Makar Sankranti Special: Gulachi Poli (Indian Flatbread stuffed with Jaggery)

Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival of Maharashtra is celebrated in different forms (and with different names) across communities throughout the country. Besides marking the start of the harvest festival, it is also the beginning of the movement of the Sun into the northern hemisphere. The day is noted as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture and people usually dress up in new black clothes, exchange sweets and gifts and fly colourful kites. The significance of wearing black is that since the festival is celebrated in winter, black retains and absorbs heat, keeping everyone warm. 

Makar Sankranti special Gulachi Poli

Like any other Indian festival, the highlight of Sankranti is the special ingredients used to prepare sweets and delicacies - sesame, sugar, jaggery, ghee (keeping us warm) being the main components. We exchange coloured 'halwa' (sesame coated with sugar syrup) or 'til-gul' (sweets prepared using sesame and jaggery) and greet each other with 'Til-gul ghya goad bola'. And what's Sankranti in a Marathi household without the irresistible aroma and flavours of the gul poli (flatbread stuffed with jaggery mixture)! Here's a loud cheer to all the Maharashtrians out there and a step-by-step recipe for the perfect, yummylicious Gul Poli! 

GULACHI POLI (Indian Flatbread stuffed with a Jaggery Mixture)

Prep Time: 1 hour | Cooking Time: 2 hours (to make 25-30 rotis) | Servings: 25-30 rotis

Ingredients:

1. Jaggery - 500gm
2. Chickpea Flour (Besan) - 100 gm
3. Sesame Seeds - 50 gm
4. Cardamom Powder - 1 teaspoon
5. Nutmeg Powder - ½ teaspoon
6. Refined Oil - Approx 75 ml (besan should immerse well in oil while roasting it)
7. For making Rotis (Flatbreads)
• Wheat Flour - 200 gm
• Maida - 200 gm
• Besan - 1 tablespoon
• Oil - 2-3 tablespoons
• Water - to knead the dough (should be stiffer than roti dough)

Preparation:

• Grate or finely cut jaggery and set aside. Roast sesame seeds and finely powder them. 

• Heat a pan and add oil. Roast besan till it turns golden brown. 

• Once the besan is lukewarm, add jaggery, sesame seeds, cardamom and nutmeg powders and mix. Churn this mixture using a food processor or grinder till it is evenly mixed and roll small balls (the size of a pedha) for stuffing into the roti dough. For the dough, mix wheat flour, maida, oil and water and knead to form a stiff dough and roll small balls (slightly bigger than the jaggery mixture)

• Press the dough ball lightly between your palms and slightly flatten the edges using your thumb and index finger. Stuff the jaggery mixture into it and close it. It is now ready to be rolled into a roti.

• Roll the roti lightly, without using too much pressure (else the jaggery mixture will spill out). Heat a skillet or frying pan and roast the roti using ghee. Serve with a dollop of homemade ghee! 

It's a tad bit late, but hoping you all have had a splendid Sankranti and there's no harm trying this yummylicious roti on a cold afternoon - sit back and let the combination of jaggery, sesame and ghee warm you up!!