Puran Poli Recipe

A soft, sweet Maharashtrian flatbread stuffed with a jaggery and chana dal filling, then cooked on a tawa with ghee until golden. This version uses a wheat and maida dough that rolls out easily after a long rest, with tips to keep the filling from bursting through while shaping.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Maharashtrian

Keyword Puran Poli Recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 5

Servings Puran Poli

Calories 207kcal

Author Puja

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 cups wheat flour gehun ka atta
1/2 cup refined flour maida
A pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons oil for the dry mix
About 1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons more as needed
1 tablespoon oil added after initial kneading

For the Puran (Filling):

1 cup chana dal washed (soaking optional)
4 cups water for pressure cooking
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon oil
1 cup jaggery chopped or grated (same measure as raw dal)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Grated nutmeg about 1/4 of a whole nutmeg or a small pinch if pre-ground

For Rolling and Cooking:

Rice flour for dusting (wheat flour also works)
Ghee for brushing on the tawa

Instructions

Wash 1 cup chana dal well. Soaking is optional, unsoaked dal cooks through fine with a few extra whistles.
Pressure cook the dal with 4 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon oil. Cook 1 whistle on high heat, then lower to medium-low for 7-8 more whistles (roughly 7 to 9 whistles total depending on cooker strength). Let pressure release naturally.
Check that a grain presses completely soft between your fingers. Strain the dal, reserving the dal water separately (used for katachi amti, a related recipe).
Cook the drained dal with 1 cup jaggery on medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Test by standing a spoon upright in the center; if it falls over, cook longer.
Off heat, mix in the cardamom powder and grated nutmeg. While still hot, push the puran through a sieve in batches (or use a potato masher or puran yantra). Shape into a ball.
For the dough, mix wheat flour, maida, salt, and turmeric with 2 teaspoons oil. Gradually add about 1 cup water plus roughly 2 tablespoons more, mixing until soft and very slightly sticky.
Knead for 8-10 minutes, then work in 1 tablespoon oil and knead 3-4 more minutes until completely smooth. Cover with a little oil and rest a minimum of 2 hours.
Divide the dough and puran into 10-12 equal portions each. Puran balls should be the same size as dough balls or very slightly smaller, never bigger.
Flatten a dough ball into a small bowl shape in your palm, thicker in the center. Place a puran ball inside, bring the edges up, seal fully, and pinch off excess dough.
Dust generously with rice flour, flatten by hand, then roll out gently and as thin as possible without tearing, using plenty of dusting flour.
Heat a tawa on medium heat until hot but not smoking. Place the poli on the tawa; when small bubbles rise on top, flip it.
Brush with ghee, flip again, and press very gently so it puffs. Brush the other side with ghee and cook until golden brown spots appear on both sides, about 2-3 minutes total.
Let polis cool slightly on a rack or separated before stacking, so they do not turn soggy at the base.

Notes

Every household differs on the flour blend. Some use only wheat flour, others use half wheat and half maida as done here; both are correct.

Soaking the chana dal is optional. It shortens the whistle count, but unsoaked dal cooks through fine with a few extra whistles.

Puran can be made 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated.

Cooked poli keeps 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container; reheat on a hot tawa for a few seconds per side or in a pan with a little ghee.

Nutrition