10 Authentic Indian Recipes Your Dadi Never Wrote Down

9. Puran Poli — Sweet stuffed flatbread your dadi made for festivals

Puran poli is a festival flatbread that many grandmothers made for special occasions, filled with a sweet dal mixture cooked down with jaggery and cardamom. The dough is rolled thin, the filling enclosed, and then the whole flattened gently and cooked on a hot tawa. Technique matters: the sweet puran must be dry enough not to burst the bread, yet soft so the poli stays tender. Smaller families often made a few and saved the rest for guests; larger households made enough for the whole neighborhood. Outside India, jaggery is sometimes hard to source; substitute with good-quality dark brown sugar or panela, and adjust moisture as you cook the filling. Cardamom, nutmeg, or a touch of ghee finish the profile and make the flatbread feel special. Your dadi’s tip—resting the dough briefly and rolling carefully—keeps the poli from tearing and gives you that thin, melt-in-the-mouth layer that distinguishes homemade versions from store-bought ones.