Try this unique and delicious Puran Poli recipe this festive season! Made with sweet potato and vegan ghee, it's a fun twist to a classic dish! Everyone will love this sweet stuffed flatbread.
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What is Puran Poli
Puran Poli or Puranpoli is a sweet stuffed flatbread prepared in different parts of India. "Puran" means stuffing and "Poli" means flatbread or pancake. The stuffing is traditionally prepared with lentils (chana dal) and jaggery that's cooked in ghee. It's then stuffed into a dough prepared with flour, flattened, and then cooked. The stuffed flatbread recipe is by large vegan except for the use of ghee and sometimes milk. In order to make vegan Puran Poli, I substituted ghee with vegan ghee and did not use any milk in the recipe.
Different Types of Puran Poli
The method of preparation varies from place to place. Some add coconut or nuts to the stuffing, the flour used can be different and even the thickness of these pancakes can vary. Different parts of India have different names for Puran Poli. In Maharashtra, it's called Puran Poli and is mainly made of chana dal, sugar, and whole wheat flour. In Gujarati cuisine, it's called Vedmi, and it's made with toor dal, jaggery, and wheat flour. In Kerala, it's called Boli and is made with chana dal, sugar, and maida. It's called Boli/Sweet Poli in Tamil Nadu, Bobbatlu in Telugu, Obbattu, and Holige in Kannada, and is made with chana dal, jaggery, maida, and sometimes even coconut.
These are just my observations and the recipes can vary in every culture and household. There is no right or wrong way to make them. What's important is that these polis are a grand affair when prepared at home and are a cherished delicacy. Feel free to play around with the ingredients and create your variation of Puran Poli like I did.
Puran Poli memories
Growing up, I was fortunate enough to devour both South Indian and Maharashtrian-style Puran polis. Mom would make this sweet poli with coconut and jaggery stuffing while my Maharashtrian neighbor would make Puran Poli with lentils and jaggery stuffing. I still can't decide which version I love the most because they both taste that good! I always wanted to feature the Puran Poli recipe on the blog but of course with a twist. That is why I decided to give the Indian Puran poli a new flavor!
You all know by now how much I enjoy creating fusion recipes! I mean just check out these recipes - Karanji Baklava Rolls, Carrot Halwa Baklava, Gulkand Shrikhand Tarts, Gulab Jamun Kulfi, Dabeli Pizza, Mexican Pani Puri, French Loaf Vada Pav, Chai Cheesecake, Indian Curry Pasta, Bharwa Mirchi meets Jalapeno Poppers, and Puff Pastry Samosa!
Why make Puran Poli with Sweet Potato
If it isn't obvious yet, I decided to go with sweet potatoes to make the stuffing. It's in season and why not! It's very easy to cook and can be used in sweet and savory recipes! Sweet Potato is a power food. It has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. Sweet potatoes offer not only less fat and calories in desserts, but they are a great source of vitamins. I have some savory recipes (Sweet Potato Masala Puri and Masala Dosa with Sweet Potato Stuffing) with sweet potato but I didn't have any dessert recipes! That's why this sweet potato dessert was very important to share!
Why make this
- Vegan sweet flatbread recipe
- a new and different flavor to try
- simple and easy to make
- a healthy sweet potato dessert
- doesn't need any milk or nuts
- needs basic pantry essentials
- can be served for breakfast, snack, and as a dessert
- loved by all
Ingredients needed 🧾
Flour - whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour/maida are used in this recipe.
Sweet Potato - This is an unusual ingredient in Puran Poli but is also a delicious addition. Sweet potato brings a natural sweetness and an earthy flavor to this dessert.
Coconut - Use freshly grated, desiccated, or shredded coconut. An unsweetened variety is fine. If using sweetened coconut, then reduce the amount of jaggery accordingly.
Sweetener - Jaggery powder is what I have used here. You can easily find jaggery in an Indian grocery store. It's also available on Amazon. You can either get the blocks and grate them or get powdered jaggery. Feel free to use whatever kind of sweetener you have/want.
Ground spices like turmeric, nutmeg, and cardamom give this Puran Poli an aromatic flavor.
PuranPoli is incomplete without ghee. Since this is a dairy-free recipe, I have used vegan ghee. You can also use vegan butter. If you are not vegan, use regular ghee.
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How to make it 🔪
I have used my food processor to knead the dough. You can also knead it by hand.
- In a food processor, add sieved whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour. Then add turmeric powder.
- Add oil and salt.
- Knead to a soft dough by adding water gradually and as needed.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and set it aside for 20 minutes. You can keep it for a couple of hours as well.
- Prick a sweet potato all over with a fork. Transfer to a bowl and microwave it for 5 minutes. There is no need to add water to the bowl. Chef Tip - It's cooked if it's turned soft and the skin comes off easily. Keep it for a couple of minutes more in the microwave if needed.
- Take it out, peel the skin, and mash the sweet potato using a fork or a potato masher. Ensure there are no lumps and it's smooth.
- Add vegan ghee to a pan and add the mashed sweet potatoes. Saute for 2 minutes on medium flame. Then add the coconut and jaggery powder.
- Continue to saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add nutmeg and cardamom powder. Mix it all together.
- Cook till it becomes a homogenous mixture with no moisture and it doesn't stick to the pan anymore.
- Take it off the flame and let it cool. Chef Tip - You can even make this mixture the previous day and store it in the fridge.
- Divide the dough into golf-size balls. Flatten one at a time using a rolling pin. Dust flour as needed.
- Place a golf ball-sized portion of the sweet potato puran mixture in the center.
- Start gathering the edges, and pinch in the center to seal. Dust flour and roll gently without much pressure into a thick flatbread. Chef Tip - Be careful while rolling so that the stuffing doesn't come out.
- Heat a skillet or tawa. Cook the puran poli on both sides evenly till brown spots begin to appear. Keep the flame on medium. Smear vegan ghee on both sides when cooking.
Serving suggestions 🍽
Make other puranpolis the same way. Drizzle some vegan ghee on top and serve warm. You can serve it with warm milk or Paal Payasam on the side. These vegan flatbreads can be enjoyed as a snack for breakfast or with your evening tea. It can also be served as a dessert or as neividhyam during pooja. Make it for festivals like Pongal, Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Holi, Navratri, or Ganesh Chaturthi but do not limit it to just Indian festivals. You can also make them for Thanksgiving or Christmas! These mini Sweet Potato Puran Poli/Pancakes are simply delicious. One cannot make out that the sweetness is due to the presence of sweet potatoes.
Top recipe tips 💭
Mix ¼ cup cooked and mashed chana dal or toor dal in the sweet potato mixture to get the flavor of the traditional Puran Poli. Add some oats powder or almond flour at the end when making the sweet potato stuffing to absorb the excess moisture. Add a tablespoon of vegan milk/water if the mixture is too dry. Saffron can be added to the sweet potato stuffing to get a beautiful golden hue and ginger powder can be added to help with digestion. A teaspoon of fennel seeds powder can also be added for more flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Instead of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour, use teff flour, Jowar, or sorghum flour and prepare this vegan flatbread the same way as mentioned above.
You can store the leftover dough and the stuffing in the fridge or the freezer. Just store them separately in an airtight container. If you have leftover cooked Puran polis, you can store them in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze them as well. Reheat these stuffed vegan flatbreads in the microwave and enjoy after smearing some vegan ghee on top. Leftover stuffing/Puran can also be added to your oatmeal or dosa batter to make sweet dosas.
Be a little patient when making Puranpolis. It takes a little bit of practice. It's alright if the stuffing comes out when rolling them. Dust some flour over it and try to fix it with your hands. Don't focus too much on the round shape of these flatbreads when starting. They will taste great no matter what the shape! Smear vegan ghee over cooked Puranpoli or else it will feel dry when eating. Be generous with the ghee though!
More Indian desserts
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Recipe 📖
Puran Poli with Sweet Potato
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup maida/all purpose flour
- 1 cup wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ cup oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water add as needed
For the stuffing
- 1 tablespoon vegan ghee
- 1 sweet potato
- ½ cup powdered jaggery
- ¼ cup desiccated coconut
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- Flour for dusting
Instructions
To prepare the dough
- In a food processor, add sieved whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour. Then add turmeric powder.
- Add oil, and salt. Knead to a soft dough by adding water gradually and as needed.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and set it aside for at least 20 minutes. You can keep it for a couple of hours as well.
To prepare the stuffing
- Prick a sweet potato all over with a fork. Transfer to a bowl and microwave it for 5 minutes. There is no need to add water to the bowl. It's cooked if its turned soft and the skin comes off easily. Keep it for a couple of minutes more in the microwave if needed.
- Take it out, peel the skin and mash the sweet potato using a fork or a potato masher. Ensure there are no lumps and it's smooth.
- Add vegan ghee to a pan and add the mashed sweet potatoes. Saute for 2 minutes on medium flame.
- Then add the coconut and jaggery powder. Continue to saute for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add nutmeg and cardamom powder. Mix it all together. Cook till it becomes a homogenous mixture with no moisture and it doesn't stick to the pan anymore.
- Take it off the flame and let it cool. You can even make this mixture the previous day and store in the fridge.
To make the flatbread
- Divide the dough into golf-size balls. Flatten one at a time using a rolling pin. Dust flour as needed.
- Place a golf ball sized portion of the sweet potato puran mixture in the center. Start gathering the edges, and pinch in the center to seal.
- Dust flour and roll gently without much pressure into a thick flatbread. Be careful while rolling so that the stuffing doesn't come out.
- Heat a skillet or tawa. Cook the puran poli on both sides evenly till brown spots begin to appear. Keep the flame on medium. Smear vegan ghee on both sides when cooking.
- Serve with ghee and milk.
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