PURAN POLI

PuranPoli is a traditional type of sweet flatbread made in India in the states ofMaharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Goa.

INGREDIENTS

• Channa dal or split yellow gram
• Jaggery or sugar
• Cardamom powder, nutmeg powder
• Plain flour
• Ghee
• Warm water

Sometimes toor dal is used in Gujarat. Toor Dal or togaribele is commonly used in the state of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as well. In Andhra pradesh( bobbatlu or bakshalu) and other places, even moong dal or Chana dal is used, even a mix of different lentils is used in some recipes.

PREPARATION

Maharashtrianv PuranPoli

• Puranpoli is a classical Marathi dish, which is a dessert served during auspicious occasions and during important festivals such as Holi, Padwa in Maharashtra. Although it resembles like a roti, a poli is actually very different. It is made mostly during holi when the bonfire is lit. The stuffing is known as puran and the outer cover is known as poli. The puran is made by boiling chickpea lentils with a pinch of turmeric for color. When the lentils are cooked and soft, the broth is removed and kept aside.Jaggery is added to the chickpeas and cooked till they are soft. Then the stuffing is removed and sieved through a utensil made specifically for puran to achieve a smoother consistency. Saffron, cardamom, and nutmeg is added for additional flavor. The outer cover is made by making a dough by mixing refined flour, milk and ghee. Equal number of balls are made of the dough as well as the stuffing. The puran is stuffed inside the dough and then rolled out flat using a rolling pin. The poli is then cooked on a hot griddle and served with ghee and a soup made from the syurp.
• The stuffing is cooled to room temperature. Meanwhile, the outer dough is prepared. A very soft, rubbery dough is prepared by kneading polished wheat-flour with a little water and a large amount of oil. This is left soaked in oil for a few hours.
• Once both stuffing and dough are ready, the puranpoli can be rolled out. A plantain leaf is greased thoroughly on one side with oil or ghee; this is essential to turning out a fine poli. On the greased plantain leaf, a handful of the dough is patted by hand into a mid-sized circle. A small amount of stuffing is placed at the center of this dough, which is wrapped around the stuffing to make a ball. This ball is then rolled carefully using a rolling pin into a large, thin circular pancake shape.
• Meanwhile, a griddle is heated over a medium flame and greased. The plantain leaf bearing the poli is inverted over the griddle. The Poli tends to adhere to the griddle, since the latter is hot. Using a spatula, the edge of the poli is held down on to the griddle, while the plantain leaf is peeled away by hand. This leaves the poli on the hot griddle, where it is turned over repeatedly, if needed, until both faces of the poli are roasted to a golden burnish and a fragrant aroma is released. The poli is now ready to eat.