Poli is a very popular, traditional sweet flat bread prepared during special occasions and festivals. It is known as bobbatlu in Telugu, obbattu, holige in Kannada, puran poli in Marathi and boli in Tamil and Malayalam. There are many variation of this recipe. I have used bengal gram dal and coconut to make this boli. Though it seems a time consuming process, it is very easy to prepare. It is prepared commonly during many festivals like Bhogi, Ugadi, Pongal etc. It can also be had as a snack. Some love to have it pal payasam. Today we will learn how to make Puran poli/boli following this easy recipe with step wise pictures.
Boli Recipe-Puran Poli-Obbattu-Holige
Prep Time : 20 mins
Cook Time : 20 mins
Yields: 10 small Bolis
Ingredients needed
All purpose flour/Maida -1 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp (sesame seed oil/nallennai)
Turmeric powder- a pinch
For the stuffing
Bengal gram/channa dal/kadalai paruppu -1/2 cup
Jaggery – 3/4 cup
Coconut (grated) 1/3 cup
Ghee/clarified butter – 1 tsp
Cardamom powder- 1/3 tsp
Plantain leaf/ziplock sheet
Watch the full simplified video of making Sweet Boli
Preparations
For the outer cover
For the stuffing
Wash and soak bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) for half an hour.
Pressure cook bengal gram dal with water (add enough water to cover the dal) for 2 whistles or until soft but not mushy. You can also cook in a pan.
In a bowl, add grated jaggery and just enough water to soak the jaggery. Cook on low heat until the jaggery dissolves. Once it dissolves, filter it to remove dust and impurities if any.
Drain off excess water from the bengal gram dal (channa dal). In a pan, add the filtered jaggery water, cooked bengal gram dal, grated coconut and a tsp of ghee.
Cook on medium heat stirring continuously until it leaves the sides of the pan.
Leave it to cool. Then grind it to a slightly smooth paste adding cardamom powder. Now our stuffing for poli is ready. (see picture below)
After 3 – 4 hours – Take the maida dough which we kept aside and knead it well again.
Making Poli
Divide the stuffing into gooseberry sized balls. Grease a plantain leaf with oil. Take a small ball of dough and place it on the plantain leaf.
Grease your fingers with oil and flatten the dough with your fingers to form a small circle as shown below.
Place a small ball of poli stuffing at the center and seal it on all sides forming a small ball.
Now flatten the ball with the stuffing inside to form a thin small circle.
Cooking Poli/Obbattu
Grease the tawa slightly with ghee and heat it. Now invert the plantain leaf with the poli over the tawa as seen in the picture below.
After a few seconds, gently remove the plantain leaf.
Now cook the poli both the sides until golden brown on very low heat.
Once cooked, apply ghee all over the surface and remove from heat. Now puran poli is ready to be served. Enjoy it warm.
You can fold it and store it in a container, if not having it immediately. Poli tastes good even after few hours of preparation.
Note
4.If you have left over stuffing (poornam), dip it in dosa batter and deep fry to make sukhiyan/suyam.
Sweet poli/boli is also known as Puran Poli is a very popular traditional sweet flat bread with sweet lentil and coconut filling. It is prepared during special occasions and festivals like Bhogi, Ugadi, Pongal etc. It can also be had as a snack.
- 1 cup All purpose flour/Maida
- 2 tbsp Oil (sesame seed oil/nallennai)
- 1 pinch Turmeric powder
- 1/2 cup Bengal gram/channa dal/kadalai paruppu
- 3/4 cup Jaggery
- 1/3 cup Coconut (grated)
- 1 tsp Ghee/clarified butter
- 1/3 tsp Cardamom powder
- 1 Plantain leaf/ziplock sheet
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Made a soft dough by mixing flour, turmeric powder and needed water. Knead it, add 2 tbsp oil and keep it covered for 3-4 hours. Let it remain soaked in oil. The more it remains soaked in oil the more softer the boli will be. It must be soaked in oil atleast for a minimum of 1 hour, if 3-4 hours is not possible.
-
Wash and soak bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) for half an hour.
-
Pressure cook bengal gram dal with water (add enough water to cover the dal) for 2 whistles or until soft but not mushy. You can also cook in a pan.
-
In a bowl, add grated jaggery and just enough water to soak the jaggery. Cook on low heat until the jaggery dissolves. Once it dissolves, filter it to remove dust and impurities if any.
-
Drain off excess water from the bengal gram dal (channa dal). In a pan, add the filtered jaggery water, cooked bengal gram dal, grated coconut and a tsp of ghee.
-
Cook on medium heat stirring continuously until it leaves the sides of the pan.
-
Leave it to cool. Then grind it to a slightly smooth paste adding cardamom powder. Now our stuffing for poli is ready.
-
After 3 - 4 hours - Take the maida dough which we kept aside and knead it well again.
-
Now both the dough and the stuffing for poli are ready, we will start making poli.
-
Divide the stuffing into gooseberry sized balls. Grease a plantain leaf with oil. Take a small ball of dough and place it on the plantain leaf.
-
Grease your fingers with oil and flatten the dough with your fingers to form a small circle.
-
Place a small ball of poli stuffing at the center and seal it on all sides forming a small ball.
-
Now flatten the ball with the stuffing inside to form a thin small circle.
-
Grease the tawa slightly with ghee and heat it. Now invert the plantain leaf with the poli over the tawa.
-
After a few seconds, gently remove the plantain leaf.
-
Now cook the poli both the sides until golden brown on very low heat.
-
Once cooked, apply ghee all over the surface and remove from heat. Now puran poli is ready to be served. Enjoy it warm.
-
You can fold it and store it in a container, if not having it immediately. Poli tastes good even after few hours of preparation.
-
Store it in a stainless steel box. Stays good at room temperature for 1 1/2 days.
1.For those who cannot get plantain leaf, poli can be rolled out just like roti using rice flour for dusting. In case, if you are using plastic sheet, then transfer the poli to your hands and then place it on the hot tawa.
2.If you are busy, you can make the stuffing the previous day and refrigerate it. Bring it to room temperature before making polis.
3.You can make the dough also in the morning, if you want to make polis in the evening. You do not have to refrigerate the dough.
4.If you have left over stuffing (poornam), dip it in dosa batter and deep fry to make sukhiyan/suyam.
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View Comments (69)
Nice step by step clicks.Poli looks Absolutely delicious
nice step by step recipe. looks wonderful!
I have never made this myself, but have eaten them in friends place this looks so so yumm. Love the step byt step pics too.
I always love to eat them, but never made them myself! Thanks to the step by step pics, this bhogi I can make them! :)
Dear Padhu,
Absolutely brilliant...
Hi. Nice step by step narration. We too make puran poli but in a different way, will surely post it some day.
Very nice tutorial. This looks very interesting to try.
Nice step by step pics. Love this sweet a lot. Looks perfect and delicious :)
I just love poli....but haven't tried at home....thanks for the step by step recipe...will try it now.
nice poli I love this poli tempting!!!! parcel please