Kerala Sweet Payasam Boli

I am already missing boli so much, that I decide to make it myself. Back in Trivandrum you can just purchase boli from bakeries or from sweet stalls. If you are having a get together you can pre order form caterers who make Sadhya. There is also a sweet shop in Trivandrum or Boli shop that is exclusively for Boli. Now you can figure out how much the natives of Trivandrum adore this sweet. Boli is a traditional South Indian sweet and its variations is found in puran poli, bobbatlu etc.It is delicate thin crepes with a sweet lentil filling .If you have a sweet tooth like me you will not be able to resist these delicate warm sweet bolis.

Have you ever tried boli before?

It is served with sadhya along with pal payasam or semiya payasam. It is a melt in mouth sweet and is yummy on its own but with payasam it is out- of- this world experience.When I say Sadhya, I must say Trivandrum Sadhya, as this delicious combo is found in sadhyas in and around Trivandrum.The cuisine of Kerala is diverse and so are the recipes for sadhya. My husband is from Cochin and he never tried this combination before...ya the first time he got to taste this yum combo was our Wedding day feast :)

Boli adds life to Trivandrum Kalyana ( marriage) Sadhyas. When ever my cousins attended a wedding the first thing they asks is whether there is boli. If there is no boli, it means the sadhya is not complete. The obsession for boli does not end here. Huge batches are made to give as gift to bridegrooms family and relatives.When I first tried making boli it was a daunting task for me. It would end up being a complete mess with the filling bursting out while you roll and flatten. It took me a while to get it right.Making the perfect elastic dough and the smooth soft filling is the key for perfect boli.Hear is an easy recipe of this wonderful and delicious sweet. Give this recipe a try, it is surely worth the effort.

Boli Filling

Kerala Sweet Payasam Boli Recipe

Prep and cooking time-1 hour
Recipe type- Sweet, dessert
Cuisine: Indian/ Kerala

Ingredients

Bengal gram- 2 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
Gingerly oil 1/3 cup
Nutmeg powder 1/3 tsp
cardamon powder - a pinch
Rice flour- 3 tsp
yellow color - 3-4 drops
Ghee- 2 tsp

To make the filling
Cook Bengal gram ( kadala parippu) till it is soft and drain off the excess water. Take a heavy bottom pan and heat ghee.Add cooked kadala parippu and sugar. When the sugar melt and is completely absorbed into the gram add in nutmeg and cardamon powder and stir in continuously till the mixture leaves the edges of the pan and starts coming together. Allow it to cool and grind it finely without lumps using a mixer.

To make the dough
Mix all purpose flour, yellow color and a pinch of salt and knead it into a smooth dough, just like for chapathi. Flatten it in the bottom of the bowl and pour in 1/3 cup of gingerly oil on top ( like soaking it) and allow it to remain so for an hour.
Note this will make the dough soft and elastic
Making the Boli
Roll the gram and sugar mixture into small balls. Now take small balls of dough in your hand and press it with your hand itself to make small puris. It will stretch very easily and place the gram ball it the center and seal the edges. Take rice flour for spreading on the board and dip each of the ball in rice flour. Using a rolling pin roll them out in round shape and grill it in hot tava. Turn it from one side to the other very quickly and allow both sides to cook and get slightly golden. You like you may add a bit of ghee on the top. Serve it with payasam or kheer.