By Rittwik Naskar
Puran Poli is a popular Maharashtrian sweet lentil-stuffed flatbread with spices. An absolute must-have during festivities, here are some easy steps to make this at home.
1 cup sugarcane jaggery and chana dal 3½ cups water 5 tbsp ghee 1 tsp ground fennel ¾ tsp dry ginger powder ½ tsp cardamom powder ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 2 cups whole wheat flour ¼ tsp salt and turmeric powder
Soak the chana dal for 30 minutes to up to an hour. Then drain the water and add the soaked dal to the pressure cooker followed by 3 cups of water and put it on high heat.
After 5-6 whistles take the pressure cooker off the heat and let the steam escape on its own. Take the cooked dal out of the cooker and strain it.
In a separate pan, add 3 tsp ghee over a medium-high flame, followed by fennel, ginger, and cardamom powder. Then add the cooked and strained dal and jaggery to the pan.
Cook the lentil stuffing or the puran mixture, till it loses its moisture and turns dry. Add the grated nutmeg and mash the stuffing so that it becomes smooth in texture.
Take the flour, salt, ghee, and turmeric powder in a mixing bowl and gradually add water to it while kneading to make a soft and smooth dough.
Make little dough balls and roll them out on a floured kitchen top to upto 3 inches in diameter. Fill the centre of the dough with a dollop of the stuffing and then gently join the edges to seal it.
Roll it out again, this time to a medium-sized circle, and cook it on a hot tawa, adding a teaspoon of ghee as you flip either side.
When both sides of the poli are sufficiently browned, take it off the tawa and serve it warm with milk, a bowl of halwa or enjoy it as is.