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Saffron puranpuri

Sweet flatbreads stuffed with saffron pigeon pea lentil filling

Puranpuri (puran poli) is a festive Gujarati and Maharashtrian flatbread stuffed with puran: pigeon pea lentils cooked with sugar until thick, flavoured with saffron, cardamom and fennel. It's rolled thin, cooked on a griddle and drizzled with ghee. Serve hot with kadhi and a curry of your choice.
Total time
150 min
Difficulty
hard
Serves
12
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Ingredients

Serves12

For the filling (puran)

For the dough

To serve

Method

0/13 done
  1. Step 1: Soak 10 ½ oz pigeon pea lentils (tuvar dal) in hot water for 15 minutes, then wash them well to remove any oil coating.

    15 min
  2. Step 2: Pressure cook the lentils with 5 ¼ cups water for 8–10 whistles, until very soft. Let the pressure drop, then strain off the liquid.

    30 min
  3. Step 3: Put the lentils in a kadai (wok) with 10 ½ oz sugar and ¼ tsp saffron, crushed.

  4. Step 4: Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture is so thick that a spatula stands upright in it on its own.

    20 min
  5. Step 5: Add 2 tbsp ghee and mix.

  6. Step 6: Take the puran off the heat and mix in 2 tsp ground cardamom and 2 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely ground, plus ground mace and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg if using.

  7. Step 7: When cool, divide the puran into 12 equal balls.

  8. Step 8: Mix 7 oz wheat flour (chapati flour) and 2 ½ tbsp oil and knead into a soft dough, adding ½ cup water as needed. Leave for 1 hour, then divide into 12 portions.

    60 min
  9. Step 9: Roll out one portion into a small round, put a ball of puran in the middle, gather the sides over it and seal on top.

  10. Step 10: Press the ball flat and roll it out gently into a 15 cm round.

  11. Step 11: Cook on a hot earthenware or iron griddle (tavdi) over a medium heat until golden spots appear on both sides.

    3 min
  12. Step 12: Repeat with the rest of the puran and dough. Drizzle 4 tbsp ghee on top and serve hot.

  13. Step 13: Microwave puran: after adding the sugar and saffron, put the lentils in a large lidded container and microwave for 10 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the puran is ready and doesn't stick to the sides. Then carry on as above.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
290 kcal
Protein
7 g
Carbs
49 g
Fat
8 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does saffron puranpuri take?
About 150 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of sugar?
Caster sugar, same amount.
What can I use instead of ghee?
Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).

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