Ugadi Special Recipes: Puran Poli, Kheer

Here are a few recipes shared by young chefs that include the classic Ugadi delicacy puran poli and tow types of kheer that are healthy and made with a twist – one using oats and the other one using sweet potato.

Puran Poli

By Chef Nisha Madhulika

Ingredients:

2 cups refined flour
4-5 tbsp ghee
1 pinch salt
½ cup chana dal
Soaked 1/3 cup jaggery
Broken 1/3 cup sugar
½ tbsp cardamom powder

Method:

Take the refined flour in a big mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of ghee in it with a pinch of salt and mix well
Add lukewarm water little by little and knead a soft dough same as required for making chapatti
Add 0.75 cups of water for kneading the flour
Cover and keep the dough aside for 20-25 minutes to rest
Wash the chana dal thoroughly with water and soak for 2 hours
Place the chana dal in a pressure cooker and add 1/2 cup of water and put the lid on
Let the dal cook till the cooker releases a whistle
Once the whistle is released, reduce the flame to low and cook the dal for 2 more minutes
Turn off the flame and let the steam escapes on its own
Remove the lid and transfer the dal on a sieve placed over a bowl
Let the dal cools down a bit
Put the dal into a mixer jar
Put the lid on and grind the dal into a fine paste
Place a pan on the flame and add the dal paste, jaggery and sugar and mix well
Cook the mixture till the jaggery and sugar is dissolved completely and turns thick in consistency
Stir continuously to prevent the mixture from browning at the base
Add 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder and mix well
Turn off the flame and transfer it to a bowl so that it cools down quickly
Knead the dough again and divide it into lemon sized dough balls
Cover the dough balls to prevent them from drying
Prepare dough balls, so divide the stuffing in 9 portions as well
Take a dough ball, make it smooth and flatten it slightly
Apply some ghee on the rolling board, place the dough ball and roll it out into 3-4 inch diameter poori
Place a portion of stuffing in centre, lift the edges of the dough and close the stuffing really well
Press it gently with the fingers
Again, grease the rolling board with some ghee and roll the stuffed dough ball into thin Puran poli
Roll it evenly by applying less pressure
Place a tawa on the flame and evenly apply some ghee on it
Place the rolled Puran poli on it
Once the Puran poli gets roasted from beneath, flip its side and roast it from another side as well
Pour some ghee on top and spread it evenly
Flip the side again and pour some ghee on this side as well and spread it evenly.
Press the Puran poli gently with the spatula and cook it on a medium-high flame till brown spots appears on both the sides
When the Puran poli is roasted aptly, fold it into triangular shape and transfer it on a plate
Similarly, stuff, roll and roast the rest of the Puran polis
Turn off the flame
Serve the Puran polis as a dessert after any meal or have them whenever you crave for something sweet
Once they cool down completely, store them in an air-tight container and relish eating for up to 8-10 days.

Oats Kheer

By Shipra Khanna

Ingredients:

 1 bowl of oats
 300 ml almond milk
 2 tbsp almond flakes
 1 tbsp cashew
 1 tbsp raisins
 ½ cup brown sugar
 A pinch of cinnamon powder
Method:
 Heat a pan and roast the oats
 Add almond milk and mix well
 Now add almond flakes, cashew, raisins, and brown sugar
 Mix everything and cook on medium flame
 Now add cinnamon powder, and cook for some more time
 Oat’s kheer is ready
 Transfer it to bowl and garnish with almond flakes
 Tip: Roast the oats nicely so that it takes less cooking time

Sweet Potato Kheer