Masala Poli - Spicy potato masala stuffed flatbread
Masala poli, a savory flatbread stuffed with spicy potato and peas masala. This savory stuffed bread is cooked with a mixture ghee and oil, sprinkled with gun powder on top and studded with herbs and cashew nuts.
Savory Poli | Kaara poli Recipe | Potato kaara poli | Flatbread with potatoes | South-Indian style potato flatbread | Krishna sweets style masala poli | Kaara poli with potatoes and idly podi | How to make kaara poli | How to make Spicy vegetable poli
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My Masala Poli Memories
I grew up in Chennai and KK Nagar specific. This masala poli is a famous snack at Krishna Sweets. When you taste it hot served straight from the tava, it is an experience to enjoy.
Masala poli/Spicy potato masala stuffed flat bread is one of the favorite snack from Krishna sweets, we do have a branch here in Karama, Dubai, but i m not sure, whether they make this delicacy here. Back home, in Chennai, this is one of the delicious snack we fall head over heels. It's definitely not for the calorie conscious, since it is made with ghee-oil mix. If you are like me, you would definitely taste it, then run for 30 minutes tomorrow or 60 sun salutations. Oh yes, it is definitely worth it, the taste is to die for.
Made Spicy Masala Poli for Bread Bakers
Coming to why i wanted to try this delicious masala poli? , #Breadbakers. When Anshie our host for February 2016, announced the theme Griddle breads, i decided that i m making this favorite spicy flatbread.
Originally made with All purpose flour, i have used 50-50 all purpose and whole wheat flour to make this savory, stuffed bread . That definitely affects the texture, mine was a bit flaky while the original would be super soft, melt it mouth. But taste-wise, the best stuffed bread you would ever make and taste.
The Ingredients for Kaara Poli
- The Bread, as i said originally it is made with 100% All purpose flour/maida. But i have made the dough with 50-50 all purpose and wheat flour. Definitely there is a difference in the texture.
- The Stuffing, I have made a spicy potatoes and peas masala as stuffing. If you wish you can go ahead and make it as a mixed vegetable filling too.
- The Toppings, idli milagai podi, also known as gun powder and fresh herbs are used while rolling bread, so it kind makes a lovely aroma and texture when cooked.
- Cooking oil, usually ghee is preferred, you can also use any vegetable oil of your choice.
If you have some leftover stuffing, you can enjoy it for breakfast with this masala dosa or with this bombay style masala toast . I prefer to make some extra filling to enjoy the toast next day.
What is Gun powder
The gun powder or the idly milagai podi used in the poli is an aromatic condiment, made with lentils and chilies. Usually served with south-indian breakfast dishes. A versatile spice that can be also used as a garnish. Check the recipe below.
Some Interesting snack recipes
If you are looking for some Cute Cutlets
- Quinoa potato cutlet
- Quinoa Vegetable cutlet
- Aloo methi cutlet
- Sweet potato cutlet
- Beets & millets cutlet
Masala Poli | Spicy Potato masala stuffed flatbread
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Flatpan/griddle for cooking the flatbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1 cup Whole wheat flour
- ¾-1 cup Warm water
- ½ cup oil any vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp gun powder idly milagai podi
- fresh coriander leaves for garnish
- oil for making the poli/bread
For the Filling
- 2 nos large potatoes
- ½ cup green peas i used frozen
- 1 no large onion finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
Tempering
- 2 teaspoon oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds/kadugu
- ⅛ teaspoon hing/asafoetida
- tablespoon broken cashew nuts
- sprig of curry leaf
Instructions
Let us make the dough
- Mix together both the flours in a large bowl, add salt and turmeric powder mix well. Add half the oil to the flour mix and knead to form crumb-like dough.
- Now slowly add warm water to this and knead a smooth, elastic dough, add the remaining oil in batches while kneading and knead a super soft dough.
- Originally the dough is made of all purpose flour, since we are using a combination of all purpose flour and wheat flour, we might not get that elastic consistency. Knead a soft dough and Let it rest covered for 30 minutes.
Let us make the filling
- Peel and cube the potatoes, add enough water for the potatoes to immerse microwave high for 10 minutes for them to cook. you can also cook on stove-top, until soft.
- Drain the excess water. Let it cool for a minute or two and then mash the potatoes well, while it is still hot .
- Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, broken cashews, hing, curry leaf. Next add onion and saute until translucent.
- Now add the mashed potatoes and peas to it. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt
- Cover and cook in simmer flame for 8-10 minutes for the flavors to mingle and the rawness to escape. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely.
Let us make the Poli
- Divide the dough into 7-8 portions. Divide the filling into ping-pong size balls. There might be some filling leftover, its fine, they can be made into sandwiches.
- The bread is usually patted/shaped on banana leaf and cooked, since i couldn't find one, i used my steel plate with little grease on it.
- Grease your plate or use a ziploc cover, take a ball of dough, grease your hands with little oil, pat the dough to make a disc.
- Place a ping-pong sized filling in the middle of the patted disc and make it flat. Bring the edges of the dough together , covering the filling
- Drizzle a teaspoon of oil on top, pat it flat into thin disc. Since i have used wheat flour- all purpose flour mix, i couldn't get it very thin. If using All purpose flour alone, you can stretch it pretty thin.
- Add a dash of gun powder and few coriander leaves to the shaped disc and pat again,
- Heat a griddle, once the heat is high, reduce the flame to simmer, carefully remove the patted poli/flatbread on to the hot griddle, drizzle with ghee/oil and cook both the sides until done.
- It takes around 1 minute to cook one side. Be patient, don't burn the bread. Once done, remove it on to a flat plate.
- Repeat the same with rest of the dough. Serve warm. This bread doesn't need any accompaniments, if you insist, i might serve it along minty yogurt, to balance the flavors.
Notes
- I have made the dough with a combination of wheat flour and all purpose flour.
- You can choose to make the dough with either of these flour completely.
- Masala poli made of all purpose flour can be stretched thin while rolling and so will be soft once cooked.
- Ghee is prefered for cooking the masala poli, you can also mix ghee and oil for cooking.
Looking for some Interesting Flatbreads like this
Nutrition
Disclaimer
I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.
Thank you for giving me a different style of spices to make my aloo parathas next time. Masala poli looks very tempting.
I love the combo of masala that you have used in the poli. Thank you for joining in this month.
This is filled with amazing flavors, my mouth is watering thinking of this bread!
Priya so tempting and packed with flavour. Love every bit of it!
Wow, what a delicious combination. I'd gladly do a couple salutations for one of these.
looks flavourful beautiful presentation
These are so gorgeous and sound amazing! So many flavors and a beautiful color.
I am loving all the breads this month. Thank you for sharing, this looks delicious! I love potatoes and different spices.
Mustard and cashews and curry sounds like wonderful bread!
That filling sounds delish!!! What I do when I cook up something for a challenge... I draft the post immediately or as soon as I get some time and place it for that particular date, so that it will show up on the screen and if I do the whole thing and I am OK with the post, I just click Schedule! 🙂
Ahh.. lovely.. definitely gonna make my day wen I make it 🙂
I do not care how much oil and ghee are in these--I want them! They sound and look amazing, and I am intrigued by the "gun powder" garnish. I went and looked at that post too--I think I'd love it! A bunch of folks my husband works with live in Chennai. That flooding was awful awhile back. I do hope everything is getting back to normal.
Thanks for asking Jennifer. Yes it is better than what it was back then.
Try it you will enjoy it!!
Thanks for asking Jennifer. Yes it is better than what it was back then.
Try it you will enjoy it!!
Peas and nuts are perfect for the filling YUM
what a flavorful filling
Super delicious poli! What a great way to use up potato masala!
priya ! what can i say ??? 🙂 this looks so good, must try .. am sure the wholewheat version is as good (and healthy) as the original ! never heard of Krishna sweets selling this 🙂 probably the NRI version does :-))) LoL
Wowo, your masala polis look absolutely delicious. I've to try these some time real soon.
delicious your masala !!
You got me at the podi idli masala and cashew nuts. Have a weakness for both. Can imagine the flavour of masala poli. Though I have not tasted the original, am going to try out your recipe. Makes a lovely brunch option, something a bit different from the usual aloo parathas.
This masala poli is so much akin to aloo paratha. A nice idea indeed to use podi powder for perking up the potato stuff for the poli. Now I have here another breakfast variation bookmarked. Thanks for sharing this post.
Ah Masala poli. The first time I had this was in Nagapattinam and then in Krishna sweets here. What a lovely treat you have shared. Vibha would love to have this and I am going to make it for her. This recipe is a keeper for sure
Masala Poli looks like a take on a stuffed Malabar Paratha 🙂 Never heard ot tasted this, although visited chennai (and KK nagar ) many times.. with that delectable potato filling, it surely is tempting esp as an evenign snack on rainy evenings during dec (minus the cyclone of course :p)