My delightful Puran Poli recipe with step-by-step photos will show you how to make the traditional Indian treat. This lentil stuffed sweet flatbread is a popular Maharashtrian recipe made during Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Holi or any other festive occasion. While it does take a bit of skill and patience to make, the results are well worth it! And as an added cra
bonus, this sweet recipe also happens to be pretty darn nutritious, meaning you can even eat it for breakfast.
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About Puran Poli
Puran Poli is a flatbread stuffed with a sweet lentil stuffing. In Marathi language the sweet stuffing is known as Puran, and the flat bread is called Poli. While puran poli is considered a sweet, the ingredients make it quite healthy.
There are a few variations of this delish flatbread found in the Western and Southern parts and regions in India.
A similar variation in the South and from the Andhra and Karnataka cuisine is called Bobbatlu or Holige, where the proportions of flours may vary together with the kind of flavoring spices and lentils used.
In the authentic Maharashtrian Puran Poli recipe, the stuffing is made from chana dal (also known as bengal gram) which are husked and split black chickpeas.
The cooked chana dal lentils are sweetened with jaggery and spiced with cardamom, fennel, nutmeg and ginger. The chickpeas are full of protein, fiber, folate and vitamins.
Jaggery is an unrefined sugar that is easily available in India. If you live outside India, then check for jaggery in asian or Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.
Jaggery has a lower glycemic index than sugar, and also contains vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to health.
Note: If you are unable to procure jaggery, check for Mexican piloncillo, Latin American panela or muscovado sugar, all of which are similar.
The poli (flatbread) is made from a mix of whole wheat flour (atta) and all purpose flour (maida). Whole wheat flour is also chock full of fiber, protein and minerals.
If you prefer a yellow colored flatbread, you can add some ground turmeric powder in the dough, which would add some anti-inflammatory power to these treats.
So if you are someone who has a naughty sweet tooth but are trying to be nice to your body, try making this delicious dessert that you truly can feel good about.
Making Puran Poli is easy, but it takes time. Be sure to plan in advance before making it. Feel free to prepare the sweet stuffing a day or two before and refrigerate it.
This way you can break up the process into more easily achievable bites. The following day, make the dough, shape the poli and pan fry them. Easy peasy!
2. In a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chana dal with 3 cups of water for 6 to 7 whistles on medium heat. The dal need should not be mushy or pasty but cooked well.
Allow the pressure to release naturally, then strain the cooked dal. Keep the dal in the strainer for several minutes so that all the stock is drained. The cooked lentils have to be drained very well.
Tip: Keep the lentil stock aside. It can be used for making Katachi Amti (thin spiced dal) or you can just add it to your veggie dishes or roti dough.
Note that you can also cook the lentils in an Instant Pot or in a pan/pot on the stovetop. If cooking lentils in a pot on the stovetop, make sure to soak them for an hour or two.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a pan and add ¾ to 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder and 1 teaspoon fennel powder.
Fry for a few seconds on low heat; this will help the natural oils in the spices to awaken and taste more flavorful.
4. Add the cooked chana dal and 1 cup of powdered or grated jaggery. Stir and let the puran mixture cook on a low heat till the mixture becomes dry, stirring at intervals.
5.The puran mixture has cooked now and the below photo shows the thick, dry consistency you should have. Let this stuffing mixture cool.
6.Now mash the puran mixture very well with a potato masher or strainer. You need to mash the lentils thoroughly as the whole pieces of lentils may cause the dough to crack or tear while rolling.
Note: There is a piece of equipment called ‘puran yantra’ which is used in Maharashtrian households to do this work, but I do not have this equipment. In America, the puran yantra would be considered very similar to a food mill.
Make Poli (Flatbread) Dough7Meanwhile while the sweet lentil filling is cooling, prepare your dough to make the outer cover or poli.
Take 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix well.
8.Add a little bit of water and 4 tablespoon ghee or oil and mix.
9Begin to knead the dough, adding water as required. The dough should be smooth, supple and soft. Cover and rest the dough for 15 to 20 minute
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My delightful Puran Poli recipe with step-by-step photos will show you how to make the traditional Indian treat. This lentil stuffed sweet flatbread is a popular Maharashtrian recipe made during Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Holi or any other festive occasion. While it does take a bit of skill and patience to make, the results are well worth it! And as an added bonus, this sweet recipe also happens to be pretty darn nutritious, meaning you can even eat it for breakfast.
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About Puran Poli
Puran Poli is a flatbread stuffed with a sweet lentil stuffing. In Marathi language the sweet stuffing is known as Puran, and the flat bread is called Poli. While puran poli is considered a sweet, the ingredients make it quite healthy.
There are a few variations of this delish flatbread found in the Western and Southern parts and regions in India.
A similar variation in the South and from the Andhra and Karnataka cuisine is called Bobbatlu or Holige, where the proportions of flours may vary together with the kind of flavoring spices and lentils used.
In the authentic Maharashtrian Puran Poli recipe, the stuffing is made from chana dal (also known as bengal gram) which are husked and split black chickpeas.
The cooked chana dal lentils are sweetened with jaggery and spiced with cardamom, fennel, nutmeg and ginger. The chickpeas are full of protein, fiber, folate and vitamins.
Jaggery is an unrefined sugar that is easily available in India. If you live outside India, then check for jaggery in asian or Indian grocery stores or on Amazon.
Jaggery has a lower glycemic index than sugar, and also contains vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to health.
Note: If you are unable to procure jaggery, check for Mexican piloncillo, Latin American panela or muscovado sugar, all of which are similar.
The poli (flatbread) is made from a mix of whole wheat flour (atta) and all purpose flour (maida). Whole wheat flour is also chock full of fiber, protein and minerals.
If you prefer a yellow colored flatbread, you can add some ground turmeric powder in the dough, which would add some anti-inflammatory power to these treats.
So if you are someone who has a naughty sweet tooth but are trying to be nice to your body, try making this delicious dessert that you truly can feel good about.
Making Puran Poli is easy, but it takes time. Be sure to plan in advance before making it. Feel free to prepare the sweet stuffing a day or two before and refrigerate it.
This way you can break up the process into more easily achievable bites. The following day, make the dough, shape the poli and pan fry them. Easy peasy!
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Puran Poli
Make Puran (Lentil Filling)
1. Rinse 1 cup of chana dal very well in water. I didn’t soak the chana dal, but you can 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 of water for 6 to 7 whistles on medium heat. The dal need should not be mushy or pasty but cooked well.
Allow the pressure to release naturally, then strain the cooked dal. Keep the dal in the strainer for several minutes so that all the stock is drained. The cooked lentils have to be drained very well.
Tip: Keep the lentil stock aside. It can be used for making Katachi Amti (thin spiced dal) or you can just add it to your veggie dishes or roti dough.
Note that you can also cook the lentils in an Instant Pot or in a pan/pot on the stovetop. If cooking lentils in a pot on the stovetop, make sure to soak them for an hour or two.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a pan and add ¾ to 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder and 1 teaspoon fennel powder.
Fry for a few seconds on low heat; this will help the natural oils in the spices to awaken and taste more flavorful.
4. Add the cooked chana dal and 1 cup of powdered or grated jaggery. Stir and let the puran mixture cook on a low heat till the mixture becomes dry, stirring at intervals.
8. The puran mixture has cooked now and the below photo shows the thick, dry consistency you should have. Let this stuffing mixture cool.
9. Now mash the puran mixture very well with a potato masher or strainer. You need to mash the lentils thoroughly as the whole pieces of lentils may cause the dough to crack or tear while rolling.
Note: There is a piece of equipment called ‘puran yantra’ which is used in Maharashtrian households to do this work, but I do not have this equipment. In America, the puran yantra would be considered very similar to a food mill.
Make Poli (Flatbread) Dough
5. Meanwhile while the sweet lentil filling is cooling, prepare your dough to make the outer cover or poli.
Take 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix well.
6. Add a little bit of water and 4 tablespoon ghee or oil and mix.
7. Begin to knead the dough, adding water as required. The dough should be smooth, supple and soft. Cover and rest the dough for 15 to 20 minutes.
Assemble Puran Poli
10: Take a medium or large size ball from the dough. With a rolling pin, roll it 2 to 3 inches in circumference on a dusted rolling board. Place a portion of puran mixture in the center of the rolled dough.
11. Bring the edges together towards the center as shown in the below pic.
12. Join all the edges and pinch them as shown in the picture below.
13. Sprinkle some flour and start rolling the dough.
14. Make a medium or large circle (poli) as depending upon the size of the dough and puran filling you took. The cover should be rolled rather thin, so you can almost see the filling beneath it.
Roast Pooran Poli
15. On a heated tawa or griddle, spread some ghee.
16. Place the rolled poli/dough circle on the tawa.
17. When one side gets browned, turn over and cook the other side till you see some brown spots.
18. Once the second side gets browned, then turn over and apply ghee. If everything is done properly then puran poli will puff up.
Make all pooran poli this way and stack them in a casserole or in a kitchen napkin.
19. You can serve puran poli warm or at room temperature with milk, ghee or curd (yogurt). Enjoy!
