Puran Poli (Sweet Lentils Flatbread)
Few festive breads feel as comforting as Puran Poli, a soft Indian flatbread wrapped around sweetened chana dal. Jaggery, cardamom, and nutmeg turn the filling fragrant, rich, and gently spiced.
This Maharashtrian favorite often appears during Holi, Gudi Padwa, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Diwali. With a smooth filling, soft dough, and patient rolling, beginners can make evenly cooked polis at home.
What is Puran Poli?
Puran simply means the sweet filling that is made of lentils and jaggery. The lentil used in Maharashtrian Puran poli is made using Chana dal or Split Bengal gram.
Poli means the outer flatbread made using whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour/maida. Traditionally, all-purpose flour/maida or a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour was used. I have made it using only whole wheat flour.
So now, Maharashtrian Puran Poli is a flatbread made from flour that is stuffed with a sweet filling made using Chana dal, Jaggery, Nutmeg, and Cardamom powder. It is cooked on a griddle with ghee and is served along with Ghee (Clarified Butter) called Sajuk Toop in Maharashtra.
The Festive Tradition Behind This Maharashtrian Flatbread
Puran Poli is often made for celebrations and offered as bhog before it reaches the table. It is commonly served warm with ghee, which melts into the delicate surface.
Many families also pair it with katachi amti, a savory dal-based curry. The sweet poli and spicy amti make a memorable festive meal.
Similar Sweet Stuffed Breads Across India
Regional names and fillings vary. You may hear poli, boli, obbattu, ubattu, bobbatlu, or holige, depending on where the dish is prepared.
Some versions use toor dal rather than chana dal. Still, the classic Puran Poli recipe from Maharashtra centers on split Bengal gram, jaggery, and warm spices.
My Memories with Puran Poli
Puran poli was not a dish that we use to make often or I like it. But my father liked it, and my mom used to make it. She even had this puran yantra to make the polis. I have learnt this puran poli from her, which she learnt from our Maharashtrian neighbours. I was always apprehensive about making this; however, this was my first attempt, and I am glad I learned it. (written on 8th Sept 2020)
Now it is my husband's favourite, and I do make it a lot of the time.
This Gul poli is similar to this Puran Poli; however, instead of Chana Dal, Til, or Sesame Seeds is used. Another nutritious poli and is commonly made for Makar Sankranti.
How to Make Puran Poli Step by Step
Cook and Smooth the Puran
Soak chana dal for about one hour. Pressure cook it with water until fully soft, then drain it well. Save the drained dal water for katachi amti, soup, or stock.
Do not discard the water, it can be used as a stock. Generally, the water is used to make Katachi amti,i.e. A spicy amti or saar or you can call it as a soup. It goes well with puran poli itself or even with plain steamed rice.
Cook the dal with jaggery over low to medium heat. The mixture may look loose at first because jaggery melts quickly. Stir often until it thickens, then add cardamom and nutmeg near the end. Pass the filling through a puran yantra or fine sieve until smooth.
The puran is ready when it is thick enough for a spoon or ladle to stand upright in it.
Prepare and Rest the Dough
Knead the flour mixture for several minutes until it feels soft and flexible. A stiff dough will fight back when you stuff and roll it.
Cover the dough and let it rest while the filling cools completely. Warm puran softens the dough and increases the chance of tears.
Stuff, Seal, and Roll Without Breaks
Divide the dough and cooled filling into portions. When possible, use about twice as much filling as dough. Roll one dough portion into a small disc, place the filling in the center, then gather and seal the edges.
Gently flatten the filled ball with your palm before rolling. Dust one side lightly and roll with a soft touch. Avoid repeatedly flipping the dough, since that can create cracks and push filling through the surface.
Cook Until Golden and Tender
Heat a tawa over medium heat. Place the rolled poli on it with the rolled side down. When small brown spots appear, flip it and cook until bubbles or deeper brown spots develop.
Finish with ghee until both sides look golden. Use a spatula when turning, because leaked jaggery gets extremely hot. You can also cook the flatbreads dry and add ghee at the table.
The Best Tips for Smooth Puran Poli Every Time
Get the Right Filling Consistency
The filling should be thick, smooth, and easy to shape into a ball. If it feels wet after cooling, return it to low heat and stir often until excess moisture cooks away.
Fully cooked dal prevents gritty puran. A fine sieve or puran yantra removes coarse pieces that can tear the dough.
TIPS ON DOUGH & ROLLING THE POLI
For any paratha or flatbread with stuffing the dough needs to be a bit soft and not on the stiff side. If the dough is proper you will get the perfectly puffed up paratha or poli.
Once you have sealed the dough ball, dust it with a little flour. Then gently tap it in between your hands. This helps the stuffing to even out and helps remove any bubbles if you have in the dough. It also helps in rolling the flatbread evenly.
While rolling do not flip it again and again. Keep on rolling on the same side. Beginners might need more flour for dusting while rolling.
COOKING THE POLI
When you are ready to cook on the griddle, put the rolled side down on the tawa. Then cook it for 50-60 seconds, until you see small brown spots appearing at the bottom. Now flip and let it first cook for 1-2 minutes until you see bubbles appearing on the top or more brown spots coming on the bottom.
The second time cooking is for a bit more time. This helps in getting the perfect fluffy paratha/flatbread/poli. Now cook with or without ghee until golden brown from all sides or perfectly cooked. Store the polis in a muslin cloth.
Generally, I use my hand while flipping, but as this has jaggery stuffed in it, it is advisable to use a spatula to flip over. Sometimes the jaggery might leak or come out and you might burn your hand.
Store, Reheat, and Serve Puran Poli
Wrap cooked polis in a clean cloth or keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for one to two days. Reheat them gently on a tawa until soft and warm.
Serve Puran Poli with ghee, either warm or at room temperature. Katachi amti makes the meal especially distinctive because its savory heat balances the sweet jaggery filling.
Key Takeaways
- Cook the dal until mushy, then strain it for a silky puran.
- Keep the dough soft, rested, and lightly dusted.
- Roll gently and use ghee for a tender, golden finish.
Let me know if you have any further questions in the comments below, I will try to answer that.
So here goes the recipe of Puran Poli (Sweet Lentils Flatbread)
Puran Poli (Sweet Lentils Flatbread)
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Cook ModeShare RecipeIngredients
For Puran
- ½ Cup Chana Dal / Split Bengal Gram
- ½ Cup Crushed Jaggery / Gur / Gud
- ¼ teaspoon of Nutmeg powder or grated Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon of Cardamom powder
- 3 Cups Water
For the Dough
- 2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 tablespoon oil
- A pinch of turmeric - optional
- Salt
- Water for kneading the dough
- Extra dry flour for dusting
- Ghee to shallow fry and serve.
Instructions
For Puran
- Clean and soak the chana dal in enough water for 1 hour.½ Cup Chana Dal / Split Bengal Gram
- Drain the water and give it a quick rinse.
- Now add around 3 cups of water, turmeric and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles until soft or mushy. (This might change depending on your pressure cooker)3 Cups Water
- For Instant pot; it will take around 10 minutes of pressure cooking.
- Once the dal is done and pressure from the cooker is settled, remove the dal.
- Strain the dal and separate the water. Water can be used for stock or Katachi amti.
- Pass the puran through a strainer/seive . If you have the puran yantra use that.
- Keep pressing it with the help of a ladle.
- In a pan, add the strained dal and jaggery.½ Cup Crushed Jaggery / Gur / Gud
- On a slow to medium stove,let this mixture cook together stirring in between.
- The jaggery will melt and the mixture will liquidate at times. Do not worry it will slowly thicken up.
- Once the mixture starts thickening, toward the end add the nutmeg and cardamom powder.¼ teaspoon of Nutmeg powder or grated Nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of Cardamom powder
- The mixture is done when a ladle stands straight in the mixture.
- Let it cool down completely.
Making Dough
- In the meantime, in a wide bowl add the flour.2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- Add oil, a pinch of turmeric, salt and knead it to a semi soft dough using water.1 tablespoon oil, A pinch of turmeric - optional, Salt, Water for kneading the dough
- The dough should not be stiff, but medium-soft. Knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes.
Making of Puran Poli
- Divide the dough into lemon size ball.
- Either you can divide the puran too and make balls, or directly stuff it. I like to use the second method, but today for my readers I have done the first, that is made balls from it.
- Generally twice the amount of stuffing is added in each dough ball.
- Roll the dough into 2-3 inch circular disc.
- Apply around ¼ teaspoon of oil/ghee.1 tablespoon oil
- Now keep the puran ball in the center.
- Pull over the dough from all the sides and seal it.
- Dip it into the dry whole wheat flour and lightly pat it between your palms so that the dal mixture gets evened out.Extra dry flour for dusting
- Start rolling the poli to the desired size (4-5 inch diameter). Do not turn in between just keep on rolling. If required apply dry whole wheat flour in between to roll.Extra dry flour for dusting
- Once rolled, put it on a hot greased tawa or a non-stick pan, on slow flame, with rolled side down on the tawa.
- Cook it for 50-60 seconds, until you see small brown spots appearing at the bottom.
- Now flip and let it first cook for 1-2 minutes until you see bubbles appearing on the top or more brown spots coming on the bottom.
- Now cook with or without ghee until golden brown from all sides or perfectly cooked. I prefer cooking it with ghee.Ghee to shallow fry and serve.
- Store the polis in a muslin cloth.
Video
Notes
- 1 Cup = 235 ml, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
Sharing this with
This post first appeared on my blog on 8th September 2020, when I shared this as a part of my BM Thali marathon, where for that week I was featuring thalis with Indian flatbreads. This is was my third post on this. I have shared earlier Rajasthani Dal Baati Churma, Horse Gram Stuffed Paratha.
Prior to that week I shared Simple Everyday Thali's and you can check all my Thali's here.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#116
Today the 13th September 2026, I have updated the contents, and the pics of this post. The recipe remains the same.
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We love poli and all the versions one can make. You have got yours done so perfectly. It's so lovely reading about your mom's cooking this dish..:)
Pooran Poli is made in different ways in different states , in Gujarat we use Toor dal , though I actually prefer the chana dal flavor better .
The yantra is interesting , it must be used for other dishes too , right ?
Sieving the pooran is new , I have never done that , but yes it surely makes it smooth and lump free .
Excellent Pooran Polis and yes -
A lot to learn from this post Renu !
Thank You, Yes I think so that the yantra can be used as a sieve for other recipes too. Yes even I prefer chana dal flavour.
Wow Renu.. this is one of my favorite and can have them anytime. Good that you have used wheat flour and made it more healthy and guilt free. you have rolled it perfect and looks so delicious.
A favorite of mine. 🙂 I am from Bangalore and so I ate eating polis literally for every festival out there though the outer dough is made differently there. 🙂 I find these puran polis easier to make compared to those wafer thin ones. You have a done a neat job with your detailed explanation and step by step pictures. They are definitely helpful for those trying it for the first time.
This ia our family favorite. This is a regular at home for many festivals. I make it with wheat flour as well. But many families make it wither maida or with Chiroti rava.
My dad absolutely loves this. My mother in law makes this too, it’s delicious. Yours have come out perfect Renu!
Love Puran poli and we call it as obbattu and it's a must for most of our festivals but I make it once or twice. 🙂 Love your detailed posts and all the tips and tricks.