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The Afghani Lentils Bolani

Cooking Method ,
Cuisine
Courses
Difficulty Advanced
Time
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 30 min Rest Time: 5 min Total Time: 55 mins
Servings 5
Description

Bolani is a traditional Afghan flatbread stuffed with potato and scallions. It can be filled with other vegetables like pumpkin for example, or pulses too, like lentils.

I decided to try Bolani stuffed with lentils and it was delicious! They are super nutritious and the best part is that you can fry them in as little oil as possible, although the traditional recipe asks for a good quantity of oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan). You can go with the version that suits you the best.

You can serve them with yoghurt or eat them plain. They’re still going to be delicious, promise!

Ingredients
  • 250 grams all-purpose flour
  • 100 milliliters water (you might wanna need more or less depending upon the flour)
  • 1 can green lentils
  • 1 spring onion (chopped)
  • 0.5 cups coriander (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • salt (As per taste)
  • oil (as per requirement, when you fry them you can add more or less depending on your taste, but traditionally they are fried in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan)
Instructions
    Start by preparing the dough
  1. In a bowl, mix the flour with the water. Incorporate the water gradually, because you might need more or less depending upon your flour.

  2. Do not overwork the dough, otherwise your flatbread will be chewy because of the gluten that will be developed.

  3. Form the dough into a ball and rest for 30 min.

  4. For the filling
  5. Add olive oil to a pan and Sautee the spring onion for 1 minute, then add the lentils, spices, salt, cook for 1-2 minutes and at the end add the coriander and turn off the heat.

  6. Let it cool down.

  7. Final Assembly
  8. After 20 minutes, portion the dough into 6 pieces and roll them out on a surface dusted with flour.

  9. Add 2-3 tbsp of the filling to the dough circle, then fold it carefully and seal it to get the air out (see video).

  10. Do the same with the other ones, then cook the Bolanis in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan (we will shallow-fry them), flipping them on the other side once they turn golden brown.

  11. Serve warm. Enjoy!