In Maharashtra (western India), where I lived for several years, Puran Poli is a hot favorite food! You can eat it at breakfast with a dollop of cream (that's how I love it!) or as a post-meal dessert. Whatever you decide to do, Puran Poli is worth the effort involved in making it. This recipe serve 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Chana Daal/ Split Bengal Gram (see link for picture below)
- 1 cup small jaggery pieces
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- Ghee to rub on the cooked Puran Poli (see recipe for ghee below)
Preparation:
- Wash the Chana Daal thoroughly and soak overnight in warm water.
- Cook the Chana Daal with very little water, till soft and paste-like (a pressure cooker makes short work of this!).
- Simmer the flame, make sure all the water has dried. Now add the jaggery pieces and stir continuously till they melt and are well mixed with the Chana Daal paste.
- Add the cardamom powder to this paste and blend well. Remove from fire and keep aside for later use.
- Put the self-raising flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add a little water and the oil into this well. Use your fingers to knead this into a smooth, medium-firm dough, adding more water as required.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and roll into smooth, seam-free balls.
- Clean and flour a rolling surface. Take one ball of dough and flatten it with your fingers. Roll it out into a 3-4" circle. Now spoon some of the Chana Daal-Jaggery paste into the center of this circle. Fold the edges of the circle over the paste and pinch together to seal.
- Flatten this new ball gently with your fingers and use a rolling pin and gentle, circular pressure to roll it out into a 5-6" circle. Do this with all the dough and Chana Daal-Jaggery paste.
- Heat a griddle till hot, on a medium flame. Place one rolled out circle on it and cook till tiny bubbles appear on the upper surface. Flip with a spatula now. Cook till small brown dots begin to appear on the lower surface and flip again. The Puran Poli will begin to give of a lovely cooked aroma about now. Remove from the fire and smear on either side with ghee. Keep in a heatproof container for later or eat right away with a dollop of cream!
