Poornam Boorelu (Poornalu)

Poornam Boorelu are classic Andhra-style fried sweet dumplings with a soft lentil-jaggery filling. A traditional festival sweet that is popular during festivals and celebrations.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian

Keyword: andhra recipes, authentic, poonalu recipe, poornam boorelu recipe

Servings:

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Hari Chandana Ponnaluri

Ingredients

½ Cup Urad Dal
1 Cup Raw Rice
1.5 Cups Chana Dal
2 Cups Jaggery
½ Cup Grated Fresh Coconut
½ Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
A Pinch of Salt
Oil for Deep Frying

Instructions

Wash the rice and urad dal thoroughly and soak them for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Once they are soaked, drain the water and grind the soaked rice and urad dal into a smooth batter by adding little water as needed.
The batter consistency should be thick, similar to thick dosa batter. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Keep it aside.
Wash the chana dal and pressure cook for 3 whistles with just enough water to cover the lentils. The dal should be cooked but still hold its shape.
Drain all the water completely and let the dal cool.
Grind the cooked chana dal into a coarse powder and keep it aside.
Add jaggery and a little water to a pan. Heat until the jaggery dissolves completely. Strain the jaggery water at this stage if there are any impurities.
Add the ground chana dal, grated coconut and cardamom powder to the jaggery water.
Mix continuously until everything combines and the mixture thickens into a soft dough-like consistency.
Remove it from the flame and let it cool completely.
Divide the cooled dal-jaggery mixture into 28-30 small round balls and keep them ready.
Heat enough oil for deep frying over a medium flame.
Dip each prepared stuffing ball into the prepared batter and coat evenly on all sides.
Carefully drop them into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crisp.
Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve!

Notes

The batter consistency is very important to make the best poornalu. The batter should be thick enough to coat the stuffing ball properly to prevent any leakage. If it is too thin, the boorelu may break or absorb excess oil while frying.
Do not overcook the chana dal. The dal should be cooked until soft but still hold its shape. The mushy dal can make the filling too loose.
Make sure to drain the cooked dal completely. Any excess moisture in the filling can cause the boorelu to crack and leak while frying.
If you feel the poornam filling mixture is not thick enough, cook until it comes together like a soft dough.
Do not cover the fried boorelu while still hot, as the outer layer can become soft.

Nutrition