Poli

Today being Bhogi, I made Poli, Masala Vadai(Baked) and Semiya Payasam. I always try to find out shortcut methods/easier way to do things instead of standing in the kitchen for a long time trying to make a dish, which by the end of it, I am too tired to even relish.

So today I made Poli using a shortcut method, tried baking the Masala Vadai(instead of deep frying) and made Semiya Payasam in Microwave -- all in about an hour!

I will be adding the baking instructions for the Masala Vadai. Check for updates here.

Here is my shortcut version to make Poli.

Ingredients for Dough

Maida Flour (Maidha maavu) - 1/2 cup

Rice flour (arisi maavu)- 1 tsp

Semolina (Rava) - 1 tsp

Salt (Uppu) - very little

Vegetable/Canola Oil (ennai)- 2 tsp

Milk (Paal) - less than 1/4 cup

Ingredients for stuffing

Channa Dhal Flour (Kadala maavu) - 1/2 cup

Powdered Jaggery (Podi Vellam) - 1/2 cup

Clarified Butter/Ghee (nei) - 3-4 tbsp

Cardamam powder (Elakkai podi) - less than 1/4 tsp

Method

Dough Preparation

1. Take all of the dry ingredients(Maida,Rice flour, Rava, Salt) in a bowl and add oil.

2. Mix the above well with your hands

3. Add milk little by little and kneed in to make a soft dough

4. Set aside for 1-2 hours (I used it after 1/2 hour, but the dough is supposed to be good if set aside for sometime)

Stuffing Preparation (prepare this almost at the end of the time you have planned to set aside the dough)

1. Take the powdered jaggery in microwavable bowl and heat for 30-45 seconds

2. Add Clarified Butter and mix well and heat for 20 seconds

3. Add Channa Dhall flour, Cardamam powder and mix it well to form a paste

4. Heat in the microwave for about a minute

5. Remove from the microwave and let it cool for a bit

6. Make small balls (golf ball size) of the stuffing

Poli Preparation (similar to making a stuffed chapathi/paratha)

1. Take the dough and pinch off golf ball size portions from it

2. Roll out the dough to form a circle of 2 inch radius

3. Now take the stuffing and place it in the middle of the dough

Note: if the stuffing has become hard , just heat it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds and it should become soft again

4. Cover the stuffing using the dough and press down to form a circle

5. Now roll out the dough/stuffing to form a circle of 3-4 inch radius

6. Pre heat a flat griddle on medium

7. Cook the "poli" dough on both sides on the griddle (you can additionally coat each side with clarified butter/ghee)

Serving size: 4 Polis of 3-4 inch radius