch, Simply click 'reply' to this email, and let us know how we can help you.

Below are your step-by-step instructions, with guidelines for preparation times and cooking times, along with a picture of the finished bread.

If you discover any particular favourites as you cook your way through your meal kit sachets, then simply click on the image of the dish to re-order that sachet.
 

Roti Mix Instructions

Roti is the every day bread eaten throughout Punjab (and India). The size of the finished roti will vary from region to region across India. Roti normally accompany vegetarian dishes (Dhals, Saabjis / vegetable dishes, and Paneer (Indian cheese).

This mix will make 5-6 Rotis (chapattis)

Prep time: 5-6 minutes
Rest time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
 
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi Roti Mix
Approximately 120-150ml tap water

Click here to see our step-by-step pictorial on how to make roti (we definitely recommend having a look!).

 Method:

1. Pour most/180g of the roti flour (we call this 'atta') into a large bowl and slowly pour in approximately120ml of tepid water, mixing loosely with your fingers to form a crumble like mixture. Add the water a little at a time as you may not need all of it Making roti is by 'feel' so does need practice.
2. Start to work the dough together and then knead it until smooth and leave for 10 minutes. The dough should have a medium resistance and feel firm yet a bit sticky. *Note - slightly firmer than bread dough. If too hard then wet your knuckles and knead in more water. If too soft, then flour your knuckles and knead in until firmer.
3. After resting the dough, knead again for a few minutes. The dough will now feel slightly softer than bread dough, will not feel so sticky and more springy. Tear off a piece of dough about the size of a Satsuma (either make one dough ball at a time if you have a good eye for sizes, or form 6 small dough balls in one go).
4. Pre-heat a hot plate, (tava), griddle or flat bottomed frying pan to a medium-high heat.
5. Using a rolling pin, roll out the flattened pera/disc of dough to roughly the size of a side plate, ensuring that you turn the flattened disc often and apply even pressure when rolling to give a round shape! As you roll out, if the roti is sticking, dip both sides in the flour, but you must shake off the excess flour. You need just enough flour to prevent sticking or your cooked roti will be dry. 
6. Carefully place the roti onto the tava or hotplate, by 'slapping' it on with the flat of your hand. Ensure that it lies completely flat on the tava and that there are no air bubbles. Be careful  not to catch it with you nails or pierce it while cooking or it will not rise. *Tip - You can use a flat smooth edged spatula to help turn the roti, if you are not accustomed to touching the hotplate with your fingers!
7. Cook the first side of the chapatti for only about 5-6 seconds or when you see the raw dough start to change colour. Turn over as soon as you see the colour start to change, then cook the other side for about 10-15 seconds or until brown spots appear, then place the first side that was cooked, so that it faces direct heat,either upwards under direct heat (a grill) or facing downwards  with the use of a roti puffer, over direct heat or flame (gas hob) until it puffs up. Be careful of the hot steam! Serve buttered

To ensure success you must look at our roti pictorial.
 
Roti is traditionally served with plant-based dishes and is delicious with our Masoor di Dhal Mix.

* Tip: Only want to eat 1 or 2 portions at a time? Simply use half (or quarter) of the sachet, and adjust the remaining ingredients accordingly.

We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi roti’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!