Puran Poli is a traditional Maharashtrian sweet flatbread stuffed with a chana dal and jaggery filling. The filling is flavored with cardamom and nutmeg for a mild aroma. The stuffed dough is rolled gently and roasted on a hot tawa with ghee until golden and soft. It is commonly prepared during festivals and served warm as a special meal or breakfast.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 90 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 120 minutes
  • Yield: 6 · 6 Large Puran Poli
  • Category: Side Dish, Sweets
  • Cuisine: Maharashtrian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chana dal ((skinned split bengal gram))
  • 3 cups water (- for pressure cooking the chana dal)
  • 2 teaspoons ghee
  • 1 teaspoon fennel powder ((ground fennel))
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder ((ground ginger))
  • ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder ((ground cardamom)or seeds from 4 to 5 green cardamoms crushed finely in mortar)
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder ((ground nutmeg))
  • 1 cup jaggery powder (or 1 cup grated jaggery)
  • 1½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons oil (or ghee (clarified butter))
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or as required)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((optional - to give a faint yellow color to the poli))
  • water (as required to knead the dough)
  • oil (or ghee, as required for roasting the puran poli)

Method

Preparing Puran (sweet lentil filling)

  1. Rinse the chana dal first very well in water. I didn't soaked the chana dal but you can also soak the chana dal for 30 minutes to one hour and then drain the water.
  2. In a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chana dal with 3 cups water for 6 to 7 whistles on medium heat.
  3. The dal has to be cooked well. If you soak the chana dal, the cooking time will be reduced. Once the pressure settles down on its own in the cooker, then only open the lid. Carefully strain the cooked dal using a sieve. Drain all the water or stock from dal.
  4. Keep the stock aside. This stock can be used for making Katachi Amti which is a thin tempered dal or you can just add it to your everyday cooking of roti, rice or vegetables.
  5. Heat ghee in a frying pan or kadai (wok) and add the ground ginger powder, ground nutmeg powder, ground cardamom powder and ground fennel powder.
  6. Fry these ground spices for a few seconds on a low heat.
  7. Add the chana dal and jaggery. Stir and let this puran mixture cook on a low heat till the mixture becomes dry.
  8. Keep on stirring the puran mixture at intervals.
  9. Once the puran stuffing become dry and thick, switch off the heat.
  10. Let it cool and then mash the puran mixture with a potato masher. You can also use your mixer to mash the puran mixture very well. Set aside.You could also use puran yantra if you have it.

Preparing the poli dough

  1. Meanwhile take whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and salt in a bowl mix well.
  2. Add a little bit of water and ghee and mix. Begin to knead the dough adding water as needed.
  3. The dough should be smooth, supple and soft. Cover and keep aside the dough to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Making puran poli

  1. Take a medium or large size ball from the dough. Roll it 2 to 3 inches in circumference on a dusted rolling board.
  2. Place a portion of puran mixture in the center of the rolled dough.
  3. Bring the edges together towards the center. Join all the edges and pinch them.
  4. Sprinkle some flour and start rolling the dough.
  5. Make a medium or large circle (poli) as depending upon the size of the dough and puran filling you took.
  6. On a heated tawa or griddle, spread some ghee. Place the rolled poli/dough circle on the tawa.
  7. When one side gets browned, turn over and cook the other side till you see some brown spots.
  8. Once the second side gets browned, then turn over and apply ghee. If everything is done properly then puran poli will puff up. The poli should be cooked well with brown spots and golden.
  9. Make all puran polis this way and stack them in a casserole or roti basket or in a kitchen napkin.
  10. You can serve Puran Poli warm or at room temperature with milk, ghee or curd (yogurt).

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.