I love Puran Poli.
My favorite Puran-Polis are made by my mom, sister and grandmother, the three women who hold my heart. Each of their Puran-Polis is different than the other’s. And all of them are good. I mean, it’s the same Puran-Poli, but it tastes different.
Nani’s has a LOT of puran stuffed into the poli. Ghee rains over it in the pan. It’s so soft! It doesn’t need any other embellishment like milk, amti or vegetables. Uska maja hi kuch aur hai.
My sister’s poli over the puran is crispy. It tastes amazing with milk.
And mummy’s is a combination of the both. This I like to eat with Amti.
I don’t wait for occasions or festivals to eat Puran-Poli. I have it whenever I want to and one of these women agree to make it. During summers I have it with Aamras.
There’s no story or a particular incident really, just that I love Puran-Poli.
My experience making, eating and feeding Puran Poli
- I have always been intimidated by the art of Puran-Poli making. I hadn’t consciously realized it till I thought of making it. Mumma says the best Puran-Poli has the thinnest veil of dough on the puran, rendering it almost transparent. But then my mentor says “Perfect is the enemy of good”. So I made what I made and in the mouth of an Abhijeet, it finds things to be appreciated about.
- We made Puran Poli when my aunt was visiting us for winter. I saw dadi’s puran poli and attyas. Turns out expertise is not a factor or age. Attya is a pro. So beautiful knowing people apart by the same food they make.
- I have had Puran-Poli since I was little. Mumma would make a well of it by folding up the sides and pouring ghee in the middle. But I never had it with milk, Aamti or Aamraas. I thought of desserts as limited, non-versatile foods that way. But this time, I had my Puran-Poli with Kaadhi, which is my comfort food. I could never eat more than half a poli at a time. The sweetness of the Puran saturates me. But this time I ate 1.
What do you like your puran poli with?
Attya made the heart shaped poli for babyR. BabyR was being fussy about lunch and this worked. Attya seems to have the energy to spoil.
She always did. She fed me like that when I was a kid; Indulged any requests, took me and my food to a friend’s house or the road where I could see animals. She still tries to force-feed me. I am 28. I wish she didn’t.
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Sometimes babyR blackmails “I won’t eat if you don’t get me that toy” to which reply is always “if you don’t eat, YOU will be hungry in YOUR tummy. I’ll be fine. Who is this punishment for?”
Sometimes when Papa is irritated at Mummy, he’ll say “You know what! I don’t think I am hungry”. Mummy will respond by coaxing and mollycoddling.
Last month, an irritated papa said said to a busy Mumma “You don’t seem to have time for me, I think I should skip dinner” and babyr without blinking an eye said “if you don’t eat, YOU will be the one who will feel hungry in the tummy. So just eat.” He did.
