Val Papdichi Bhaji with Puran Poli

Knead the Dough

• In a large bowl, whisk together the atta, maida, turmeric powder, and salt.
• Add 2 tbsp of ghee and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Gradually add warm water and knead for 8-10 minutes to form a very soft, smooth, and pliable dough. It should be softer than regular chapati dough.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 30-45 minutes.

Assemble and Roll the Puran Poli

• After resting, knead the dough again for a minute. Divide the dough and the puran filling into 12 equal-sized balls each.
• Take a ball of dough, dust it with rice flour, and use your fingers to flatten it into a 3-inch cup or disc.
• Place a ball of puran filling in the center.
• Gently pull the edges of the dough up and around the filling, pinching them together at the top to seal it completely. Remove any excess dough from the pinched seal.
• Flatten the stuffed ball gently with your palm. Dust generously with rice flour on both sides.
• Using very light and even pressure, roll the ball into a thin, 6-7 inch circle. Rotate the poli frequently to ensure even rolling and prevent sticking.

Cook the Puran Poli

• Heat a tawa (griddle) on medium heat. The tawa should be hot but not smoking.
• Carefully lift the rolled poli and place it on the hot tawa.
• Cook for about 45-60 seconds until small bubbles appear on the surface.
• Flip the poli. Drizzle about 1 tsp of ghee on the top surface. Cook the second side for another 45-60 seconds until golden-brown spots appear.
• Flip again. The poli should start to puff up. Gently press the edges with a spatula to encourage it to puff up fully like a balloon.
• Drizzle ghee on the other side, cook for a final 20-30 seconds, and then remove from the tawa.
• Repeat for all remaining polis, stacking them with parchment paper in between or in a cloth-lined container to keep them soft.

Serve

• Serve Puran Poli warm, generously smeared with more ghee. It pairs wonderfully with warm milk, yogurt, or a savory lentil curry called Katachi Amti.