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Lentil stuffed Puran poli
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5 from 32 votes

Puranam Poli / Puran Boli

Puran Poli or Paruppu Boli is a traditional stuffed flatbread made for special occasions and festivals in India. The stuffing is made of lentils and jaggery and is hand shaped and cooked in oil. 
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: South Indian
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 15 pieces
Calories: 205kcal

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

For the outer dough –

  • 1 cup Maida / All Purpose Flour
  • a pinch Saffron can substitute food color
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 4 tablespoon Oil preferably gingelly oil

For the filling –

  • 1 cup Chana dal / Kadalai paruppu / split Bengal gram dal
  • ½ cup Coconut
  • 1 ½ cup Jaggery / vellam
  • 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
  • 1 tablespoon Gingelly oil to grease when making the poli
  • Ghee to serve

Instructions

To make the filling -

  • Fry the kadalai paruppu/channa dal in a pan without any oil until it is golden brown.
  • Then wash the dal and cook it with enough water in pressure cooker or stove top until the dal is cooked, but not too mushy.
  • Drain the dal and keep it aside.
  • Add the drained dal, jaggery, coconut and cardamom powder in a grinder or a food processor and grind it until well incorporated and smooth.
  • Transfer this mixture to a non stick pan and cook it over medium low heat until it becomes thick.
  • Once the filling cools down enough, you should be able to make small balls out of this.

To make the poli-

  • Mix all the ingredients listed for the dough and make it into soft dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 30 mins. The longer the dough sits, the easier it stretches when making the poli. I generally do this as the first step and let the dough rest for couple of hours.
  • Take a piece of banana leaf (In my case I used Aluminum foil) and apply some oil in the surface. Take a small piece of the dough and spread it with your fingers.
  • Now place the round filling inside it and close it with the dough all around and pinch the seams.
  • With the heel of your palm, slowly apply pressure to the poli and make it even and bigger. Take care that you do not press it too hard to make the filling come out. Also try not to use your fingers much as that leaves impression on the poli and it will not appear smooth.
  • In the meantime, heat a non stick or a cast iron tawa/griddle on medium high heat. Once the poli is spread, transfer the poli with the aluminum foil (or banana leaf) on to the tawa, face side down.
  • Wait for about 30 secs and then slowly peel the foil from the poli. Apply oil and cook the poli on both the sides until golden brown.
  • Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the poli. I usually have 2 sets of foil and work on the other when one is cooking, so I always have one ready to go.
  • Serve warm with ghee!

Video

Notes

Expert tips
  • The longer the Puranam poli dough sits, the easier it stretches when making the poli. I generally do this as the first step and let the dough rest for couple of hours.
  • Do not use ghee when cooking the poli as it becomes harder when cooled. Always cook it with oil and then serve it with a good smear of ghee on top. 
  • Use a banana leaf or a well smeared aluminum foil to shape the Puranam Boli. Greasing well is the key as it allows for easy peeling. 
  • Using food coloring is optional. We can use a pinch of saffron for the color as well or skip it altogether. 
  • Applying even pressure when shaping the poli ensures that the filling remains inside and does not ooze out. 

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg