Puran poli Indian paal poli or boli recipe for festivals

Paal Poli or Milk Poli Fridays   

How to prepare?

• For one measure of maida (refined wheat flour) add one tablespoon fine sooji ( or rava ). 
•  Mix thoroughly to get dough.After 30 minutes, make small balls of dough as we do with poori.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into circular or triangle shapes. 
•  Boil the milk well, stir continuously to prevent milk from boling over. 
• Add required quantity of sugar according to individual's taste, cardamom powder, saffron while stirring the milk. 
•   Remove from the stove, to reduce the heat - however the milk should not become cool.
• Fry the pooris in oil.  
• Using a fork prick the dough in one or two places so that air is not trapped inside (so pooris will not puff).  
• It is important in this recipe that puris do not get inflated (!). 
• After frying, soak the pooris in the boiled milk for a few seconds (till the next poori is fried) and remove it. 
• Place it on a plate. If you soak it for a long time, the pooris will become soggy and may tear into pieces.

           

Optional -

• Almonds, cashews and pistachios are made into a coarse powder using a mixer and added to the paal poli or milk poli when served to the guests, for members of our family.  
• It is a simple and interesting option for festivals like Diwali, Navaratri and occasions.
• We do it for an auspicious day called "Sravan Sukravar " ( Friday in the month of Sravan - Aavani in Tamil). This recipe can also be prepared for Varalakshmi Vratham or Pooja.
• Another method of doing this sweet (!) dish is by using chiroti rava instead of maida.

Varalakshmi Vratham sweet recipe - Puran Poli

This poli is done by the easier method of rolling the dough with a rolling pin like a roti.  The traditional method is by placing the dough on a small plantain leaf and gently spreading the dough with the fingers to make the poli.  That has been shared elsewhere in Rangolisansdots.  However, a picture of traditional poli naivedyam for Varalakshmi Vratham has been shared below.  There is a lot of difference in the poli made by this method and the one made with rolling pin.  
It is done as shown in the image below by gently tapping and spreading out the dough from the centre towards the periphery.  Oil or ghee is applied to the plantain leaf to facilitate spreading of dough and also for removing it from the leaf to transfer to the tava.  We can try both methods depending upon the availability of time.
However, it is very easy to eat the traditional poli!   The other method results in a somewhat dry poli and we usually add ghee and spread it on the poli to make it easier to eat.  

Now of the quick and easy method for making poli 

Puran poli for Varamahalakshmi Habba

• Puran poli is an important recipe for Varalakshmi vratham.
•   Puran is prepared using gram dhal, jaggery in the ratio 1: 0.3 (approximately, according to one's taste), very little nutmeg (powder). 
• Gram dhal is cooked well and ground in a mixer after draining the excess water. 
• Place a kadai on a stove, add a teaspoon ghee, add the mashed gram dhal and powdered jaggery and cook on a low/medium flame.  
• Add nutmeg powder. 
•  Stir well till it reaches a level age where it does not stick to the kadai.  
• Remove it from the stove and keep aside.
• Add 2.5 measure wheat flour to 1 measure maida, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt, mix water to prepare dough. 
•  It should be semi-solid and should not have the same consistency as that of  chappathi dough.  Immerse it in oil for three hours.  
• Take a rolling pin and board, cover the rolling board with a thin white cloth. 
•  Roll the dough as you do for roti.  
• Add some pooran on the dough, close the dough on all sides and again roll after dipping in rice flour, making the poli as thin as possible. 
•  Heat on a tava with ghee.  Pooran poli is ready.

The basic method is the same. only the filling will vary in other types of poli