Is there any festival in India that is incomplete with the side dish known as puri? Of course not! Whether they are made of whole wheat flour, refined all purpose flour or any other flour for that matter, these deep-fried goodies can turn any meal into a celebration by their mere presence. And among puris, those that are stuffed clearly have a higher standing. Whether it is Bedmi Puri from Uttar Pradesh or Koraishutir Kochuri from Bengal, these stuffed, deep-fried and crispy puris are the puffy queens that adorn our regional Indian plates. One such stuffed puri that not many people beyond Maharashtra are aware of is Saranachi Puri.
Usually prepared around festivals like Gudi Padwa and Diwali, Saranachi Puri is a crispy, deep-fried puri variety with a sweet filling. The sweet filling is made with roasted semolina, chickpea flour or besan, jaggery and spices like nutmeg, cardamom and saffron. To make the dish richer still, people also add ground cashews and almonds to the stuffing. So, despite being deep-fried, the nutritional value of the ingredients that go into Saranachi Puri make it a filling and festive dish.
Many people tend to confuse Saranachi Puri with Satori, another Maharashtrian dish made of flour and a sweet stuffing. This is not only because these dishes are conceptually similar and originate in the same state, but also because they are prepared in households during the same festivals. However, it is important to understand that Satori is more of a flatbread in the same class as Puran Poli, while Saranachi Puri is a puri that puffs up. Satori has a mawa or khoya filling, while Saranachi Puri calls for sooji, besan, jaggery and ground dry fruits.
The dishes are completely different also because Satori is never deep-fried. If you are looking for a stuffed, puffy, crispy and deep-fried Maharashtrian puri variety then it is Saranachi Puri that you need, not Satori. Here’s the elaborate recipe for Saranachi Puri that you can easily try at home.
Ingredients:
1 cup semolina or rawa
1 cup all purpose flour or maida
1 tsp salt
½ tsp saffron
2 tbsp ghee
1 cup warm milk
Oil or ghee, for frying
For the stuffing:-
2 cups semolina
2 tbsp chickpea flour or besan
2 tbsp ghee
2 cups jaggery, grated
1 cup warm milk
½ tsp cardamom powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
½ tsp saffron
2 tbsp almonds, ground
2 tbsp cashews, ground
Method:
1. To make the dough, place the semolina, flour, salt and saffron in a large bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat the ghee in a small pot and add to the flour. Quickly mix it in.
3. Now, use warm milk to make a very soft dough. Cover and rest the dough for an hour or two.
4. The Saranachi Puri dough can harden, so after the resting period, use a rolling pin to beat and knead the dough until it turns soft again.
5. To make the stuffing, heat the ghee in a pan.
6. Add the rawa and roast until it turns golden brown.
7. Now add the besan and roast it for another 4-5 minutes on a low flame.
8. Mix the grated jaggery, saffron and warm milk in a large bowl until the jaggery melts completely.
9. Now add the roasted rawa and besan and quickly mix it.
10. Add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and ground almonds and cashews.
11. Mix well and let the stuffing rest for 2 hours.
12. To make the Saranachi Puri, divide the dough and the stuffing into equal-sized balls.
13. Roll out the dough ball, place the stuffing ball in the centre and seal the edges of the dough by pulling them on top.
14. Gently press the stuffed balls, then roll out into puris that aren’t too thin.
15. Heat oil in a wok, then fry the puris one by one.
16. Serve the Saranchi Puri hot.