GULACHI POLI / JAGGERY ROTI / JAGGERY STUFFED FLAT BREAD / / गुळपोळी / गुळाची पोळी

Gulachi Poli is an extremely ancient and authentic delicacy made specially during Makar Sankranti. It does take a lot of time and effort to prepare them but the final product is worth it all.

To ease and speed things up a little you can prepare the stuffing dough a few days in advance so that there is not much to do, all at the same time.

Even the stuffing dough would last a long time if you deep freeze it, but make sure you cover it in  cling film as you would want the least amount of contact with moisture.

GULACHI POLI / JAGGERY ROTI / JAGGERY STUFFED FLAT BREAD / गुळपोळी / गुळाची पोळी 

INGREDIENTS

STUFFING
Gul / jaggery finely grated	250 gms / ¼ kg
Til koot / roasted sesame seeds fine pdr	1 tbsp
Roasted shengdane koot / fine peanut pdr	1 tbsp
Roasted khopra / dry coconut pdr	1 tbsp
Jaiphal pdr / nutmeg pdr	¼ tsp
Roasted khuskhus / poppy seeds pdr (optional)	1 tbsp
Besan / chickpea flour	2 tbsp
Oil	1 tbsp
DOUGH
Atta / kanik / wheat flour	2 cups
Oil	4 - 5 tbsp
Salt	¼ tsp

METHOD:

STUFFING

1.       Heat 1 tbsp oil and add in the besan.

                                     

2.       Roast it till it turns reddish pink.

                                      

3.       Allow to cool and store till further use.

4.       In a steel container with a tight fitting lid (make sure you liberally grease it with oil from inside), add in the finely grated jaggery. Fix the lid on top.

5.       The purpose of finely grating it is to make sure all the lumps in the jaggery melt or break up easily.

6.       Put the container in a pressure cooker, and pressure cook for 4 – 5 whistles.

7.       Remove, but make sure there is no drop of water that falls into the jaggery while doing this.

8.       By this time the jaggery would have melted well. If not repeat the process and again give 2 whistles.

9.       When the jaggery is melted but still hot, beat it well and remove any stray lumps that still remain in it.

10.   To it add in the sesame seeds pdr, peanut pdr, poppey seeds pdr, roasted besan and nutmeg pdr.

11.   Mix it all well, if necessary transfer all to a flat surface and knead into a smooth pliable jaggery dough.

                                      

12.   Divide into equal lemon sized large balls. Makes around 11 – 12. Keep till further use.

13.   This stuffing can be made 1 – 2 days in advance.

DOUGH

14.   To the wheat flour add in salt and 3 – 4 tbsp of oil.

15.   Rub the oil into the flour, when you press the dry flour in your fist it should come together a little and form the shape of your fist. Or it should form a coarse bread crumb consistency.

16.   If it does not then add in 1 more tbsp of oil and rub it into the flour.

17.   Add little water at a time and make a stiff dough (like puri dough).

18.   Now divide the dough into the same sized balls as you made of the jaggery stuffing, but make sure the dough balls are double the quantity.

19.   We will use 2 dough balls per stuffing ball. So if you have 12 balls of stuffing then make sure you have 24 dough balls.

ASSEMBLING

20.   Roll out the 2 dough balls into small same sized circles.

21.   Press the stuffing to flatten it a little with your fingers.

22.   In case it has become stiff and difficult to manage then just micro each stuffing ball for 10 sec, it will just start to melt the jaggery a little and make it soft and pliable. You can also keep the stuffing balls in a container with a tight fitting lid over hot water for 10 - 15 min. It will loosen up the stuffing.

23.   Keep the stuffing ball in between two dough circles. Completely stick and seal the edges.

24.   Using a little dry flour roll out as thinly as possible. Flip over and roll from the other side too.

25.   Be careful while doing this, you make have to give some pressure while rolling, but too much pressure and it will either tear or the stuffing will be unevenly distributed inside.

26.   When it is rolled out, if you find a doughy edge around your stuffing, using a katan (karanji trimming wheel) or even a pizza cutter would do, carefully trim out the excess doughy edge.

27.   Again make sure you leave a miniscule edge around the stuffing. If you cut through the stuffing then it will come out when you roast the poli. So try and do it slowly with a steady hand.

28.   Carefully pick up the poli and put it on the griddle.

29.   When you start to see small bubbles forming on the poli, flip it over.

30.   Cook this side till it is a nice pleasant golden brown.

31.   Again flip over and this time cook the half done side too. If your poli is well made and the stuffing is evenly distributed inside then your poli will puff up.

32.   Transfer it on to a kitchen tissue. Till the time these polis completely cool down make sure they are left separately on to an even flat surface.

33.   Even slight inclination may ruin its shape or it may break.

34.   Once they are cooled you can stack them on top of each other and store.

35.   These polis stay good at room temperature for almost a week.

36.   Serve them with a generous dollop of home made ghee / clarified butter.

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