KADALAI PARUPPU POLI / POORAN POLI FOR NAVARAATRI
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| Durga Maata |
I was very happy to visit a Durga Pooja festival held at Sydney, in a local school. Mother Goddess Durga dazzling in all her opulence took the center stage. A picture of Lord Shiva adorned the top. Idols of Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Ganesha and Kartikeya were positioned on Her either sides.
A banana tree dressed up in a saree represented Mother Nature.The gorgeously decorated and illuminated stage along with the sacred idols reminded me of our Navaratri Kolu.
A priest was guiding the people in batches to offer their prayers (Pushpaanjali) with recitations of Sanskrit verses. Flowers, fruits, sweets and Aarati were offered to Durga Maata.
There were food stalls, and stalls which sold books, artifacts and trinkets outside the alter. Children danced to the disco music played on speakers. People bedecked specially for the occasion offered prayers and cheerfully interacted with their friends as they waited for the 'bhog ' to be served.
Samosas and Brinjal Bajjis were being fried in huge kadais, full of smoking oil.
'Prasaads' consisting of cut fruits and interestingly, a ball of 'poornam' ( a mixture of coconut and jaggery cooked together) were distributed in paper plates.
'Poornam' - it is symbolic of the 'infinite complete whole' or 'sweet bliss' which we call God. All the creations are manifestations of the same Sweet Bliss or 'Poornam'. Whatever the outer shell it is encased in, and whatever worldly ordeals it goes through, 'poornam' remains the same (infinite and complete) till it finally reunites with the infinite whole. Though the stuffed sweets go through different cooking methods like steaming as in Kozhukattais, roasting as in Polis, and frying as in Suhians, the inner Poornam remains intact and the same. It is to remember this eternal truth that Poornam stuffed sweets are always one of the offerings to the Divine on all special pooja occasions.
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| A Congrigation Of All Dieties |
A banana tree dressed up in a saree represented Mother Nature.The gorgeously decorated and illuminated stage along with the sacred idols reminded me of our Navaratri Kolu.
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| Pushpaanjali |
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| Samosas getting fried |
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| Brinjal bajjis |
'Poornam' - it is symbolic of the 'infinite complete whole' or 'sweet bliss' which we call God. All the creations are manifestations of the same Sweet Bliss or 'Poornam'. Whatever the outer shell it is encased in, and whatever worldly ordeals it goes through, 'poornam' remains the same (infinite and complete) till it finally reunites with the infinite whole. Though the stuffed sweets go through different cooking methods like steaming as in Kozhukattais, roasting as in Polis, and frying as in Suhians, the inner Poornam remains intact and the same. It is to remember this eternal truth that Poornam stuffed sweets are always one of the offerings to the Divine on all special pooja occasions.
POORAN POLI RECIPE
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE POORNAM
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 cups
Powdered jaggery - 2 cups
Cardamom powder - 1/4tsp
Ghee - 3 tbsps
METHOD TO MAKE THE POORNAM
1. Soak the Bengal gram dal for half an hour .
2. Pressure cook soaked dal with 1 cup of water till it gives out three whistles and switch off flame, and allow cool down.
3. Remove cooked dal from the cooker and drain well.
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| Cooked and drained dal |
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| Palm Sugar used instead of Jaggery |
5. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add the ground paste.
6. Keep stirring till the poornam leaves the sides of the pan and a pleasant aroma of the caramalised jaggery fills the atmosphere.
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| Poornam |
7. Switch off flame , mix in the cardamom powder and allow the poornam to cool down.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THE OUTER COVER
1. Plain flour / Maida - 2 cups
2. Salt - 1 pinch
3. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
4. Sesame oil - 4 tbsps
METHOD TO MAKE THE OUTER COVER
1. Sift maida, salt and turmeric powder into a bowl.
2. Add 2 tbsps of sesame oil and mix well.
3. Add water little by little and knead the flour into a smooth and elastic dough.
4. Smear one more tbsp of sesame oil on top and cover the ball of dough with a lid.
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| Dough |
5. Allow the dough to soak for one hour. The more it soaks the more it becomes pliable and elastic.
METHOD TO MAKE THE KADALAI PARUPPU POLI / POORAN POLI
1. Grease a banana leaf or a plastic sheet with a liberal sprinkle of oil.
2. Take out a lime size ball of dough and place it on the greased surface.
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| Dough ball smaller than the Poornam ball |
4. Take out a ball of poornam, double the size of the dough ball and place it in the middle of the patted poorie.
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| Poornam ball on flattened dough |
5. Pull the edges of the poorie over the poornam and press to seal.
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| Edges pulled over Poornam |
6. Invert the stuffed poorie and again start patting it evenly into a poli, so that the poornam spreads out evenly inside the maida cover.
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| 'Patting' Poli |
7. Heat a greased tava and gently place the flattened poli on it.
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| Poli cooking on a tava |
8. Cook on low flame till the raw look on the top of the poli disappears and flip it to the other side.
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| Flipped |
9. Cook till golden brown coloured patches appear on both sides and remove the poli on to a flat plate.Similarly make all the Polis on low heat.
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| Kadalai Paruppu Poli |
Offer the flavoursome Kadalai Paruppu Poli / Pooran Poli topped with ghee to Mother Goddess.
Enjoy Her blessings with the delicious prasaadam.
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| Ready to be served |
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