Poli / Pooran Poli

Poli/ Boli is one of my favorite sweet recipe, which we used to prepare during bogi festival.  It is a stuffed sweet, and we call the stuffing as pooranam or pooran. When I first tried Poli by myself, the flour dough is bit try and after making the poli, it didnt taste that much good. The secret is behind the oil, which we need to add in the dough and leaving it for 2 hrs to rest, by which, the dough gets the elastic texture and Poli, can be made very thin. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients
For Poli

• All purpose flour/maida - 2 cups
• Water - 1/2 cup (Can be adjusted)
• Oil - 3 to 4 tsp
• Salt - 1 pinch
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

For Pooranam

• Channa Dal/Kadalai Paruppu - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 1 cup 
• Cardamom powder - 3
• Water - as needed (optional)

Ghee for cooking.

Method

To Make Poli

• In a big bowl, add Maida and turmeric powder. 

• Add water and knead nicely. Add oil finally.

• Knead nicely to form a smooth dough. Let it rest for 2 hours.

To Make Puran/Pooranam

• Pressure cook channa dal with 2 cups of water for 2 to 3 whistles and keep aside to cool down.

• Powder the jaggery.

• When channa dal cools down, transfer to the mixer and add the jaggery, and grind for 1 min.

• Now transfer this to the pan and add the cardamom powder and saute for 3 to 4 min. Keep on stirring until it thickens. Take care not to burn in the bottom.

• Transfer to another bowl and let it cool for 5 to 10 min.
• Pooranam is now ready.

To stuff

• Take the kneaded dough, which is rested for 2 hours. The dough should have attained a elastic texture as shown below. This would be correct form for making Poli.

• Make a small ball (lemon sized) with the dough. Take a plastic cover and grease with oil and slightly flatten the dough as shown.

• Take the pooranam/pooran and make it again as a small ball, (size little less than lemon size). Keep it in the center and close the dough, as shown below. (Just like preparing stuffed chappathi)

• Keep the stuffed ball at the back side and cover with another greased plastic cover.

• Now place a flat plate and press strongly. Then with a chappathi roller, flatten the poli some more.  (I usually use this method, since I feel it to be easier. You can flatten the poli with a chappathi roller with out using the plate. One of my friend, who is expert in making poli, just flattens with her hand itself. So you can follow any of the method which suits you).

• Slowly remove the plastic cover and place it in a heated dosa tawa.

• Place the poli gently and ghee on both sides of poli and cook, till it becomes light golden colour on both sides. 

• Delicious Pooranam Poli is ready to be served.