P for PuranpoLi

My Bonnie lies over the ocean
My Bonnie lies over the sea
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me
Last night as I lay on my pillow
Last night as I lay on my bed
Last night as I lay on my pillow
I dreamed that my Bonnie was LOST.
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me
Oh blow ye the winds o'er the ocean
And blow ye the winds o'er the sea
Oh blow ye the winds o'er the ocean
And bring back my Bonnie to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me
The winds have blown over the ocean
The winds have blown over the sea
The winds have blown over the ocean
And brought back my Bonnie to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me

Note: I changed one word to lost. Sorry scottish folks today is Valentines day and allow me the liberty.

Happy Valentines Day to You!

I woke this morning real early and excited and started singing this song. There are so many love songs but today this one was the one I was singing.

So it is P for PuranpoLi

Ingredients


For the Puran (Stuffing):
1/4 kg Chana dal
1/8 kg jaggery
1/8 kg sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and cardamom powder

For the Cover:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water to knead

Step 1:

Wash the chana dal and cook it in a pressure cooker with water just covering the dal. I use a small cooker which gives long whistles so allowed 5 of them. Allow the cooker to cool.

Step 2:

Meanwhile measure out the flour and mix when dry itself to get homgenous mix. Now rub in half the oil into the flour with your hand. Later add the water and knead to get a smooth dough if required use a bit more water but make sure that it is not sticky. Leave it in a oiled bowl to stand while you get the puran ready.

Step 3:

Now open the cooled pressure cooker and drain out the excess water if any. Add in the sugar and jaggery and keep stirring with a wooden flat ladle. Cook till the puran leaves the sides of the pan and the ladle if thrust into the puran stand upright. It should be like a soft cake.

While it is still hot pass it thru a puran machine (or meat grinder for those of you outside India). At this point add the nutmeg and cardamom powder and mix with hand. This will give you a smooth cake.

Step 4:

Now to Roll it out:

Knead the dough that we prepared in Step 2 once with a bit of oil. Keep aside a bowl of water and oil ready. Now take a lemon sized bal in your hands dip your hand in water knead in your palms itself. Then dip your hand in oil and knead again. The dough now should be elastic. Shape a cup with the dough to fill in the puran stuffing just like you do for a paratha.

Now lightly flour the counter and pat the stuff ball flat with your fingers. Then with a light hand roll out to form the poLi just like chapati/ pizza bread.

Step 5:

Roasting:

The last and important step is roasting. It is the tough part as it has a sugar/jaggery based stuffing that melts and it just oozes out. If it does the PoLi starts caramelizing and sticking to the girdle.

So use a non stick girdle and the heat should be on medium. Gently put the PoLi on to roast it from one side lift it with a flat ladle and roast from other side. The poli is roasted when you see freckles on it. After it is done from both sides apply ghee on the side facing upward fold and apply on the topside of the fold. Remove it from the girdle onto a kitchen napkin and grease the other side of the poLi with ghee. Make the remain poLis in the same way.

I made real huge ones and could make only six of them. It was a dream come true on sunday. Its the first time my poLis turned out so good. None of them charred or tore open. I was tutored for it by our priest wife when she visited us last summer. I had tried to make 2-3 times after that but this batch really made me say now I can make PuranpoLis too :).

This is a difficult recipe so I have used the smallest proportions but daredevils can try! Results are bliss!!!