Prep 5 h
Cook 20m
Serves
10
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Ingredients

    For the dough

    1 1/2 cups maida or refined flour

    2-3 tsp refined white oil

    1/2 tsp turmeric

    A pinch of salt

     

    For the stuffing

    1 large potato or 2 small potatoes

    1/4 cup green peas, fresh or frozen

    1/2 tsp turmeric

    1 tsp coriander powder

    2 tsp red chilli powder or sambar powder (lesser if you prefer less spicy)

    1/2 sprig fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

    1 large onion, finely chopped

    2 chillies, finally chopped

     

    For the tempering

    1 tsp mustard seeds

    Fresh curry leaves, a handful

    1/2 tsp hing or asafoetida 

    2 tbsp ghee for Tawa frying

    1/4 tsp gunpowder masala for sprinkling (optional, easily available in most Indian supermarkets)

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Ingredient Substitution Guide

Method

Make a dough by mixing water, salt in the maida. Mix oil for softening the dough and let it stand for two to five hours depending upon the time you have in hand. This allows the dough to rise.

Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Boil potatoes and peel the skin. Keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, onions, asafoetida, curry leaves and fry well.

Add boiled potatoes, red chillies, coriander leaves, turmeric, coriander and sambar powders. Add boiled green peas. Make small balls with the stuffing and keep aside. (Adding sambar powder gives a traditional flavour from Tamil Nadu. If you don’t prefer its taste, you can add red chilli powder.)

For making the stuffed Poli, once the dough is ready, make a ball in your palm with ta small amount of dough. Place it on a rolling board slightly dusted with flour and pat it gently. Extend it out into a small circular flatbread with your fingers. Put a small ball of stuffing in the middle. Cover the stuffing evenly with the flattened dough all around. Sprinkle some maida on the rolling pin and roll each stuffed ball into a round flat bread.

The stuffing tends to break out of the dough ball, so you can also use butter paper. Place a butter paper on top of each stuffed ball of dough and flatten it into a circular flat bread with a rolling pin. Traditionally, this is done using a banana leaf.

Heat a cast iron pan. Add ghee and fry the Poli nicely on both the sides by turning over.

Sprinkle some gunpowder and serve hot.

Ishita B Saha

The writer is the author of the culinary travel blog ishitaunblogged.com. She is currently based in Chennai and has been a Dubai resident for two decades.

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