A delicious twist to traditional puran poli recipe - these carrot poli are sweet flatbread made with a creamy carrot halwa filling. They are soft, flavorful and yummy.
My husband is a big carrot halwa fan. My MIL makes the most delicious carrot halwa with fresh khoya and gajar (red winter carrots).
I use condensed milk in my recipe and it makes it creamy and yummy. My version of gajar halwa is less decadent but equally delicious, if I can say so myself.
Poli aka bobbatlu/ obbatlu are sweet flatbread usually made with a stuffing. They are traditionally made with lentil stuffing and are called puran poli.
I had some carrot halwa leftover once and made these delicious stuffed flatbreads with it. These are very colorful and very festive - perfect for any festival.
Ingredients
This recipe has 2 components - dough and filling. Here is what you need for the dough:
Dough - I used a combination of all purpose flour and atta (whole-wheat flour). Typically they are made with 100% all purpose flour.
Milk - I use milk instead of water to make the dough. That makes it extra soft and delicious.
Saffron - adds a nice flavor and beautiful orange color to the poli. I recommend buying Indian Kashmiri saffron because I find it much flavorful. Little goes a long way for this.
Ghee - is a quintessential ingredient in all Indian desserts. It makes these sweet flatbreads buttery and decadent.
Salt
Filling - You need 1~2 cups of carrot halwa. You can use leftover carrot halwa or make it fresh for this recipe. I included the recipe to make enough filling for 8 poli.
You can get very creative with the filling. I have added a few ideas that you can choose from below.
Instructions
You need the carrot filling to be at room temperature. So start by making the halwa (recipe in the card below). Or even better make it a day ahead, refrigerate and leave it out on the counter for about 1 hour.
Make the dough: In a small bowl, combine saffron strands and warm milk. Set aside for couple of minutes.
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt and ghee. Rub the ghee into the flour using your fingers until a sand-like mixture forms.
Add the saffron-milk and more milk as needed to form a smooth-pliable dough. Knead for a few minutes to get a nice glossy dough that doesn't stick to the fingers. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Make Carrot Poli:
Divide the dough 8 equal pieces. Roll the dough a thick 3" disc and place about 1~2 tablespoons of the filling in the center.
Pull the dough over the filling to encase it completely. Roll into a ball and flatten into a disc in the palm.
Then place it on a lightly greased aluminum foil or a wooden chopping board. Roll it out into a 5~6" round circle. Make sure that the polis are uniform in thickness.
Heat a griddle/ tawa on medium heat, cook the polis until light brown spots form on both sides, this takes about 2 minutes per side.
Keep the polis warm while repeating the process for the rest of the dough & filling. Serve warm with extra ghee!!
Leftovers can be wrapped tightly in foil and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Tips
- Make sure that the poli are not rolled out too thin. They won't be soft when rolled too thin. Keep the thickness of the flatbread to around ¼".
- You can make these entirely with atta (chapathi flour) or all-purpose flour. I use a combination of both these flours.
- Use leftover carrot halwa or make it fresh for this recipe. But make sure you give yourself enough time to completely cool the carrot filling. Stick in the fridge if you have to cool it down fast.
- Leftovers can be wrapped tightly in foil and refrigerated for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, microwave until warm and eat with a generous smear of ghee.
Poli Filling Ideas
Here are a few filling ideas that you can use to make your own version of stuffed poli:
- dates and roasted sesame seeds
- paneer and coconut - lightly cooked in ghee and mixed with sugar
- boiled & mashed sweet potato mixed with grated jaggery and ground cardamom
- rava kesari
Few more Carrot based desserts to try
- No Bake Carrot Halwa Cheesecake
- Carrot Kheer
- Carrot-sooji Halwa
- Afghani Carrot Halwa
- Sourdough Carrot Cake
Carrot Poli
Ingredients
For the Carrot Halwa filling:
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- 2 Medium Carrots, finely grated
- ⅔ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Sugar, adjust as per taste preference
- 2 tablespoons Condensed milk
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
For the Dough:
- A pinch of Saffron
- 3 tablespoons Lukewarm Milk
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- ½ cup Atta/ Whole wheat flour
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Ghee, plus more for brushing the poli
Instructions
Make Carrot Halwa:
- Heat ghee in a medium size pan on medium heat, add the grated carrot and cook stirring frequently, until the carrot doesn’t smell raw anymore, about 5~6 minutes.
- Next add milk. Bring to a simmer then lower the heat and cook covered till carrot is tender, this takes about 12~15 minutes.
- Add sugar and condensed milk. Cook till the mixture starts to thicken, about 15~18 minutes.
- Add the ground cardamom, mix well and cook till the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Make Dough:
- In a small bowl, combine saffron strands and warm milk. Set aside for couple of minutes.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt and ghee. Rub the ghee into the flour using your fingers until a sand-like mixture forms.
- Add the saffron-milk and more milk as needed to form a smooth-pliable dough. Knead for a few minutes to get a nice glossy dough that doesn't stick to the fingers. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Make Bobbatlu/ Polis:
- Divide the dough 8 equal pieces. Roll the dough a thick 3" disc and place about 1~2 tablespoons of the filling in the center.
- Pull the dough over the filling to encase it completely. Roll into a ball and flatten into a disc in the palm.
- Then place it on a lightly greased aluminum foil or a wooden chopping board. Roll it out into a 5~6" round circle. Make sure that the polis are uniform in thickness.
- Heat a griddle/ tawa on medium heat, cook the polis until light brown spots form on both sides, this takes about 2 minutes per side.
- Keep the polis warm while repeating the process for the rest of the dough & filling. Serve warm with extra ghee!!
Notes
- Make sure that the poli are not rolled out too thin. They won’t be soft when rolled too thin. Keep the thickness of the flatbread to around ¼”.
- You can make these entirely with atta (chapathi flour) or all-purpose flour. I use a combination of both these flours.
- Use leftover carrot halwa or make it fresh for this recipe. But make sure you give yourself enough time to completely cool the carrot filling. Stick in the fridge if you have to cool it down fast.
- Leftovers can be wrapped tightly in foil and refrigerated for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, microwave until warm and eat with a generous smear of ghee.
Uma Srinivas
Lovely carrot halwa stuffed poli! Any kids will enjoy this as a snack or dessert! love the color and texture! Yummy recipe.
Amrita Roy
Carrot Poli sounds interesting.....Good way to make a scrumptious meal using the carrot halwa and the best part is you don't need anything to pair with it..
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey
Carrot pli sounds delicious and easy to whip up, a great breakfast or snack. Thanks for a nice recipe.
Priya Srinivasan
Wow looked at that puffed up poli! Love this tempting carrot poli pavani! A delicious alternative to the regular puran poli!
Padma Veeranki
Love carrot halwa and when stuffed in poli, how can I say no to it!! Lovely colour and texture! Looking so delicious & inviting!!
sapana
Wow, I would have never thought of making pili with carrot halwa. Next time, I will hide a bowl of the halwa to try this pili. Sounds and looks so delicious.
Lathiya
This is a great idea to use up leftover Carrot halwa. The poli looks scrumptious. Will be trying soon.