India: Puran Poli
My visit with Madura coincided with Holi, an ancient Hindu festival, also known as the Indian "festival of spring”. Puran Poli is a delicious flatbread stuffed with sweetened lentils. This buttery treat is a staple at Holi, and served alongside Katachi Amti, a soup with spicy notes of coconut and cilantro, created from the Puran Poli lentil cooking liquids. Although this recipe isn’t quick and easy, I can’t recommend it enough. To learn more about Madura, Maharashtrian cuisine, and how to make an incredible cup of chai, read the full article.
INGREDIENTS
PURAN POLI
~1 cup whole wheat flour (a little extra for rolling!)
180 grams chana daal, rinsed
180 grams jaggery
olive oil or neutral oil
ghee
turmeric
nutmeg
cardamom
salt
For the dough:
In a bowl, combine flour, salt, turmeric, and olive oil.
Knead the dough a bit on a flat surface with a little bit of flour. The dough should become elastic in nature and should not stick to your hands. Continue adding oil to help get the right consistency.
Fold the dough and let it rest while you prepare the chana daal.
Add the chana daal to a pressure cooker, or a pot (this may take a little longer), and fill with water until it’s about one inch above the daal.
Cook until you hear 5 whistles, or until the chana daal becomes very soft.
Drain the cooking liquid (or save it, if you’re making Katachi Amti!) and add the cooked chana to a large pan over medium heat.
Add in the jaggery and let it begin to melt into the chana daal. Sprinkle in nutmeg and cardamom to your liking. (Be careful, as these are both strong flavors.)
When the mixture is jammy and well blended, turn off the heat and let it cool.
Roll out pieces of dough into 5-6” circles, and place a small scoop of jaggery/lentil filling on top.
Gently bring up the edges of the circle around the filling, creating a little dumpling-like pouch. Once you’ve pinched all sides, twist off the excess dough on top. (See photos above for reference!)
Now pat the filled ball into a disc, and slowly roll it out flat back to a similarly sized 5-6” circle.
Heat a wide, flat pan over medium-high heat. Add a bit of ghee to the pan and place a flatbread in.
Fry the Puran Poli on each side until evenly brown, careful not to overcook.
Slather in ghee and enjoy with Katachi Amti!
