Puran Poli | How to prepare Puran Poli

Puran Poli – Sweet delicacy prepared with whole wheat flour and stuffed with dal – jaggery mixture; finally smeared with loads of ghee!

With the festive season around the corner, I have planned to prepare sweets for next few days and send them virtually to you with lots of love and positivity for the celebrations. Today’s special is Puran Poli. It has always been my favorite and everytime when I crossed the shop, I am tempted to buy them. I still remember how I used to wait in the shop for the hot ones and get them packed for myself and my brother. There is a famous shop in Chrompet – Sri Venkateswara Poli Stall (I am not sure about the name) which is known for their gooey sweet poli smeared with loads and loads of ghee. I ensured that I pack them once in a month for dinner when I go back to home from the office. Though it is my favorite, I have never thought of preparing on my own in my kitchen. Today seemed to the best day to prepare them as Amma is around and we had a great relaxed Sunday.

Though the underlying method remains the same, the ingredients change as per the region. Usually, the dough is prepared using maida in the shops in Tamil Nadu. But, I prepared using Whole Wheat flour for a healthier version. For the stuffing, Channa dal is used in the regions of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra whereas Rajasthani prefers to use Toor dal for the stuffing. Now, to the recipe

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups Wheat Flour
½ tablespoon Salt
½ tablespoon Turmeric Powder
2 tablespoon Oil
Hot water as required to prepare the dough

For the Stuff:

1 cup Channa Dal
2 cups Water
¾ cup Jaggery
¾ cup Grated Coconut
1 tablespoon Ghee
¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

For Poli:

Ghee to roll the dough and grease the plate

Method:

Preparing the dough:

In a large bowl, combine the wheat flour, salt, and turmeric powder.
Add water little by little and knead into a proper dough.
Add the oil to the dough and knead them again.
Divide the dough into equal portions and roll them into medium sized balls.

Preparing the Stuff:

Wash channa dal thoroughly with water. Cook them in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.
Once the pressure releases, open the lid. Drain the excess water from the dal and mash the cooked dal with the back of a spoon or with a masher.
In a non-stick pan, add 4-5 tablespoon of water and add jaggery. Wait till the jaggery dissolves in water.
Once you see bubbles in the jaggery, add grated coconut and combine them together.
Now, add the mashed dal, cardamom powder and cook on low flame for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Ensure to stir them continuously.
Allow it cool and divide the stuffing into equal portions. Roll them into small circles and keep aside.

Preparing the Poli:

Roll out the ball of dough into a small circle with your hand.
Place the stuffing ball in the center of the circle and fold the edges of the dough over the filling.
Seal the edges of the dough together.
Grease the back of the plate with ghee. Flatten the dough and roll them into a small circle on the plate using your hands. Use ghee when required for rolling.
Heat a Tava/griddle over a medium flame.
Cook the rolled dough with ghee until it is cooked and turns golden on both the sides.
Repeat the same process with the remaining dough and prepare Poli.
Smear a spoonful of ghee on top of each poli and serve hot.