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Puran poli is an enticing dessert dish crafted from a spiced chana dal filling called “puran.” To prepare the dish, puran is combined with a bevy of sweet and spicy ingredients, such as cardamom, nutmeg, and jaggery. Subsequently, this sweet-spicy concoction is coated in a slim and flaky layer of wheat dough, called “poli,” resulting in the formation of the universally treasured puran poli dish. Steeped deeply in the cultural heritage of India, puran poli is a staple during festivals, such as Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Holi.
The crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth delicacy is believed to date back to ancient times. While food experts and historians haven’t been able to narrow down the dish’s exact origin, delicacies matching its description have been found in historical Sanskrit texts. This speaks to the timeless quality of puran poli, which has arguably been delighting the Indian palate for generations. Over time, different regions of the country began putting their own unique spin on the classic puran poli dish. These include “vedmi” in Gujarat and “bobbatlu” in Tamil Nadu.
Take a look at the regional variations of the inviting puran poli sweet dish.
Classic Puran Poli, Maharashtra
The original version of the puran poli, as described above, is savoured in Maharashtra. The flatbread is stuffed with a split Bengal gram filling, which is then blended with jaggery, cardamom, and nutmeg, forming the enthralling puran poli dish. While the dish tastes perfectly delicious on its own, Maharashtrians typically savour the luscious specialty with a host of accompaniments, such as aamras, basundi, kadhi, and amti.
Vedmi, Gujarat
In Gujarat, the traditional puran poli dish is called “vedmi.” Although the ingredients and the preparation method more or less remain the same as the classic Maharashtrian puran poli, Gujaratis usually add a few ingredients to the dish, including grated coconut, reduced milk, known as khoya, and dried fruits, such as almonds and cashews. In this way, vedmi demonstrates the culinary invention of Gujarati cuisine; the locals typically enjoy the dish with a generous dollop of ghee.
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Holige Or Obbattu, Karnataka
Puran poli is referred to as “holige” in the Kannada dialect, and “obbattu” in the non-Kannada speaking minority areas of Karnataka. What sets this variation apart from more traditional puran poli recipes is the dough used, with some holige and obbattu dishes substituting the commonly used wheat flour with maida. The ingredients for the stuffing may also differ as this version typically integrates coconut into the filling, keeping in tune with the local tastes and preferences of the state.
Bakshalu, Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra special version of puran poli typically goes by the name “bakshalu.” This recipe too, tends to incorporate coconut alongside jaggery, chana dal, and cardamom, into the puran poli stuffing, setting it apart from the classic puran poli cherished in Maharashtra. Bakshalu is usually served with ghee, and occasionally, even milk. Additionally, this dish is known as “bobbatlu” in a few select regions of the state.
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Bobbatlu, Tamil Nadu
The people of Tamil Nadu enjoy a variation of puran poli known as “bobbatlu.” While classic puran poli recipes are frequently made from chana dal, the bobbatlu filling tends to integrate toor dal with chana dal, jaggery, and cardamom, giving the dish an enriching flavour. Some traditional bobbatlu recipes also infuse ghee in the dough to make the poli element of the dish more wholesome and robust. Bobbatlu is usually eaten with ghee and milk.
