Poli is a traditional South Indian Sweet dish Though Poli is originated from Karnataka it is also popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra as well. But both Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have their own method/procedure. However, among all, I like Karnataka’s version. In Karnataka, Poli is made especially on an auspicious day to worship the god, especially on Ugadi/New year along with Mangai Pachadi.
My native town in Tamil Nadu is quite closer to Bangalore, Karnataka, and Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh we adopted their tradition and make poli on Tamil New year. The Tamil, Telugu and, Kannada New years falls a week apart. In some Tamil Traditional Iyer/Iyengar homes, poli is made on bogi, the first day of Pongal(Harvest festival).
In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, it is called obbatu/holige whereas in Tamil Paruppu Poli/Thengai Poli and, in Maharashtra Puran Poli. I have never been to Andhra Pradesh but, in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Poli/obbatu/holige is popular street food.
I too have a favorite poli spot in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. If you get a chance to cross sanitorioum station or bus stand, do visit the bakery at the end of the station road, under the flyover and near the sanitorium subway, just before you take the turn towards the subway. It is a popular spot people are always buying something from that bakery so I hope you could spot the place quite easily. If you go there, tell them I sent you 🙂
Ingredients:
For Poli Dough:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour(the measurement in the video is not correct)
- water Little less than 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup of sesame oil(40 to 50 ml)
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
For the stuffing:
- 1/2 dry chana dhal, soaked overnight in the water
- 1/2 cup jaggery powder
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/8 tsp dry ginger powder
- 1/4 cup grated coconut(brown layer removed)
- 1 to 2 tbsp of ghee
For the Poli
- required rice flour or oil
- Food grade plastic or banana leaf
- Required ghee
Procedure:
Step 1: Dough for poli:
1. In a small bowl Combine a cup of all-purpose flour, salt, turmeric powder and 10 to 15 ml sesame oil(about 3 tbsp).
2. Add some water and make a sticky dough. You may need 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of water.
3. To the sticky dough start adding rest of sesame oil little by little and knead to until the dough is soft and nonsticky.
4. Cover the dough with a thin layer of oil and let the dough rest for 5 to 7 hours.
Step 2: Stuffing for the Paruppu Poli
5. Drain the water from the soaked channa dhal and boil it in the fresh water, until the dhal is tender, for 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Drain the cooked dhal and let it dry in a plate for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Without adding water grind the dhal to a smooth paste along with ginger and cardamom powder. Ignore If one or two dhals is not ground properly.
8. Combine the jaggery and the dhal and mash the dhal until smooth with a masher or use a blender.
Step 3: Tempering the stuffing
9. In a small pan, heat some ghee and fry the dhal and jaggery mixture for 3 minutes.
10. Add in the grated coconut and keep stirring until the moisture is evaporated and the stuffing is thickened
11. Let the stuffing cool down to room temperature.
Step 4: Stuffing the Poli
12. For small poli Divide the stuffing and the dough into 8 to 9 equal parts.
13. Sprinkle the rice flour on the working surface place a part of the dough on the rice flour and using the fingers stretch the dough into 2 cm circle.
14. Take a part of stuffing and place it in the center of the stretched dough. Now stretch the sides of the dough upwards and cover the stuffing.
15. Now pat the stuffed ball into thin circles if required sprinkle the rice flour.
Step 5:
16. On Medium high, heat a flat pan and apply some ghee on the heated pan.
17. When the air pockets start to appear to flip the poli and cook another side for 20 to 30 seconds. Continue flipping until the light brown stops appear on both sides.
18. Apply the ghee on both sides of the poli and transfer the poli to a plate.
Traditionally Poli/Obbatu is served warm with milk and ghee.
Note:
1. To control the oil skip step 3.
2. While flattening the poli use either rice or oil. Rice flour will give a crisp poster layer.
3. use a rolling pin to flatten the poli.
