Puran Poli With a Twist Many years ago I had a Chinese pancake in Singapore, with a thick sweet filling that was elusively familiar. The red bean filling was made with aduki—a lentil similar to our rajma. A lot of Chinese New Year preparations use red bean paste, since red is considered auspicious. When a friend served me hot puran poli the other day, I was
reminded of the red bean pancake. She was making them ahead of Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year (March 16).
Puran poli is a favourite on Gudi Padwa (puran means sweet filling in Marathi and poli is flatbread). Although any stuffing can be referred to as puran, the word is often associated only with the classic one used for the dish, which is made of split husked Bengal gram (chana dal). Two cultures celebrating New Year with their own version of breads stuffed with sweet dal paste. I tried to do something different. I tried a puran poli with a red bean paste and it was a hit at home. Go the traditional way or try my Chinese take on puran poli this Gudi Padwa.
- Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal
Puran poli
Ingredients:
For traditional filling:
1 cup chana dal, cooked and drained
1 cup jaggery
1 tsp cardamom, powdered
Mix dal and jaggery well and cook for 10 minutes. Grind without using water. Add cardamom and mix well with your hands to get a smooth thick paste.
For red bean paste:
1 cup small red rajma beans, cooked till soft and drained
1/2 cup brown sugar / jaggery
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
Grind cooked beans in a food processor until smooth, add brown sugar and
process until combined. In a saucepan,
heat vegetable oil over medium heat and add the bean paste. Cook, until the mixture is dry and leaving the sides. Remove from heat and refrigerate until ready to use. It keeps for a week.
For the poli:
1 1/2 cup refined flour (maida)
Salt to taste
Water as required
Method: Mix flour, salt, oil and add water in a bowl to make dough. Cover and set aside for an hour. Take a small ball of
dough and flatten it. Place a ball of mixture of your choice on it and cover with the dough. Apply oil to the rolling surface and pin, and roll out the ball like a chapatti. Fry like a paratha on a hot tava till golden brown. Serve hot with ghee.
Stuffed Pancakes
With the leftover stuffing from your puran poli, you can make these pancakes.
Ingredients: 1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 tbsp flour
1/2 tbsp water
4 tbsp red bean / chana dal paste
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Cooking oil for frying
Method: In a mixing bowl, blend the egg, flour and water to make the batter. Divide batter into two equal portions. Brush a non-stick pan with oil. Pour all but 1 tsp of one portion of the batter into the frying pan and tilt it to let the mixture spread evenly, forming a thin round layer. Cook over a low flame for about 2 or 3 minutes, until the batter is firm but not so much that it gets brown spots. Do not flip over. Loosen edges and using a spatula, lift pancake on to a lightly oiled plate. Repeat for next pancake. Spread 2 tbsp of the paste in the centre of each pancake, leaving about an inch on both sides. Fold the four edges over the bean paste, sealing the edges by smearing reserved batter. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the surface of the pancakes. You could crispen your pancake on the frying pan or deep-fry them until golden. Slice into thin pieces and serve with ice cream on the side.
Many years ago I had a Chinese pancake in Singapore, with a thick sweet filling that was elusively familiar. The red bean filling was made with aduki—a lentil similar to our rajma. A lot of Chinese New Year preparations use red bean paste, since red is considered auspicious. When a friend served me hot puran poli the other day, I was 
