Quality Living Styles

Dessert Recipes for Special Occasions

Pastry Poli

poli

A Tray Of Delicious Poli made with Pastry



This recipe for poli uses a pastry that is flaky and delicious. It is filled with the same rich, yummy filling as the previous poli recipe. This version is one that I really, really like and is popular with my family.

The traditional polis are deep fried. The advantage of this poli is that it is baked, but it does use 8oz. or 250g. of butter. If you make poli on special occasions, try this version the next time. The filling remains the same, just the pastry is different.

Most likely you will have an excess of the poli mix for the amount of pastry that is suggested. You can just put the extra mix into zip lock bags and store them in the freezer. The next time around all you have to do is make this quick pastry.

When baking, remove poli when they turn a light cream-golden color. This is when you get the best results as the filling does not dry out. It is really scrumptious

I recommend using substitute ingredients for butter, sugar, cream & condensed milk, that may be more suitable for certain health conditions.

You will need a rolling pin & a board to roll dough.


Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 8 oz. (250g.) cold butter, grated
  • ½ cup cold milk
  • 1 tblsp. cider vinegar
  • a pinch of salt

FILLING

  • 2 tbls. ghee
  • 1 tblsp. elachi/cardomom powder
  • 3 cups dessicated coconut
  • 1½ cups sugar (more if you like it really sweet)
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1½ tsp. nutmeg powder
  • 1 tsp. rose essence
  • 2 tblsps. ground almonds
  • 2 tblsps. semolina/tastee wheat
  • 2 tblsps. roasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tblsp. roasted poppy seeds
  • 4 tblsps. condensed milk

Method

  • Combine & sift salt & flour into a bowl
  • Cut finely or grate butter and crumble into flour. Use a fork.
  • Sprinkle vinegar. Gradually add milk, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball
  • At this stage use your hands and with some plain flour gather all the little bits of dough
  • Dust the board and rolling pin with flour. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces
  • Gently roll each piece into 2 thick flat rectangles
  • Wrap in cling-wrap or plastic bag and refrigerate, 2-3 hours or until the dough feels firm
  • Combine filling ingredients in a separate dish and mix well
  • When dough feels firm to the touch, remove from the refrigerator. Dust the board and rolling pin with flour and gently roll dough
  • Use a cutter to make round shapes
  • If the discs are thick, again dust the board with flour and gently flatten disc
  • Add about a tablespoon of filling into the center of each disc. Fold and pinch edges closed.
  • Bake at 325°F./160°C for 20 min. or until a light cream color
  • Cool and serve

close up of pastry polis

Close up of polis



pastry dough cut into discs

Pastry rolled and cut into discs, ready to be filled with poli mixture



dough rolled into a square shape

The pastry is rolled. Cutting the discs will follow. Be generous with flour as it helps to manipulate the dough



Ingredients for the Pastry

The first stage of making the pastry


Conclusion

Please note that if you bake this until the pastry is brown, the sugar caramelizes and hardens the filling. So ensure that it is just a cream color-very light fawn color. You will also see some sugar sizzling in the baking dish. This means that it is done. When you see this, switch off the heat and leave in the oven for about 2-3 minutes if it is still a very light color. Then remove from oven.

I hope you enjoy using this recipe. I have used this pastry several times and it does work really well. Since the dough itself has no sweet ingredient, you can use this pastry for a number of pies.

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