Gujarati Puran Poli (Vedmi)
Soft sweet flatbread stuffed with a toor dal and jaggery filling, flavored with cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron. The authentic Gujarati version of puran poli, made the traditional way.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Heavy-bottomed pan
- Tawa (griddle)
Ingredients
For the Puran (Filling)
- 1 cup toor dal split pigeon peas; rinsed
- ¾ cup jaggery or more to taste; grated
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 pinch saffron or warm milk; soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
For the Poli (Dough)
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour atta
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup water added gradually as needed
For Serving
- ghee, for cooking and drizzling generously
Instructions
Cook the Toor Dal
- Pressure cook rinsed toor dal with 2 cups water for 4-5 whistles until very soft and completely cooked. Drain excess water and cool slightly.
- Pass through a fine mesh strainer or blend briefly until smooth and completely lump-free.
Make the Puran Filling
- Transfer strained dal to a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add grated jaggery and stir well. The mixture will loosen as the jaggery melts.
- Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes until the mixture thickens. It is ready when a spoon stands upright in the filling without falling over.
- Stir in cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, and saffron water. Remove from heat. Spread on a plate and cool completely before filling.
Prepare the Dough
- Combine whole wheat flour, oil, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with fingers until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add water gradually, kneading as you go, for 5-7 minutes until smooth and slightly softer than chapati dough. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 20-30 minutes.
Assemble and Cook
- Divide the dough and cooled filling each into 10-12 equal balls. The filling balls should be slightly larger than the dough balls.
- Flatten a dough ball in your palm. Place a filling ball in the center. Gather edges up and pinch together at the top to seal completely.
- Press gently with your fingertips to flatten slightly (the vedha step), then roll out on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 6-7 inches in diameter.
- Heat a tawa over medium heat. Cook each poli for 1-2 minutes per side until light golden spots appear. Drizzle ghee on each side. Keep finished polis covered under a clean cloth.
Notes
- Make-ahead: The puran filling can be made up to 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and assemble the polis on the day.
- Storage: Assembled polis keep at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat on a warm tawa with a touch of ghee.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled polis flat with parchment paper between each one for up to 1 month. Reheat directly on a tawa from frozen — no thawing needed.
- Vegan swap: Use coconut oil in the dough and as a topping instead of ghee. Soak saffron in warm water rather than milk.
- Spoon-stands test: The filling is ready when a spoon stands upright without falling. A filling that is too loose will cause the poli to tear when rolling.
- Dal tip: Toor dal cooks softer than chana dal, which is why the Gujarati version (Vedmi) has a more delicate, melt-in-the-mouth filling compared to the Maharashtrian version.
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