Puran Poli — lentil-stuffed flatbread sweet
Puran poli is a sweet flatbread from western and southern India — a thin wheat-flour wrapper around a filling of cooked split chickpeas (chana dal) and jaggery, perfumed with cardamom and nutmeg. It is cooked on a griddle and served warm with ghee and milk on the side.
i. Origin & history
Puran poli is the canonical sweet of Holi in Maharashtra and Karnataka and of Ugadi in Andhra. The dough wrapping is thin to the point of transparency — the filling shines through when held up to the light.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 200 g chana dal (split Bengal gram)
- 700 ml water
- 200 g jaggery, grated
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 300 g plain flour
- 100 g fine semolina
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp oil
- Water as needed
- Ghee for cooking and serving
iii. Method
- Boil chana dal until very soft (45-60 min). Drain. Cook with jaggery in a wide pan until thick and dry — 15 min. Stir in spices and ghee. Cool. Blitz or mash to a paste.
- Mix flour, semolina and salt. Knead with oil and water to a soft, pliable dough. Rest 30 min.
- Divide dough and filling into 12 portions each. Press dough flat in your palm; place filling in centre; gather up around to enclose. Roll out gently into a 15 cm flatbread on a floured surface.
- Cook on a hot ungreased griddle for 90 sec per side; brush with ghee. Eat warm with extra ghee and a small jug of warm milk.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Maharashtra puran poli is the canonical version. Karnataka holige is the close cousin. Coconut puran poli replaces chana dal with grated coconut and jaggery. Modern stuffed parathas use this technique with different fillings.
vi. Common questions
What is puran poli?
Puran Poli is lentil-stuffed flatbread sweet, from indian & south asian cuisine. It is cooked on a griddle and served warm with ghee and milk on the side
Where is puran poli from?
Puran Poli is from the indian & south asian dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does puran poli keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 3 days at room temperature.