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.
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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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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
You made it look a lot easier with the step by step and they look yummy!
wow..step by step instroctions make it so easy to fallow..delicious poli dear.
sounds great..This is new to me..Looks absolutely mouthwatering
Hey this puran poli recipe is just perfect…ur puran poli luks yummm…i like it very much…hot puran poli with ghee on top…wow
Very beautifully described step by step procedure. I loved the pics. Feel like grabbing one from the pic :):)
Chitchat
You make this look so simple…lovely…
Puran Poli !!! wow !! hats off to you .. thanks for wonderful step by step snaps !
hi! nice array of beautiful explanatory pics!!.. will be very helpful!!… looks perfect!! 🙂 I love Poli, I'll try this some time 🙂
Love these poli's…wish I could grab one from the screen
wow super. hai padhma please send parcel me.
pls send 10 polies for me alone.
haha haha thank you
nice presentation and yummy poli…tempting pics!
My fav poli, even my mom makes same way Padhu. We also use coconut stuffing, but i prefer Bengal gram stuffing. Nice step by step explanation dear!!!
wow!!Puran poli!!! such a wonderful festive food..and your explanation and pics r too gud!!
I love this..we also make this during festive seasons..:-)this looks perfect
I've never had this dish before – it looks delicious.
Nice the pictures are very helpful to understand the step by step processs
polis look so delicious 🙂
Never had poli…..looks intriguing!
Such beautiful work, who doesn't love this sweet? Delicious 🙂
We call this puran puri in gujarati, Its alovely recipe and very delicious.Your step by step pictures are very helpful.
Happy Pongal.
Thanks for dropping by my blog simplyfood ,hope to see you there again soon.:)
Thanks for dropping by my blog. Puran poli looks delicious. And great step by step pics.
This is one of my fav..u just brought back old memories,,my mom used to make it often..i have one waiting in my draft folder..
this looks abslty yummy..Gr8 job padhu:)
looks delicious,nice clicks ..
My hub's all time fav food..Looks so nice and yummy dear.
Oh! That looks absolutely amazing! I love the step by step instruction, you make it easier to understand. You did such a great job on this post! Way to go, Padhu!
Wish you and your family a very happy and prosperous new year.
I appreciate for your wonderful presentation. Puran poli looks delicious and yummy.
Lovely poli with a step by step demo.You can visit my blog and give ur comments.
Thats a new method for me…I never knew the Banana leaf method…Puran poli is my Hubby's fav.
nice poli recipe..and also its always nice to see step by step pics..
Thanks looks yummy… love ur step by step pics…thanks for visiting my site…
Superb recipe and lovely clicks
wow, this looks so cool, WIll try it for sure.
Shall I save tis lik other sweets? Or Howlong can I keep this?
Hello
Wat can i use instead of banana leaf?
I'm in USA .. I dont find it here ..
You can use a zip lock bag. Grease a plastic sheet or zip lock bag with oil and flatten the poli with your hands. After flattening the poli, gently transfer it to your hand and then place it on the tawa.
Hi Padhu,
I tried your poli recipe today, it was delicious but it was little hard. I dont know what mistake I made .., could you tell me and i will rectify it?
The dough should rest for a minimum of 3-4 hours. The more time it remains soaked in oil, the more softer the poli will be.
Thank u Padhu
thankqqqqqqqqqqq for the ploi
Dear padhu
Can we prepare the dough and stuffing previous night..next day morning can we prepare poli.
Yes, you can Deepthi. Usually I make the dough in the morning around 10 and prepare poli around 3 pm in the evening. It turns out very soft and delicious. As you want to store it overnight, keep it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before preparing.
Thank u padhu
For this bhogi going to do boli. Thank you mam.
Hi Padhu.I am working and leave home 6am. Can I prepare the dough in the morning to prepare in the evening at 5pm? If I do that should I refrigerate it? Or if I prepare at night can I make it next day evening?
You can prepare the dough in the morning and make poli in the evening. Yes, you have to refrigerate the dough,if it is more than 5-6 hours. Bring it to room temperature before making polis.
If it is mushy, you can do one thing. Add a tsp of ghee and cook it along with the jaggery until it thickens. Then cool it and use it. If it is watery, you cannot do anything.
Hi padhu,
I have tried many of your recipes.
Can we use wheat or millet flour instead of maida flour?
Also while baking cookies and cake is there any substitute for baking powder?
Thank you for trying many of my recipes. You can use wheat flour or millet flour but that will alter the taste of the boli/poli. As baking powder acts as a leavening agent,I don't think there is a substitute for baking powder other than baking soda.
Nice poli recipe… Wonderfully described the method. Can you give the recipe for Jeera Poli
I tried it today..it was tasty but it was bit elastic….like rubber it had become….i had kept the dough for 4 hrs to rest and then prepared.. i dont know what may be the mistake..please help
Tips to prevent poli from becoming elastic or like rubber –
1. The dough should sit for 4-5 hours. The more it soaks in oil, the softer the poli/boli.
2. You should add the needed oil.
3. You should make thin bolis and not thick.
Hi Padhu,
I tried your poli recipe today, it was delicious. My hubby and kids enjoyed. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe. God bless you and your family.
Hi, tried making your pura poli!!! The only modification was I added a lil extra coconut cos I love the crunchiness and flavor it adds. It was incredible! Thank you so much!!! Happy bhogi and pongal!!!!
Hi padhu,
very tempting polis.try it out tomorrow
For making the bolis softer heat oil in the kadai and add it to the flour before kneading it. and knead the flour. The bolis will become softer.
Followed your recipe to the dot and it tasted awesome. Thanks for the recipe. Happy Pongal.
Tried your recipe..it was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much
Hi Padhu…
You are just amazing… I am following recipes obly from you for the past 3 or 4 years… And had undoubtedly excelled in my cooking with your guidance.. Thanks so much.. Was really really helpful… Keep up the good work and please continue to post new recipies.. Chinese.. Continental… Many more..
Hi Padhu,
Not only me, but my whole family love your recipes. Whatever dish I want to try, I’ll come straight to yiur blog only. Each and every recipe is a win win only.
Coming to poli, I did everything to the dot, my poli turned crisp and hard. I soaked the dough for 6 hours. I tried both ways of flattening with oil and also rolled out dusting with flour and they were thin too. Still they turned crispy. Where am I going wrong Padhu?