Happy Diwali everyone! Diwali always brings back fond memories ... mithai, crackers, and abhyang-snan ... in keeping with tradition, my mother always made puran polis on diwali padva day. One year, she decided to try something new. She made badam polis instead. They were an instant hit with the whole family and have been my favorite ever since. Not only are they much easier to make, but you can even convince yourself that they are good for you. The recipe below makes twelve.This week being Halloween week, I thought I would talk about one of my favorite suspense movies - "Mera Saaya." For some reason, by and large, Hindi films have stayed away from the mystery genre. Hence, there are very few notable films in this category: "Mahal," "Woh Kaun Thi," "Bees Saal Bad," and "Kohra," to name a few. "Mera Saaya" was shot in the beautiful locales of Udaipur. Raj Khosla's superb direction and Madan Mohan's haunting melodies make this a must-see.
Ingredients
For the filling
3/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup besan
1 teaspoon ghee
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water
For the dough
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
Method
- Combine flour, oil, and salt. Add warm water to make a soft dough. Keep aside covered.
- Heat the ghee over medium heat and roast the besan until light brown and fragrant.
- Cool besan slightly and mix with the ground almonds, sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg powders. This makes the filling.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to bind together. Knead until soft.
- Separate the dough into 12 balls. Take 1 ball and roll out to 3-4 inches.
- Cup the rolled-out ball in your palm and add 1 tablespoon of filling.
- Bring the edges together to seal and flatten.
- Roll out into a roti on a floured board until it is approximately 6-7 inches in diameter.
- Roast on a hot griddle on both sides.
- Serve hot with melted ghee.
