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Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Going back to basics --- Ghadichi Poli

I am back with yet another entry for the RCI- Maharashtrian Cuisine event for this month, hosted by none other than our very own, Nupur of 'One Hot Stove'. Today's post is more of a technique, rather than a recipe, which I think (I hope I am right!) is unique to Maharashtrians.
We are all familiar with the Indian bread, popularly known as 'Roti/Chapati'. Well, I am sharing my way of making this roti which is called 'Ghadichi Poli' in Marathi. So what is the difference? The difference lies in the name itself...'ghadi' means 'fold', and so 'ghadichi poli' means folded roti. This technique is similar to that of making parathas, with the exception that parathas are thicker while poli is thinner. The folds in the poli are revealed as 'padar' (layers-for lack of a better word), once it puffs up and cooks. Experts like my MIL and my mom can manage upto 4 'padar' to their poli! The
philosophy here is, the more 'padar' to your poli, the better ! :)
My mom always made 'ghadichi poli' and whenever I used to get a chance, I used to grab a hot poli right off the tava (griddle), apply some homemade tup (ghee), roll it up and eat it! Even my MIL makes polis this way and so, both my husband and me, are addicted to ghadichi poli. I have often heard my friends complaining that it is very difficult to make ghadichi poli, and so they normally opt for regular rotis/phulkas. But trust me on this, making ghadichi poli is no more difficult than making a regular roti/phulka. The part which makes people shy away from ghadichi poli, I think, is the ability to make a round poli from a triangle; but with a little practice, and patience, this can be achieved. Before you know it, you will be able to roll out round, thin and soft polis, in no time!


Ingredients: (makes 7-8 polis)
Kanik (atta) 1 1/2 cups (I use Sujata Atta)
Water to knead the dough
A little salt
Oil

Method:
Knead the dough as you would for a regular roti/chapati by hand or in the food processor. Nupur of 'One Hot Stove' has described this process very well here.
The dough should be soft and a little elastic. Once the dough is ready, cover it and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Once you are ready to make the poli, apply a few drops of oil to the dough and knead it again.

Before you start rolling out your poli, make sure that you start heating the tava (griddle). It should be neither too hot nor too cold.
Now, take a small ball of dough like so,

Roll it out like this,


The next step is to apply 1-2 drops of oil on the rolled out poli, and then to fold it into half to form a semicircle, like this...

Apply a drop or two of oil on the surface again and then fold it, to form a triangle like this,


Now, apply a little flour to it like so...

Start rolling out the poli,

To ensure that the poli is round, roll on the edges and keep turning the poli frequently. I have found that it is easier to make a triangular poli round when it is smaller in size.

Now keep rolling the poli on the edges, turning it as you roll, to increase its diameter. Avoid rolling too much at the center of the poli, otherwise it will become too thin at the center and will turn out like a papad. The trick is to keep it thick in the middle and thin at the edges. Apply some flour if it starts sticking to the polpat (platform).
Your poli should look like this,

Transfer the poli onto the tava and cook. Keep flipping to cook on both sides.


Pressing with the end of the rolling pin sometimes helps the poli to puff up...

like so,

and finally, your poli is ready !

Enjoy hot with homemade tup (ghee) and any bhaaji (curry) of your choice! These polis will stay soft till evening and even the next day, so no worries :)


(A big thanks goes to my hubby dearest for patiently clicking these pictures while I made the 'poli')

25 comments:

TNL said...

Nice name for this Poli.....a great entry too.

:)

trupti

Richa said...

loved the step by step pictures, so cute :) ghadichi poli phar avadli baraka :)

TheCooker said...

Great step-by-step pictures. Kiti patience!

Tee said...

Thanks Trupti!
Richa & TC, thanks! tumchya compliments mule 'patience' tikun raahto ! :)

Sana said...

I learnt to make this from my mom-in-law as they are from maharashtra. it took me some time, but now, I can manage to make it for a crowd. But still, not as soft and fluffy as my mom in law's version :)

Roopa said...

nice presentation, we too make chapatis this way.

Coffee said...

Thats a nice way t make poli's!! :) Lovely pocs. :)

Coffee said...

I meant pics !! :P

Madhuli said...

My mom makes ghadichi poli and your lovely step by step description made me nostalgic...i can almost smell the 'khamang'aroma of the poli:)

Suganya said...

Wow! Wow! Wow! Thank you so much for this post. I really need this. My thanks to yr hubby too for those step-by-step photos.

FH said...

Beautiful step by step pics.Thanks for Sujata atta info.I bought a big bag of atta which I hate,can't wait for it to finish.I will look for sujata.Looks great there.

Tee said...

Sana, All mom's are experts in making polis...even my poli's don't match up to those that my mom or MIL make.

Thanks for stopping by :)
Roopa , Cofee, Thanks! credit for the pics goes to my hubby!

Madhuli, 'khamang' aroma of the poli is nostalgic for me too...nothing can beat it!

Suganya,
Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! I am glad my post came in time... :)

Thanks Asha! Sujata atta is by far the best. It comes pretty close to the atta that one would get fresh from the 'girni'. never had a problem with my 'polis'. :)

Nupur said...

What a beautiful post...a step-by-step look at the making of an everyday delight! So true, the "padar" in the poli are like satiny folds, they simply melt in the mouth. I am still struggling to make these :)

Suganya said...

I am back to let you know that yesterday I made roti (or poli) as explained by you. Boy did they puff up, every one of them. Thank you so much for the detailed instructions. It helped a lot. You were right abt center being thick (learned it the hard way). Do post more basics like this :)

Tee said...

Wow Suganya, awesome that all your polis puffed up! I am so glad I could help! Thanks for the feedback. The tip about keeping the poli thick in the center was given to me by my MIL, so the credit goes to her!
Small tips like these are what make a difference...will definitely share as many as I can. Thanks again!

Sharmi said...

My MIL was brought up in nagpur so she makes rotis this way. nice step by step pics.

burekaboy — said...

hi tee, very interesting post. i've not seen these kind before. thanks for showing how to do it; it's quite helpful and interesting to see how it's done at each step.

Arts said...

Hats of to ur patience.. and ur hubby's too ;)

Sharmi said...

dear Tee, I have made this poli for RCI and want to link this recipe to my blog. is it ok for you if so please do email me. you have more beautiful pics than mine so every one will come to your blog directly for the recipe. pls do let me know.

Latha said...

Dear Tee! Thanks a ton for the wonderful step-by-step tutorial:) I made them (just finished infact)... 50% got round, not so thin in the centre (after 2 papads) and they're wonderfully thin, soft and puffed up. I think it gets better by practice so we'll have your poli featured regularly:)

btw, i write from my husband's id coz i don't have a google account. Latha

Tee said...

Thanks for the feedback, Latha! I am glad you enjoyed it...and yes, with just a little more practice you, all your polis will be round and soft!

Anita said...

Aren't these the best kind? I still don't end with the perfect round after starting with the folded triangle - but it comes pretty close, between a triangle and a circle... :-)

swati'sveryownfoodspace said...

Thanks to u Aarti n your husband for the step by step procedure n the photos of the Chapatis ...I dreaded making Ghadichya chapatya till now....not any longer Thanks once again!

Kalyani Bharat said...

khup chaan...keep it up

Unknown said...

thanks a lot for step by step method.its very helpful in learning.