Happy Holi!

The festival of colour returns, and even if the day itself slips past, I wish its radiant hues linger in our lives as quiet, enduring notes of joy. Spring has stepped in again, gently closing the door on a long, unkind winter.

Celebrated with vibrant devotion, Holi - an ancient Hindu festival - welcomes Spring and honours the timeless triumph of good over evil. Its beloved legend tells of the Asura king Hiranyakashyap and his son Prahlad, the steadfast devotee of Lord Vishnu. From Holika’s tale arises the very name of the festival, a reminder of virtue prevailing over darkness.

And then there is the sweetness of the season: that irresistible Indian delicacy enjoyed with ghee, milk, or a ladle of "katachi amti". Whether made with jaggery or sugar, dry or enriched with ghee and served on a banana leaf, each version has its own charm. I have a soft spot for the "telpoli". My mother’s "puran polis" were incomparable - lifted straight off the tawa, her's melted on the tongue without needing a drop of extra ghee or milk! 

Puran Polis

INGREDIENTS :

Please note that the quantity of Jaggery is double the quantity of the Channa Dal/ lentils.

The standard measurement to take is 1: 2 whether it is Rawa and Milk for Halwa or Channa dal and Jaggery or Rawa and Water for Upma 

I took the following measurements yesterday:

• Split chickpeas lentils ie Channa Dal - 1 Cup 
• Grated Jaggery - 2 Cups 
• Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp
• Pinch of saffron (optional) 
• Wheat Flour - 2 Cups 
• Pure Ghee for smearing the Puran Polis 

METHOD:

1. Soak lentils i.e. Channa Dal for 1 to 1.5 hours or till soft 

2. Wash the Dal with water 4 to 5 times ie till the water is clear.

3. Pressure Cook the Dal for 20 minutes on slow after the first whistle.

4. Open the cooker and dry the Channa Dal till extra water evaporates slightly.

5. Then add the grated Jaggery and mix well with the Channa Dal i.e. lentil and then continue to dry the water out about 10 to 15 minutes stirring all the while till it thickens or till the mixture becomes a smooth and soft filling. Keep stirring and do not over dry or burn.  Cool.

6. If the mixture looks granular, use a hand blender to smoothen it.

6. Add Cardamom powder and mix with the filling

7. Knead the flour into a soft and smooth dough.

8.. Divide the dough into fairly middle size balls and divide the filling according to the number of the dough balls.

8. Roll the dough balls out on a floured flat board in a circular motion and make a round of about 4 inches.

9. Take the ball of the stuffing made of Jaggery and lentil and put in the center of the dough. Bring the dough from all sides to the center and close it at the top with a pinch.

10. Flatten the filled in ball and then roll again on the floured board into a circular flat bread of about 6 inches or so. 

9. Heat the tawa i.e. griddle and smear ghee on it.

10. If you have a banana leaf you can put it on the tawa and then put the rolled flat wheat bread on it, but when no banana leaf is around, I put the rolled wheat bread directly on the tawa ie griddle and let it cook.

11. Around the Roti put a tsp of Ghee ie clarified butter so it does not burn.

12. Cook the roti for about a minute and when light brown spots appear, turn it over and again spread the ghee on top and the sides of the roti and let it cook till the light brown spots appear

13. Once done remove from heat and serve hot with Ghee or crush them in milk for a Melt in the Mouth Experience. 

Happy Eating! 

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉