Gudi Padwa Special: Cook up a Storm With This Puran Poli Recipe

Watch and make this popular Maharashtrian delicacy at home.

Puran poli is a popular Maharashtrian recipe made during any festive occasion. (Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(This article is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on April 8 2016. It is now being republished to mark the festival of Gudi Padwa.)

Ingredients:

For the puran mixture - sweet filling
1 cup jaggery
1.5 cups chana dal/skinned spilt bengal gram
3 cups water for pressure cooking the chana dal
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp fennel powder/saunf
1 tsp dry ginger powder/saunth
4-5 cardamoms crushed finely
¼ tsp nutmeg powder/jaiphal powder

For the poli - outer covering:
1.5 cups maida/all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp oil or ghee
¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi (optional, to give a faint yellow color to the poli)
Water as required to knead the dough
Oil or ghee as required for frying the puran poli

Method:

1. Rinse and strain split Bengal gram (chana dal)
2. In a pressure cooker, cook the chana dal for 6 to 7 whistles.
3. Keep the chana dal aside and let it cool.

It’s important that the chana dal is not overcooked (Photo: The Quint)

4. Using a mixer, mix fennel powder, ginger powder, crushed cardamom and nutmeg powder together.
5. Add the above mix and jaggery to chana dal. This will give you the puran mixture
6. Mash the puran mixture using a mixer or a potato masher.

The puran mixture should be dry and thick (Photo: The Quint)

7. Mix refined flour, wheat flour, and 2 tablespoons of oil and make soft dough by adding water.
8. Knead well to make it soft.
9. Make small lemon size ball of this dough and roll each ball into round flat disc. The dough should be smooth and soft. Cover and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.
10. Place it on a flat surface, place puran mixture inside it and cover it on all sides to make a round ball. Flatten it with your palm.

Join all edges of the poli. (Photo: The Quint)

11. Roll this ball on both the sides on refined flour and with the help of rolling pin, roll it into round chapatti size flat disc.
12. Heat tava and on medium flame, roast this puran poli’s on both side till light brown and till it puffs up

Cook till the puran poli puffs up. (Photo: The Quint)

Apply pure ghee and serve hot.