Dal Fara: One Parcel, Two Ways to Finish It
A soft whole-wheat wrapper, a filling of chana dal ground coarse enough to keep its grain, and a half-moon edge sealed tight enough to survive the boil. After that, you can stop at boiled or take it to golden and crispy.
A small half-moon of whole-wheat dough, filled with coarsely ground chana dal, green chilli, ginger and fresh coriander, goes into a pot of boiling water. It cooks under a lid, gets turned, and keeps boiling with the lid set part of the way across the pot until it rises to the surface. At that point there are two endings. You can cut the fara into pieces and eat them just as they are, or you can drop the pieces into hot oil crackling with mustard seeds, hing and Kashmiri red chilli, turning them until the surfaces go golden and crispy.
This article follows one specific recipe: the whole-wheat atta and chana dal Dal Fara written by Garima Dublish for The Garus Kitchen. The amounts, the boiling method and the optional spice-fried finish all come from that one recipe and are kept together as a single version. Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe, so cooking times and the floating cue are given as written, not as results we have confirmed.
For more dishes from the same country, see our India page.
What "Dal Fara" Covers Here, and What It Doesn't
The recipe followed here calls itself Dal Fara and also Farra, labels itself broadly as Indian, and does not tie itself to any single state. That matters, because the name is used for more than one preparation, and other writers describe versions that differ in the dough, the dal and the cooking method.
In a bylined piece for Mint, Shirin Mehrotra describes her own family's version from the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh: an outer dough made with rice and a filling usually of urad or chana dal, boiled or steamed. She places that family preparation in a Diwali context, and she separately describes a quicker wheat variation. She also notes that some forms in Bihar and Jharkhand go by names such as dal pitha or gojha, with differences in spicing. That is one family's account and one writer's reporting, not a description of every household.
Savory Tales presents a chana dal fara from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, discusses both wheat and rice versions, and gives the names gojha and peetha. Down To Earth, in an article by Richa Mittal, places a rice-and-chana phara in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Chhattisgarh Rajya and Desi.net each publish a rice-flour and chana version under a Chhattisgarhi label, both steamed; the Desi.net page describes a hot-water dough, a coarse filling and a half-moon seal. Archana's Kitchen gives a rice-flour version with several dals, labeled UP style, also steamed and tempered.
Read side by side, these pages show a shared idea, a dal filling inside a dough parcel, with real differences around it: rice or wheat for the wrapper, chana or urad or a mix in the filling, steaming or boiling. Each page is evidence for the version its own author describes. None of them, and not the recipe followed here, proves that one formula belongs to all of India, that one state owns the name, or where the dish first began. Sharing a name does not make two recipes identical, and a different name does not by itself make them separate dishes.
| What varies | The version in this article | Other versions described elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| Wrapper | Whole-wheat flour (atta) | Rice dough or rice flour (Mint, Down To Earth, Chhattisgarh Rajya, Desi.net, Archana's Kitchen); wheat and rice both discussed (Savory Tales) |
| Filling | Chana dal, ground coarse | Usually urad or chana (Mint); several dals (Archana's Kitchen) |
| Cooking | Boiled, with an optional spice-fried finish | Steamed (Chhattisgarh Rajya, Desi.net, Archana's Kitchen); boiled or steamed (Mint) |
| Shape | Folded half-moon, edges sealed | Half-moon seal also described by Desi.net |
Two other dishes are worth keeping apart. Dalpuri is a fried bread with a dal filling, and the Bangladeshi bhapa pitha is a sweet steamed rice cake. Neither is this recipe.
Everything that follows uses only the amounts and steps of the whole-wheat and chana dal version; nothing from the rice-dough or steamed versions is mixed in.
Ingredients for 4 Servings: Dough, Filling and Optional Fry
The dough, the filling and the optional fry each have their own salt, oil, hing, chilli powder and coriander. Measure each group separately and keep them apart. Fresh coriander and coriander powder are different ingredients.
This recipe contains wheat (atta) and chana dal. Hing is often sold as a blend, so read the label of the one you buy for other ingredients.
Equipment
- Bowl for soaking the dal
- Mixing bowl
- Damp cloth
- Colander or sieve for draining the dal
- Something to grind the dal coarsely
- Knife and cutting board
- Grater
- Rolling pin
- Pot with a lid, large enough for the fara to be submerged
- Slotted spoon
- Skillet, for the optional fry
Choosing and Measuring What You Buy
The water for the dough is meant to be adjusted, so the feel of the dough matters more than the exact volume.
No substitutes are used in this version. The items most worth looking for by name are chana dal, hing, amchur powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Whole-wheat flours vary, which is one more reason to add the water little by little.
Method: Soak, Make the Dough, Fill, Boil, and Optionally Fry
The fara are boiled, not steamed. There is no steaming step or steaming time.
The dough rests once, for 20 minutes. Stir the fara gently once or twice while they boil; here that stir sits in the partly covered stage (step 21).
Boiled or Spice-Fried: Choosing the Finish
The boiled fara are the full recipe on their own: a soft whole-wheat wrapper around a spiced, coarse dal filling. The spice-fried finish is optional and comes from the same recipe. It uses its own oil, hing, mustard seeds and Kashmiri red chilli powder, and its own fresh coriander, so nothing from the filling needs to be held back for it.
Chutney, yogurt or ghee are only serving ideas, without amounts or methods, so they are not part of the recipe here. If you serve something alongside, treat it as your own addition.
Keeping the Parcels Whole: What to Watch
| What to watch | What to do |
|---|---|
| The dough feels sticky | Add the water gradually from the start. Aim for soft and smooth, firm and pliable, not sticky |
| The filling turns pasty | Grind the drained dal without water and stop while it is still coarse |
| The dough sticks while rolling | Dust with a little flour, only as much as needed |
| The edges won't close | Press them firmly. If needed, touch the edge with a little water before sealing |
| The pot looks crowded | Add the fara one at a time and cook in batches if necessary |
| Filling amount per parcel | Use 1–2 tsp per circle, and roll each circle neither very thick nor very thin so it can fold and seal around the filling |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the chana dal need to soak?
2 hours, then drain it before grinding. The amount of soaking water isn't given; simply cover the dal.
Can I convert the cups to grams?
The recipe doesn't state its cup standard, so this article doesn't convert the measures. Keep using the same cup for the flour and the water, and adjust the water by the feel of the dough.
How many fara does this make?
The recipe gives 4 servings but doesn't give a piece count, wrapper size or thickness. You divide the dough into small lemon-sized balls and use 1–2 tsp filling in each, so the final number depends on how you portion it.
How long does the whole recipe take?
The recipe's time card lists prep 5 minutes, rest 20 minutes, cook 25 minutes and total 50 minutes, and it doesn't say whether the 2-hour soak is included. A summary on the same page gives a boiling time of 10–15 minutes, while the detailed method gives 4 minutes covered over high heat, then 12–15 minutes partly covered. This article follows the detailed method and doesn't combine these figures into a new total. Time to bring the water to a boil is not given. For the dough rest, the time card says 20 minutes, one instruction says 15 minutes and the detailed steps say 15–20 minutes; this article takes a single 20-minute rest rather than adding them together. The recipe also suggests stirring gently once or twice while the fara boil; placing that stir in the partly covered stage (step 21) is an editorial choice.
Is floating a sign that the fara are cooked through?
Floating is the cue the recipe gives for lifting the fara out. It is not a measurement of the temperature inside, and no internal temperature is given.
Can I steam them instead?
The recipe followed here gives no steaming method or time; one heading on the recipe page describes the fara as steamed, but its detailed method boils them. Other versions described in the background section are steamed, but they use different doughs and fillings, so their times don't carry over to this one.
Do I have to fry them?
No. The spice-fried finish is optional. The boiled, cut fara can be served as they are.
How should I store leftovers?
The recipe gives no storage or reheating guidance, so none is given here.
Sources
- Garima Dublish, "Dal Fara Recipe | Farra Recipe | Whole Wheat Flour Recipe," The Garus Kitchen. The recipe followed in this article: the whole-wheat atta dough, chana dal filling, servings and time card, detailed boiling method, float cue, and the optional mustard seed, hing and Kashmiri chilli fry; labeled broadly Indian without a state. https://thegaruskitchen.com/dal-fara-recipe-farra-recipe/
- Shirin Mehrotra, "A recipe for dumplings that taste of autumn in India," Mint. The reporter's family version from the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh with a rice dough and usually urad or chana filling, boiled or steamed, in a Diwali context for that family; a quicker wheat variation; and the names dal pitha and gojha for some Bihar and Jharkhand forms. https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/food/a-recipe-for-dumplings-that-taste-of-autumn-in-india-111666015805219.html
- Savory Tales, "Chana Dal Fara / Gojha / Peetha – Steamed lentil stuffed dumplings." A UP/Bihar chana dal fara, discussion of wheat and rice versions, and the names gojha and peetha. Used for comparison only. https://savorytales.com/chana-dal-fara-gojha-recipe/
- Richa Mittal, "Dal-rice fusion," Down To Earth. A rice-and-chana phara placed in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Used for comparison only. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/environment/dalrice-fusion-33011
- Chhattisgarh Rajya, "छत्तीसगढ़ी जायका: सेहत और स्वाद से भरपूर 'दाल फरा', जानें इसे बनाने की पारंपरिक विधि." A rice-flour and chana dal preparation labeled Chhattisgarhi, steamed, with an optional pan finish. Used for comparison only. https://chhattisgarhrajya.in/chhattisgarhi-flavour-dal-fara-full-of-health-and-taste-know-the-traditional-method-of-making-it/
- Priyanka Tripathi, "Dal Fara Recipe (Indian Stuffed Lentil Dumplings)," Archana's Kitchen. A rice-flour, multi-dal version labeled UP style, steamed and tempered. Used for comparison only. https://www.archanaskitchen.com/recipe/dal-fara-recipe-indian-stuffed-lentil-dumplings
- Desi.net, "Fara Recipe — Chhattisgarhi (फरा)." A written rice-flour and chana recipe labeled Chhattisgarhi, with a hot-water dough, coarse filling, half-moon seal and steaming. Used for comparison only. https://desi.net/recipes/chhattisgarhi/fara
