GulPoli

This was my first recipe on net, at the time when I didn’t have my own blog. It was my entry for My Dhaba’s FAHC Campaign. Since this is one of the well-known festival foods in Maharashtra, I decided to post it here for RCI-Maharashtrian Cuisine.

Makar Sankranti is the first important festival in Maharashtra wrt to English calender, and is celebrated on 14th January every year. Its an occasion to visit near and dear ones and distribute tilgul saying "Tilgul ghya, god god bola" (take tilgul(sweet) and talk sweet! :D) Makar Sankranti is a special festival for newly wed girls as well. On the first Makar Sankranti after marriage, the girl comes back to her parents place and is presented with various ornaments made from halwa/white tilgul called "halwyache dagine". Ladies also get a chance to wear black sarees on this day which is usually considered unauspicious on other good occasions/festivities.

Since Makar Sankranti falls during mid winter in India, the food prepared for this festival is such that it keeps the body warm and gives high energy. Hence til (sesame seeds) and gul (jaggery) are basically used in the preparation of sweets for this festival. Gulpoli is a traditional dish prepared on this day in Maharashtra as an offering to God. Other festives include tilache ladu(sesame balls), tilachi wadi (sesame squares), murmura ladu(mamra/rice flakes balls) etc. These sweet and crisp breads taste better when eaten on the second day.

GulPoli

What you need:

For the dough:
1/2 cup Plain flour(Maida)
1/2 cup Wheat flour (Atta)
2 tbsp cooking oil
Luke warm water
A pinch of salt

For the filling:
1 and 1/2 cup Jaggery
4 tsp Sesame seeds
2 tsp Poppy seeds
3-4 tsp Gram flour
1 tsp Cardamom powder
1 tsp Nutmeg powder
4-5 Cashewnuts
1-2 Almonds

How to proceed:

For the dough:
1) Sieve the flours so as to avoid lumps
2) Mix the flours. Prepare a hollow space in the center to put oil.
3) Heat oil and add it to the flour.
4) Mix hot oil with flour using a spoon.
5) Add a pinch of salt.
6) Add luke warm water and make a soft dough.
7) Leave aside covered by wet cloth for 2 hrs.

For the filling:
1) If the jaggery is soft, break it in small lumps by hand. If hard, just grate it.
2) Roast poppy seeds, sesame seeds and gram flour separately.
3) Grind poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cashews and almonds together to a smooth paste.
4) Mix Jaggery, gram flour, ground paste, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
5) Make 4-5 small balls about one inch diameter for filling.

Putting it all together:
1) Knead the dough well. Make 4-5 equal parts of dough
2) Roll the dough on rolling board till it becomes 3-4 inch in diamater.
3) Place a ball of filling in the center and close it by getting the edges together at top. Take care not to let the filling come out.
4) With the use of flour, just press the dough by both palms so as to equally spread the filling inside towards the edges as well.
5) Using flour, roll it to nearly 7-8 inches in diameter.
6) Heat the frying pan and put some ghee.
7) Roast the gulpoli on the frying pan on both sides using ghee till it turns brownish.
8) Serve hot with ghee or eat crispy gulpoli later.

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