Puran Bonde / Mini Puran Balls
(Sweet balls stuffed with split Bengal gram and jaggery mixture)
This Holi season try these unique sweet puran balls, which are made by tweaking the Puranpoli recipe!
In Maharashtra, Puran polis are made in almost every household during the Holi season. In the Marathi language, ‘Puran’ means split Bengal gram and jaggery mixture and ‘Poli’ means chapati. However, some people find making the polis a little difficult - especially the rolling part. So, I thought of a way out and made Puran bonde/balls instead.
Do try this recipe and let me know how you like it!
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
3/4 cups split Bengal gram (चना दाल)
1 cup jaggery (गुड़)
1 tsp turmeric powder (हल्दी)
1 tsp cardamom powder (इलायची पाउडर)
1 cup wheat flour (गेहू का आटा )
1/2 tbsp oil (तेल)
4 tbsp clarified butter (शुद्ध देसी घी)
2 cups water (पानी )
Method
Wash the chana dal thoroughly. Soak it in enough water for 2 hours. After 2 hours the dal will swell and increase in size.
Discard the water used for soaking the dal. Add 1.5 cups of fresh water (the ratio of dal to water should be 1:2). Add the turmeric powder.
Pressure cook the dal (5 whistles). You can cook the dal in a container too. The dal should take roughly 20-25 minutes to be fully cooked.
Pour the cooked dal over a strainer and collect excess water in a container below.
Now transfer this dal to a pan/kadhai. Add jaggery and start heating the mixture. Break the jaggery lumps using a spatula/spoon. Once most of the jaggery has melted, use a potato masher to create a smooth mixture as shown in the video.
Keep heating the mixture on a low-medium flame. Keep stirring it to avoid the mixture from sticking to the pan.
As you continue to heat the mixture, it will thicken. Consider it done when the spatula inserted in it, stands upright without any support. Turn off the heat.
Add cardamom powder to the mixture and set it aside. This is our Puran.
In a deep dish, take wheat flour. Add a little oil and water to it. Knead the dough (just as you do for making chapatis).
Roll out the dough using a rolling pin.
Using the sharp edge of a small bowl/Katori, cut out equal circles of the dough. Set them aside.
Place the circular rolled dough on your palm, stuff it with the Puran mixture and seal it to make a ball. Repeat the same procedure for all dough circles.
In a heavy bottom pan/kadhai, heat clarified butter (ghee). When the ghee becomes hot, deep fry the stuffed balls in it. Fry the balls in small batches to ensure that they are properly fried.
PURAN BONDE ARE READY TO TO BE SERVED !!
SERVE HOT.
Notes -
Do not discard the water collected after draining the cooked dal. You can use this water while making dal or katachi amti from it.
You can add nutmeg powder to the puran too. It tastes awesome! However, it has mild sedative properties - it induces sleep. So, if you are sleep sensitive you can skip adding it.
Remove the balls on kitchen paper towels after frying, to remove excess clarified butter.
The best way to eat these balls is by breaking them a bit and pouring ghee over them.
You can shape the dough into mini modaks too.
Puran Bonde / Mini Puran Balls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups split Bengal gram (चना दाल)
- 1 cup jaggery (गुड़)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder (हल्दी)
- 1 tsp cardamom powder (इलायची पाउडर)
- 1 cup wheat flour (गेहू का आटा )
- 1/2 tbsp oil (तेल)
- 4 tbsp clarified butter (शुद्ध देसी घी)
- 2 cups water (पानी )
Method
- Wash the chana dal thoroughly. Soak it in enough water for 2 hours. After 2 hours the dal will swell and increase in size.
- Discard the water used for soaking the dal. Add 1.5 cups of fresh water (the ratio of dal to water should be 1:2). Add the turmeric powder.
- Pressure cook the dal (5 whistles). You can cook the dal in a container too. The dal should take roughly 20-25 minutes to be fully cooked.
- Pour the cooked dal over a strainer and collect excess water in a container below.
- Now transfer this dal to a pan/kadhai. Add jaggery and start heating the mixture. Break the jaggery lumps using a spatula/spoon. Once most of the jaggery has melted, use a potato masher to create a smooth mixture as shown in the video.
- Keep heating the mixture on a low-medium flame. Keep stirring it to avoid the mixture from sticking to the pan.
- As you continue to heat the mixture, it will thicken. Consider it done when the spatula inserted in it, stands upright without any support. Turn off the heat.
- Add cardamom powder to the mixture and set it aside. This is our Puran.
- In a deep dish, take wheat flour. Add a little oil and water to it. Knead the dough (just as you do for making chapatis).
- Roll out the dough using a rolling pin.
- Using the sharp edge of a small bowl/Katori, cut out equal circles of the dough. Set them aside.
- Place the circular rolled dough on your palm, stuff it with the Puran mixture and seal it to make a ball. Repeat the same procedure for all dough circles.
- In a heavy bottom pan/kadhai, heat clarified butter (ghee). When the ghee becomes hot, deep fry the stuffed balls in it. Fry the balls in small batches to ensure that they are properly fried.
Notes
- Do not discard the water collected after draining the cooked dal. You can use this water while making dal or katachi amti from it.
- You can add nutmeg powder to the puran too. It tastes awesome! However, it has mild sedative properties - it induces sleep. So, if you are sleep sensitive you can skip adding it.
- Remove the balls on kitchen paper towels after frying, to remove excess clarified butter.
- The best way to eat these balls is by breaking them a bit and pouring ghee over them.
- You can shape the dough into mini modaks too.
Nutrition Facts
Protein (grams)
8.86 gIndian sweet made from Bengal gram and jaggery.
Did you make this recipe?
Kindly let me know in the comments section below and tag @bitesandbokeh on INSTAGRAM.