1cup(200 ml ) maida ( plain flour ), I mix half half - Maida and Genhu Roti Atta
A pinch of Turmeric Powder(Haldi)
½cup(100 ml / 4 oz) water
1tablespoonoil( for making dough ) or sunflower oil
¼cupmaida( for dusting ) or 4 tablespoons
3– 4 teaspoons ghee(final preparation)
For the Puran (Stuffing)
For puran(dal mixture):
1cup/ 200 ml chana dal(Bengal gram dal / chone daali)
2 ¼cupswater
1tablespoonghee
1cupsugar or Jaggery can be used
¼teaspooncardamom powder
Instructions
For the dough:
In a wide bowl, combine maida, turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon oil.
Knead maida mix with and enough water ( approximately 100 ml / 1/2 cup ) to make a smooth chapatti dough. Sprinkle extra 1 or 2 teaspoon water if required to make very soft dough. Keep aside for half an hour to one hour in an airtight container. Dough is ready now.
For the Stuffing:
Wash and soak chana dal in 2 1/4 cups water in a pressure cooker for one hour and pressure cook for 20 minutes (pressure cook along with soaked water) (reduce heat to medium after 3rd whistle (3 quick whistles) and cook for 15 minutes or until done and soft). Do not open the cooker immediately. Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Open the cooker. It should be a thick and soft mixture or drain out dal water if any (may be ¼ cup ).
Transfer the thick cooked dal into a bowl. Keep aside for 15 – 20 minutes until it reaches room temperature. Then mix with 1 cup sugar. Make a smooth and thick paste in a mixer bowl in 2 batches.
Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a kadai / frying pan on a medium heat. Add thick chana dal - sugar paste and stir it on a low to medium heat till the mixture thickens / water dries up / leaves from the sides of the pan (approximate time 15 - 20 minutes on a low heat). Puran is ready now.
Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.
Remove from the heat and cool. Make 5 - 6 medium size lemon sized balls.
Making of Puran Poli
Roll out each maida dough into 4 – inch width puri with the help of a rolling pin. Sprinkle little dry maida when making the shape of a puri.
Place a lime-sized ball (1 tablespoon) of dal paste in the centre. Gather up the edges of the puri, enclose the dal paste completely and pinch the seams well together (like aloo paratha).
Dust this ball generously with maida flour mix. Place the dusted ball on a chapatti board and carefully roll it out into a chapatti (slightly thicker than chapatti) and place each puran poli carefully.
Heat a frying pan / tawa. Reduce heat to medium, place the rolled puran poli carefully on the frying pan and fry till golden color on both the sides - like chapati ( turning it over once or twice carefully; smear little ghee (1/2 teaspoon) on both the sides while frying). Carefully remove it from the frying pan with a flat spatula. Serve as a sweet dish. It's a very tasty after school snack.
Notes
Sometimes toor dal is used in Gujarat. Toor Dal or togari bele is commonly used in the state of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as well. In Andhra pradesh (bobbatlu or bakshalu) and other places, even moong dal or Chana dal is used, even a mix of lentils is used in some recipes.Other ingredients that may or may not be used are : Nuts, Dates, turmeric powder.