Puran Poli to celebrate Holi!



Happy Holi Friends!! The most colourful and fun-filled festival of the year is here. Holi is probably the least religious festival in India. Although Holi does have religious and mythological significance, today it is all about a day of fun for all. Smearing colours and splashing water on each other. It is so delightful to watch even adults shed all their inhibitions and join in the chaos.

As a kid, holi was my favourite festival and was much awaited. Now its been about 4years since I have played holi. I sooo miss the bonfires on the eve of holi and the day of the festival when all of us kids from the society would meet in the mornings each carrying a heavy bag of water balloons and of course the latest trendiest pichkaris (water guns). I remember being camouflaged with colours and bombarded with balloons within a minute of stepping out of my building. I also remember running inside the building for cover when all the big boys would come with oil paints and those long lasting black and silver colours:). Finally around noon, all of us completely exhausted would feast on various snacks bought from the neighbouring restaurant. After all the fun one thing I dreaded most was washing away all the colours, after all there was school next day.

Dad always bought delicious Puran polis from a store in Dadar, my mouth still waters thinking of them. I really haven't really found a good version in any store out here as yet. This is a recipe I learnt from one of my neighbours in Mumbai and we love it. The polis are soft and has just the right amount of sweetness.


Puran Poli
Ingredients:
100gms all purpose flour
100gms wheat flour
1/4tsp salt
milk for kneading the dough
2-3tbs oil
200gms chana dal
1cup water
225gms jaggery, grated
8 green cardamoms, seeds removed and crushed
Ghee

Method:
Mix together the flours and salt and make a soft dough(not sticky) using enough milk. Add oil 1tbs at a time and knead well till all the oil is incorporated. Transfer to an air-tight container and keep aside for at least an hour.
Wash the dal several times. Add 1cup water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Do not over cook the dal, it should be whole when done. Open the cooker when the pressure has released completely and drain off the excess water. Spread out on paper towels or cloth and let it cool.
Add the jaggery and cardamom powder to the dal and pulse till the mixture is smooth (small bits of dal is fine).
If the mixture is too soft, place in a pan and stir over medium heat till dry. Cool.



Take the dough and knead again for a minute. Make 10 small balls. Divide the puran and make 10balls. The size of the puran balls would be much bigger.
Using a little flour, roll the dough into a small circle. Place puran in the center and and fold the edges to completely enclose the puran. Again coat with flour and roll out the polis as thin as possible without exposing the puran. Repeat with the others. Handle the rolled polis very gently to avoid tearing.
Heat a pan on medium heat and roast each poli till light brown and fluffed up. Smear some ghee on both the sides as you roast. Serve hot.


This picture is my entry to 'CLICK : June 2009 Stacks'.

Sending this to 'Holi Hai' event hosted by Purva and to 'Lentils Mela' hosted by Ashwini.

32 comments:

  1. They look really delicate and light. Didn't know how to make them till now. Will be making it this week and will follow your recipe. WIll let u know how they truned out:)
    Nice snaps.

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  2. wow..looking beautiful n yummy poli poornima..Happy holi!!

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  3. poornima, I have never celebrated holi (i have just seen them in movies) but I understand the fun and joy of the celebration through your description; Happy holi to you and to all at home!
    Your puran polis look perfect ! my mouth is watering...

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  4. Lovely presentation Poornima...Poli looks great and inviting....Happy Holi.

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  5. Perfect looking Poli. Happy Holi to you. I made and posted colorful Parathas for holi! :)

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  6. Tempting clicks...am just drooling over them..i love polis like anything..

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  7. wow..delicious looking poli.. never tried it, but love it.

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  8. mmm..i just love this hot-hot!!! happy holi to you!

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  9. poli's looks delicious poornima ! One of our all time favourite sweet :)

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  10. Happy Holi to u too..:)
    Poli looks so perfect Purnima..I hav had this ages back in a marriage..yum..!!

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  11. Happy Holi Poornima..I miss those delicious puran polis today..horrible torturing dear..long since i tasted.Lovely clicks.

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  12. Hi Poornima,
    Perfect polis :) superb pictures as always.Belated Holi wishes to you too!
    This dish is in my 'to do' list for Ugadi festival, which falls on the 27th of this month.
    TC

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  13. wow...lovely one...just posted it in my blog....happy holi

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  14. Hi Poornima,
    Poli's looks delicious & perfect.It is my all time favorite:)Thanks for dropping & you have a nice space here dear:)

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  15. Wow yummylicious......Mouth watering.....and scrummy......Hope you had superb HOLI.

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  16. wow poornima,looks like restaurant kinda!!never tried polis on my own.have bookmarked it,will try this weekend:)

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  17. long time I had puran poli..love it so much,..my maharashtrian friend used to mak eit for me during holi..

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  18. They have come out just perfect and its so tempting Poornima :)

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  19. Wow they look perfect and delicious.

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  20. i love puran poli..but never tried to make it.. i will try this time..

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  21. Poli for Holi - how perfect. these are such a favorite at home and I wish I wasn't so lazy so I could make these more often. Love the pictures.

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  22. Whenever I visit a food blog to be honest I get two kinds of cravings 1. by drooling at the pics and 2. the craving to make a post in my poor undernourished blog. It beats the hell out of me how you guys post so regularly such beautiful things..
    Holi is one of my fave festival I inherited by marrying into a north Indian family. I could write my whole funny first holi experience here but I guess I should be decent and comment abt Puran Poli...wow never made them at home but yeah used to visit every apt in our bldg and taste all of them on a single day..I was one guinea pig for all 60 apartments or so..If you were anywhere near Boston would have come down and had a bite or more of this beauty....my god my cravings are never gonna end...thanks btw for visiting my blog..so sweet of u!!

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  23. Puran poli looks delicious. Well explained. Happy holi dear.

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  24. Love it, today is my birthday and this is my fav, something I always asked my amma to make on my birthday, she is no more and I have no patience to make it. I didn't know they made puran poli for holi!

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  25. Thank you all so much...you make me so happy:)

    Smitha and Chitra, don't forget to tell me how they turned out if you do make them.

    Wish you a very Happy Birthday, D&P

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  26. wow, amazing polis. look mouth-watering Poornima! Beautiful clicks.

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  27. I heard and read about puran poli so many times but didn't get a chance to try it..but yours looks so good that i think i am gonna give it a try asap:)

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  28. Those flaky polis look delightful...i've never made them.

    Hope you had a great Holi :-)

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  29. Perfect poli's poornima....Nice pics

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  30. Holi is incomplete without Puran Poli.......thank you for the lovely entry for the event.

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  31. First time here....Puran poli looks yum yum, one of my favs!

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  32. Hey poornima....your Puran Poli recipe looks Yumm!!. I have never tried Puran Poli before,I will try it definitely.

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Poornima