POLI WITH CHANNA DAL POORNAM

Puran  Poli |Holige Obbattu is a traditional sweet generally we make during Aavani avittam, Bogi pandigai and some people make during Ganesha Chathurthi too. I have posted the recipe of THENGAI POLI already. During my mom’s visit here 2 weeks back i asked her to make puran poli for me and i wanted to learn the procedure of making kadala paruppu poornam which when i tried first time went wrong. My mom is a super expert in making polis and i still remember my childhood days, she and my grand mother used to make polis in bulk and they happily share with our neighbours too. Me and my sister with our friends used to sit outside the kitchen with plates in hand and hot polis smeared with ghee are served on our plates. Those days we never care about the weight and eat heartily.
But now a days we are so diet conscious and nobody want to stuff themselves  with sweets.  This recipe yields 11 puran polis and finally i learnt the recipe of making kadalai paruppu poornam from mom , which you have already seen in my MODAKAM -WITH CHANNA DAL POORNAM post.



INGREDIENTS: MAKES 11 POLIS
FOR OUTER DOUGH

MAIDA | ALL PURPOSE FLOUR	3/4 CUP
SALT	A PINCH
TURMERIC POWDER	A PINCH
OIL	1/3 CUP
WATER	1-2 TBLSP

FOR STUFFING (POORNAM)

CHANNA DAL |KADALAI PARUPPU	1/2 CUP
JAGGERY	1/3 CUP
COCONUT ( SCRAPPED)	1/2 CUP
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PINCH
GHEE	1/2 TSP ( OPTIONAL)

 
METHOD FOR MAKING OUTER DOUGH

• Combine the maida, salt and turmeric powder. Add oil and start kneading the dough.
• If needed add 1-2 tblsp of water. The dough should be soft not too tight.Do not reduce the amount of oil mentioned, else you will not get soft polis.

• Keep it covered for 4-5 hours. The more the time it is kept aside the polis will be softer.

METHOD TO MAKE POORNAM:

• Dry roast the channa dal for 5 minutes. Take care not to get it burnt.
• Soak it in water for 1/2 an hour.

• Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles. Completely drain the water.
• Let this cool. Once cool, grind this in mixer along with coconut and cardamom powder.

• Grind this smoothly. Add jaggery in the last and pulse once or twice.

• Poornam is done. If you feel the mixture is bit watery, don’t worry. Add ghee in a pan and saute for 5 minutes in a low flame. The poornam will come to the right consistency.
• When it is cool, divide it into 11 equal parts.

Method to make polis

• Divide the dough into 11 equal parts.

• Take a banana leaf , yes banana leaf works out well for polis. If not available use a zip lock, but you have to be careful while transferring it to the tawa., grease the banana leaf and place a portion of the dough on it.
• Spread it with your fingers into a small disc and place the poornam on it.

• Close the edges.
• With your fingers greased generously with sesame oil gently make polis and make it into a disc shaped one.

• Heat a tawa and keep it in a very low flame.
• Slowly transfer the banana leaf onto the tawa and take it out gently.

• Cook on both sides and smear a tsp of ghee and repeat the same for rest of the dough and poornam.

• I have taken video from a mobile as i am not satisfied with the quality of the video.
• Handling phone in one hand while making poli was too tough for me. And amma was bit scared to take the video too.

VIDEO FOR MAKING POLI

NOTES:

1. Do not compromise with the quantity of oil. Else polis will be hard and dry.
2. The dough should  be bit loose, else it will be difficult for you to make polis.
3. Let the poornam be stiff , if watery it will come out while making polis.

THIRUVADIRAI KOOTU

    As pongal festival is nearing i wanted to post a traditional recipe which we make both for Pongal festival and Thiruvadirai. This ezhukari kootu | pongal kootu we make with 7 veggies especially the country vegetables like yam, raw banana,choyate,avarakkai, Mochhai,pumpkin and even arbi too.A little bit of all these veggies make a huge quantity of kootu and so just add a small piece of all veggies. We carry forward a small portion for the next day for “Kannupidi” too, where we offer food for crows and pray to god .


Now coming to the recipe this measurement serves 6-7 people.
INGREDIENTS:

MIXED VEGETABLES*	2 CUPS
TOOR DAL (UN COOKED)	1/4 CUP
CHANNA DAL	1 TBLSP
CORIANDER SEEDS	1 TBLSP
RED CHILLI	5-6
URAD DAL	1/2 TSP
COCONUT(SCRAPPED)	1/4 CUP
COCONUT OIL	1 TSP
COOKING OIL	1 TSP
TAMARIND EXTRACT	1/4 CUP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
SALT	AS NEEDED
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

* I used Broad beans (avarakkai), choayate(chow chow), yam,poosanikkai(white pumpkin)parangikkai(yellow pumpkin) raw banana (vazhakkai) and mochai
METHOD:

• Cook the toor dal and mochhai in pressure cooker .

• Cut the rest of veggies into cubes.

• In a kadai add 1/2 tsp of oil and add the coriander seeds,urad dal, channa dal and redchillies and roast till golden brown. Add coconut ( keep 2 tblsp aside )and grind it smoothly into a fine paste when it is cool. Keep it aside.

• In the same pan, add the chopped avarakkai(broad beans), and choyate (chow chow) and add salt and turmeric powder. Add 1 and 1/2cups of water and the tamarind water and cook the veggies.
• When it is half done add the rest of the veggies and cook. The entire cooking process has taken 8-9 minutes in a medium low flame. Add the cooked mochai to this now.

• Never overcook the veggies.
• Now add the ground paste to this and the cooked toor dal.
• Mix nicely without any lumps. Add water to get the right kootu consistency.
• Dry roast 2 tblsp of coconut in a pan till golden brown and add it to the kootu.
• Add coconut oil and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Don’t search mustard seeds in mine since i don’t have i didn’t add.

• Kootu is now ready to serve.

           NOTES:

1. I made it in a consistency of thick sambar as i wanted to mix with rice.
2. If you want to make it as an accompaniment for any variety rice keep it little thick.