Cook The Dal

In A Traditional Pressure Cooker

• Wash the dal with water 2-3 times and soak it in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
• Once the dal is soaked, drain the water and add the soaked chana dal to a pressure cooker.
• Add 3 cups of water to the cooker and close the lid. Pressure cook the dal on high heat for one whistle, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker.
• The dal must be well-cooked. If it’s not cooked well, cook it for another few minutes.

In An Instant Pot

• Wash the dal with water 2-3 times and soak it in 4-5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
• Once the dal is soaked, drain the water and add the soaked chana dal to an instant pot.
• Add 3 cups of water and close the lid of the instant pot.
• Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 15 minutes on high pressure.
• Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
• Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the instant pot.

Make The Puran

• Strain the cooked dal using a fine-mesh strainer and reserve the water for other uses like making katachi amti or curries. Try to get rid of as much liquid as possible while straining.
• Add the cooked dal, jaggery, and ghee to a nonstick pan and cook on medium heat until the jaggery is dissolved and mixed with the dal. 
• Add nutmeg powder and cardamom powder and mix well. 
• Cook the mixture until it starts leaving the pan’s sides and is thickened nicely (12-15 minutes). Stir frequently and keep mashing the dal with the back of the spoon.
• Note – Insert a spoon in the middle to check if the filling is cooked well. If it can stand straight, then the puran is cooked to the right consistency.
• Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool down for an hour.
• Add the cooled puran to a blender or a food processor and blend until it is very smooth.
• You can also mash the puran with the heels of your hands until very smooth.
• Note – The idea is to make a very smooth pooran. If the puran is not smooth, the poli will tear while rolling.
• Note – A particular device called puran yantra is used in many Maharashtrian houses to make the puran super smooth. Some people also pass it through a mesh strainer.

Make The Puran Poli Dough

• Add whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, turmeric powder, and hot ghee to a large mixing bowl (or a parat) and mix well using your fingertips.
• Gradually add water (approx 1 cup) and knead to make a very soft dough. The quantity of water will depend on the quality of the flour used. Do not add much water at once; otherwise, the dough will become sticky.
• Tip – You can use your stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment or a food processer to knead the dough.
• Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Roll The Puran Poli

• Divide the dough into 6-8 equal portions and roll each piece to make smooth balls.
• Similarly, divide the puran into 6-8 equal portions and roll to make balls.
• Take one of the portions of the dough and slightly flatten the ball between your palms.
• Dust it with dry flour gently and roll to make a 4-5 inch circle.
• Keep a filling ball in the circle’s center and bring the ends together.
• Roll the filled dough ball in between your palms and keep rotating while rolling. This step will ensure that the puran reaches the corners of the poli.
• Now keep the disc on the rolling surface. Dust with dry flour and roll using a rolling pin to make an 8-10 inch circle. While rolling, apply the pressure gently and go from one side to the other. Try to roll the edges a little thinner than the center. Keep rotating the surface if it is getting tough to roll from one side.

Cook The Poli

• Heat a griddle (tawa) over medium-high heat.
• Once the tawa is hot, transfer the puran poli to it. 
• Cook until brown spots appear on the bottom side. Flip the poli and cook until brown spots appear on the other side.
• Flip the poli again and apply 1 teaspoon of ghee on each side. Press the poli using the back of a spoon and cook until golden brown from both sides.
• Make all the poli in the same manner. Apply some more ghee and serve it with milk or katachi amti.
• Note – Wipe the skillet every time before adding the next poli.