EsyRecipes

Discription:Puranpoli is to Maharashtrians what cheese is to the French. Or locally brewed beer to the Germans. Or Chicken Tikka to the Brits. ;-) Basically, close to the heart. Even the tolerantest of Maharashtrians could resort to violence, if you told them that Puranpoli is a drab little dessert.
Ingredients:
For the stuffing:

• 1 cup Chana dal
• 3 cups water
• 2/3 cup grated jaggery
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4-5 cardamoms, powdered
• 1/8 heaped tsp grated/powdered nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp salt

For the cover:

• 1/2 heaped cup chapati Atta
• 1/2 heaped cup white flour (Maida)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp oil

• 1/4 cup rice flour (or as per requirement) for rolling out the Puranpolis
  ghee to roast the Puranpolis (The quantity is entirely upto you.)

• In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the water for the stuffing to boil. 
• Wash the Chana Dal and add to the water. Let the dal cook uncovered on medium-high heat. Please DO NOT give in to the temptation of pressure-cooking the dal.
• It makes the texture of the stuffing too runny to handle.
• In the meanwhile, knead the dough for the cover using 1 tbsp oil and lukewarm water. (You could substitute a portion of the water with milk.) Keep the kneaded, duly covered dough aside.
• The dal should be cooked by now. It is well-cooked, if a grain of it can be easily pressed between the thumb and the index finger.
• Turn the heat off. Drain the water on top of the dal into another container. 
• It is called 'kat' in Marathi (pronounced somewhat like 'cut'). Do not discard it. You could use it to thin down any dal or soup. Usually, it is used to make a special dal/Aamti, the recipe for which is coming up here soon. :)
• Transfer the dal to a food processor now, and grind till all grains of dal have fallen apart.
• Transfer it back to the heavy-bottomed pan.
• Add the rest of the ingredients mentioned under 'stuffing' and start cooking it once again on low heat.
• The Puran/stuffing will have to be stirred every now and then while cooking, because it tends to stick easily to the bottom. 
• The Puran is cooked when it looks smooth, with every grain cooked and fallen apart. It is thick enough, when a flat spatula inserted in it stands straight. Like this.
• Keep the cooked Puran aside to cool down. Cover it, if at all necessary, only partly for the steam to escape.
• Once the Puran has cooled down completely, knead the dough for the cover once again using the rest of the oil.
• Divide it in five or six portions, depending upon how big you want to roll the Puranpolis.Heat a Tava/griddle.
• Divide the Puran/stuffing in as many portions as the dough. Roll out one portion of the dough at a time in a small circle.
• Place a ball of Puran on it. (The ball is usually 2.5 to 3 times bigger than the quantity of dough.) Enclose the cover over the stuffing tightly, and seal it off. Click here for detailed photographs of this step. 
• If you are fairly good at making stuffed parathas, then you should have hardly any problems at this step.
• Roll out the Puranpoli using some rice flour. 
• The cover needs to become so thin, that you can see the Puran inside.
• Transfer it to the hot griddle. Roast both sides, using some ghee, until golden brown spots appear. Do not flip the Puranpoli too often.Repeat steps 10 & 11 to make remaining Puranpolis.
• Serve fresh and warm Puranpolis with dollops of ghee or with a bowl of milk to dunk it in. 
• At my place, we enjoy Puranpolis with milk, only when they are not warm any longer.
• Have these Puranpolis for lunch on a lazy Sunday and take a siesta after that.