Poli Recipe

Poli is one of my favorite sweet. First time I ate this in a restaurant in Kolkatta, since then I started looking out for where ever I go. I met one of my friends who taught me how to make poli. I cooked it and it came out really well. It is a popular dish in Kolkatta as well as in Maharashtra where people eat it with Puran.

 

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time : 1 hour
Makes : 10 polis

Ingredients:

For Outer Dough:
Maida / All Purpose Flour - 3 cup
Turmeric powder- 1tsp( for coloring effect)


Butter - 4 tsp
Water - 3/4 cup

For Sweet Filling:
Channa Dal  - 1 cup
Jaggery- 1 1/4 cup
Cardamom Powder- 2 tsp
Grated coconut 1/2 cup
Method:

1.Start by making the poli dough. Take maida, butter, turmeric powder in a mixing bowl and mix well. Now add in water and make into a sticky dough. The dough should be not be stiff or soft. Let the oil stay on the top. Leave the dough to rest for 1 hour.

2.While the dough is resting make the filling. Take channa dal in a sauce pan and add water to it. bring it to boil and cook for 30 to 35 mins till it is 3/4th cooked. It shouldn't get over cooked.

3.When the dal is cooked, drain it in a bowl and set aside and let it get cool
4.Now take sugar, cardamom and coconut in a blender and make it into a fine powder. Keep it in a bowl.
5.Now take the little cooled cooked channa dal in the same blender and blend it into a very soft powder, there shouldn't be any whole dal. Once it is powdered well.
6.Put a kadai on a very low heat and put the stuff prepared in step 4 and 5 and mix well. Dont keep on stove for a long time, if you heat it for a long time then the jaggery will dissolve.Once the mixture starts to clump together like a dough, switch off the flame. It will take only a minute or so.

7.Now lets make the poli.Heat a heavy bottom tawa on medium heat. 
8.For making the poli,  Take a small portion of dough, put it directly on flour, this will make sure that it doesn't stick. Now take the 2 tsp filling and place it over the dough. Make round shape with filling inside and spread the dough ball into a thin poli.

Once you have rolled, put the poli on hot tawa and cook for few seconds till it you see small bubbles forming. At this stage flip it over and sprinkle ghee over the poli. This side will take only few seconds to cook. Now flip again and sprinkle ghee over it. Now remove it using the back of the spatula carefully. Repeat.

Once done, serve immediately hot or warm.