Recipe: Hetal Vasavada’s Puran Poli-Inspired Loaf Is a Diwali Treat You’ll Want All Year

Cookbook author and Masterchef USA alum Hetal Vasavada grew up in New Jersey surrounded by her Gujarati family. For her, Diwali was always scented with the warm, sweet notes of puran poli – a sweet flatbread stuffed with a spiced chickpeas and jaggery. In this recipe, from her cookbook Desi Bakes, she reimagines the classic in a form that’s ideal for slow, post-celebration mornings.

“I loved the idea of having a swirl of the filling in a loaf of milk bread for a Diwali morning breakfast with chai,” she writes. “The bread is mildly sweet and gives you all the puran poli vibes with half the work.”

Instead of ghee, Vasavada uses butter to enrich the chickpea filling, creating a smoother texture that spreads easily over the dough before it’s rolled, baked and brushed with more melted butter. The result: a soft, subtly spiced loaf with ribbons of golden puran poli sweetness in every slice. Enjoy it warm with butter or ghee, and a cup of masala chai.

Hetal Vasavada’s puran poli swirl bread

Makes one 20cm × 10cm loaf
Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus resting and shaping)
Proofing time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30–40 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup (111g) chana dal (split chickpeas), rinsed
¼ tsp ground turmeric
⅔ cup (110g) jaggery
2 tbsp (27g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp (27g) light brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cardamom
Pinch of salt

Bread
½ cup (120ml) warm water (at least 43°C)
½ cup (120ml) warm milk (at least 43°C)
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2¼ tsp (7g) active dry yeast (1 sachet)
1½ tsp kosher salt
2¾ cups plus 1½ tbsp (341g) all-purpose flour
Softened butter, for the loaf pan
1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter, melted

Method

First, make the puran poli filling. In a saucepan, combine the rinsed dal, turmeric and 480ml water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the dal is soft, tender and easily mashed between your fingers, about 30 minutes.

Drain the dal and add it to a skillet along with the jaggery. Cook over medium heat. As the jaggery melts, mash the dal with a spatula. Once the jaggery has melted, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and mix in the butter, brown sugar, cardamom and salt until well combined. Let the mixture cool.

Next, make the bread. In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water, warm milk, oil, granulated sugar, yeast and salt. Rest for 5 minutes. Add the flour and use a spatula to bring the dough together. Once it’s shaggy, knead by hand for 5 minutes. The dough will be slightly tacky; if too sticky, wash your hands and return to kneading, dusting lightly with flour as needed.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and proof in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Once risen, roll the dough into an 18cm × 36 cm rectangle. If it shrinks, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Butter a 20cm × 10 cm loaf pan. Spread the puran poli filling in a thin, even layer over the dough. With a short side facing you, roll up the dough tightly, pinching the edges to seal.

Place the roll seam-side down in the prepared pan, brush the top lightly with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Proof for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake until the center of the loaf registers 88°C, about 30–40 minutes.

Brush the top with the melted butter. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is an edited extract from Desi Bakes: 85 Recipes Bringing the Best of Indian Flavors to Western-Style Desserts by Hetal Vasavada, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Hetal Vasavada.

For more free recipes – from weeknight winners to weekend projects – sign up to our Cooking newsletter