How To Make Puran Poli | Sweet Lentil Flatbread

Puran Poli is an Indian lentil stuffed sweet flatbread made with whole wheat flour and chana dal (Bengal gram) filling. Puranpoli is sweet where the whole wheat dough is stuffed with sweet yellow lentil filling. It is then rolled out and cook on both sides while applying ghee on both sides. Here is how to make it.

What is Puran Poli

In the Marathi language, "Puran" means sweet filling made with cooked chana dal, jaggery, & cardamom and "Poli" means roti or flatbread made with whole wheat flour.

"Puran Poli" is a sweet stuffed Indian flatbread where "Puran" is stuffed inside wheat flour dough. It is then rolled out to make a flatbread. Cook on a hot griddle with ghee or oil and serve with amti.

It is made during festivals. Ganesh Chaturthi and Gudi Padwa are the main festivals in Maharashtra where it is offered as naivedyam and given as a prasad. You can make them at festivals like Makar Sankranti, Holi, Diwali as well.

Puran Poli is known with various names across parts of India such as Puran Poli in Marathi, Vedmi in Gujarati, Boli in Tamil, Bakshalu in Telugu, Holige or Obbattu in Kannada. This is always served with ghee, pickle, and curries like katachi amti.

A similar version of Puran Poli known as "Vedmi" also made in Gujarat, the only difference comes with the lentil used.

Maharashtrian Version- This is prepared with chana dal (Bengal gram), jaggery, and cardamom as the main ingredients and called "Puran Poli". Served with lots of ghee, pickle, and a curry katachi amti.

Gujarati Version- In Gujarat, it is prepared with pigeon pea lentil (tur dal or arhar dal), jaggery, and called "Vedmi".

Ingredients

Please check RECIPE CARD for detailed ingredients list with accurate measurement.

For Dough

• whole wheat flour- Normally wheat flour is used to make flatbreads, to make pooran poli you can also use all-purpose flour.
• warm milk- Milk adds softness to the dough. To make the best polis you need very soft and pliable dough.
• water to knead (as per the requirement)- Use warm water to knead the dough. Another factor to make a soft dough.

For Filling

• chana dal (Bengal gram)- Maharashtrian style Puran poli is prepared with chana dal. But in general, you can use toor dal, moong dal as well to make it.
• grated jaggery- For sweetener jaggery powder is used.
• cardamom powder- It adds an aroma and nice flavor to the taste profile. do not skip it. You can definitely replace it with saffron or dry ginger powder or cinnamon or nutmeg powder.
• ghee- Traditionally ghee is preferred to make these. If you like to make vegan Puran poli, just replace the ghee with vegan butter and prepare. However, I have not tried it.
• Ghee for cooking Puran Poli (use oil as per choice)

Jaggery is easily available in India, you can also find it in amazon, or in Indian stores if living outside India.

Making "Puran poli" takes time to prepare. So always do the advance preparation in order to fasten the process.

How to make puran poli at home

Pre boiled chana dal is cooked with jaggery and cardamom to make the filling. In some variations, dry coconut also added. Except for cardamom you can also add saffron or dry ginger powder or cinnamon or nutmeg powder.

Let see how to make Marathi style puran poli at home, step by step.

1. Puran Preparation- First of all, clean and wash the chana dal properly. Soak it in water for at least one hour.
2. Combine all ingredients for the dough and make a soft dough. Keep it aside until filling is getting ready. This will help to make this dough very soft.
3.  After an hour drain all the water from the soaked dal and cooked with 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Two whistles are enough to cook chana dal as it was soaked. Let the cooker releases on its own.
4. Drain all the water from the cooked dal. Use this water in making amti or kneading dough for chapati or just sip with the dash of lemon n salt. Mash cooked chana dal with the masher. You can also use a food processor to churn it.
5. Now heat a non-stick kadhai on medium flame and add mashed chana dal, 2tblsp ghee, and jaggery. Combine it cook it on medium-low heat.
6. Jaggery will start melting and in few minutes it will be a liquid mixture. Keep cooking for 15 minutes now on low heat until it forms a halwa like consistency.
7. After 15 minutes of cooking add cardamom powder. Mix well and keep stirring it on low heat. Be careful at this stage if not stirred mixture will burn from the bottom.
8. Now test if the mixture cooked and ready. Insert a spoon in the mixture and if it stands in that position, then filling is cooked properly with the desired consistency.
9. Let the mixture comes at room temperature. As soon as the filling comes at room temperature divide the filling and dough into equal portions. I could make 9 Puran polis with this.
10. Making Poli- Take a portion of dough and roll it into a 2.5" circle. Place a filling portion inside and gently seal it by bringing all the edges together.
11. Dust the rolling surface and start rolling the filled dough ball gently up to a 6" diameter circle. If the dough is soft then filling will not come out. Just be gentle in the pressure you put while rolling. You will get the idea when you start.
12. Heat a griddle on medium heat and place this rolled Poli on the griddle. Flip it on another side after a few seconds.
13. Apply ghee or oil and cook from both sides until golden brown. They puff up nicely sometimes. Repeat the same process with other dough balls.
14. Serve Puran Poli either hot or at room temperature with curd or pickle.

Serving suggestions

Traditionally Puran poli served with "Katachi Amti", that is prepared by stock left after boiling lentil and tempering it with spices.

You can serve these with milk or pickle as well. Smear with ghee before serving.

Storing suggestions

Pooran polis can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days easily. Just transfer them in an air tight container and keep in the fridge.

Variations

Check how to make Vedmi, Gujarati version of Puran Poli. Toor dal is used while making Vedmi.

Tips & FAQ's

• Cook lentil properly and then drain the water. If extra water will remain in the lentil then it will take a long time to dry up after mixing with jaggery.
• Don't throw lentil water and use it in making amti.
• I used whole wheat flour which gave great results. However, you can always make this with either refined flour (maida) or a 1:1 ratio of both flours.
• Add any one of the ingredients for flavor among saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, dry ginger powder.
• The filling should be equal to the dough portion. It tastes amazing with so much generous filling.
• After cooking dal is already very soft. It is up to you to grind it or to mix with jaggery as it is. I mixed after draining the water. While stirring I mashed it.
• Apply ghee before placing the Puran in the dough ball. This is the trick to get fluffy Puran polis.
• You can replace jaggery powder with sugar powder as well.

Similar Festival Sweets

You may also like other Indian festivals (Holi, Diwali) sweet recipes, Check 25+ Indian Diwali Sweets You Must Try

• Moong Dal Burfi
• Moong Dal Laddu
• Dry Fruits Laddu
• Besan sev
• Oats Mathri
• Makki ki mathri
• Kalakand
• Chocolate Barfi
• Coconut Laddu/Coconut Balls
• Dulce De Leche Coconut Laddu

You can also Festival savory and more Festival Sweets.

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