With The festival of lights around the corner, it is time for you to indulge yourself in some sweets and snacks. So, I have been thinking of uploading a few recipes to make for Diwali, puran poli being the first one in line. Puran poli is similar to a stuffed flatbread, but just that this is sweet.
I love puran poli, especially the ones that my mom makes. I have always loved the filling that she makes. And, even after my marriage, I have prepared this dish in the same manner. But, after seeing in shops near my place, I have become a fan of how they make it.
The puran poli that we get in shops are actually just spread by hand without using rolling pin. So, when I tried this recipe for the first time, it was just an effort to replicate the process by which it was made. And, it was a big success. Also, another ultimate success was its taste.
For the first time while making puran poli, I added some grated nutmeg to the filling. And the results were just unbelievable. The taste was amazing, but unfortunately I did not shoot the recipe. I just wanted to try it once before posting it in the blog. And because the recipe was a success the first time, I made it again. This time just for the sake of picturing it.
So, the difference between my puran poli recipe and the one that my mom makes is that, I add just chana dal to make the filling, while she add some grated coconut too. In my recipe, since I wanted to try it like how they make in shops – the flat puran poli which is spread just by hand, I mashed the dal or even ground it to a smooth paste, while in my mom’s recipe, she makes sure that there are few whole pieces of chana dal. She likes it that way, and I have loved it too!
But, since the time I tried puran poli in this manner, I have loved my version a lot. Especially, the flavor that nutmeg gives is just brilliant. Most of the Maharashtrian style puran poli recipes use wheat flour. But the ones that we get in sweet shops here actually uses maida or all purpose flour. Also, if you want to try the method of spreading it by hand, I would definitely suggest you to use maida instead of wheat flour.
If you are so conscious about using wheat flour for a healthier version, then you can definitely swap it for maida or all purpose flour. Or you can even use a combination of both. But, in such cases you cannot spread it with your hands. Use rolling pin to spread it instead.
So, welcome this Diwali with a lot of sweets and enjoy having this puran poli with your loved ones! Stay safe; stay healthy! Happy cooking and eating! And, have a very happy and a safe Diwali!
While you are here, do checkout my other sweet and snack recipes to prepare for this Diwali season! Try out my other dessert recipe too and enjoy the festival of lights!
Has meal planning been a little bit difficult during this lockdown? Look through my No Veggies, 21-Day Lockdown Series for ideas on what to cook during this lockdown.
If you have tried any of my recipes, then tag @the_busy_apron and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thebusyapron. Also tag @TheBusyApron and share it on Twitter with the hashtag #thebusyapron.
Puran Poli
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 cup chana dal
- 1 cup grated / powdered jaggery
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
- 2 tsp ghee
For the dough
- 2 cups maida / all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt, or as required
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp ghee
- water, as required
For the puran poli
- ghee, as required to smear on top
Instructions
To prepare the dough
- In a mixing bowl, add maida / all purpose flour, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
- Add ghee and incorporate it well with the flour such that that flour mixture when held together maintains its shape.
- Add water, little at a time to form a soft dough. Knead well.
- Apply some ghee or oil on the top and cover and rest the dough for 2 hours.
To prepare the filling
- Wash and soak the chana dal in enough water for 4 hours.
- Drain off the water, add the dal to a pressure cooker and enough water and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or until cooked.
- Once the dal is cooked, pass it through a fine mesh and mash it. You can even grind the cooked dal to a smooth paste.
- Meanwhile, add the jaggery and water to a kadai and let it melt.
- Pass the melted jaggery through a strainer to remove any debris.
- Add the mashed dal and jaggery water to the same kadai and mix well. Cook until it thickens a bit.
- Add ghee, little at a time and incorporate it well with the mixture.
- When the mixture starts coming off the pan, add the cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Mix well and turn off the heat. Keep it side to cool completely.
To prepare the puran poli
- Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Cover it and keep it aside.
- Divide the filling into 8 equal portions after it has cooled down and keep aside.
- Grease a cooking sheet or banana leaf with some oil and place one portion of the dough ball, flattening it by keeping the center thick and the edges thin. Place one portion of the filling as shown.
- Seal the filling by bringing all the edges together and flatten it slightly.
- Apply some oil and spread it with your hand or with the help of a rolling pin.
- Heat a tawa on medium heat, place the poli on the tawa and cook on both sides until golden brown.
- Add ghee to both sides while cooking.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Make sure the dal is cooked until soft.
- Also, mash the dal completely after it is cooked to ensure that the filling is smooth.
- After kneading the dough, let it rest atleast for 30 minutes.
- If you are not soaking the dal, then pressure cook it for 6-7 whistles or until completely cooked.
- Turmeric is added just for color. You can replace it with yellow color also.
- You can add grated jaggery to the mashed dal directly too.
- Instead of ghee, you can also add oil while cooking the puran poli.
