Poornam Boorelu | Poornalu | Sukrunde

Poornam Boorelu or Poornalu are a must at Andhra weddings. Called Sukrunde in Mangalore, this sweet is balls of cooked chana dal and jaggery paste (called Poornam and used to make Bobattu or Puran Poli) coated with a udad dal and rice batter, and then deep-fried.

While I like Bobbattu (Obbattu/Puran Poli), I love Poornam Boorelu or Poornalu; and it is one of the few recipes for which I will break my “avoid deep-frying rule”. 🙂 This sweet is very popular in Andhra Pradesh and is made for festive occasions and poojas. It is an absolute must for the meals served at weddings and the quality of food is often judged by how good the Boorelu are (or then not!)

I always thought this deep-fried sweet was unique to Andhra Pradesh, before I discovered that Mangaloreans make it too and call it Sukrunde.

Crisp and savoury on the outside, soft and sweet on the outside, the perfectly made Poornam Boorelu just melt in your mouth.

Tips to Make the Perfect Poornam Boorelu

• When Making the Poornam
  • Always soak the chana dal for at least an hour before pressure cooking it. This helps the dal cook quickly and also mash well.
  • Drain all the water from the cooked chana dal before mashing it well. This is because the sugar or jaggery you will add will release its own water and make the entire mix very liquidy if there is too much water. That in turn will make the poornam powdery because you have to cook it for a long time to get the water to evapourate.
  • The poornam should be cooked just enough so that it is moist but comes together as a ball. It will dry a bit as it cools. So if you cook it too much, it will become powdery and not hold shape after it cools.
• When Making the Batter For the Covering
  • The consistency of the udad dal + rice batter should be just that it slides off a spoon in ribbons (more or less like Idli batter). If it is runny, it will not coat the poornam well, while if it is thick then all you can taste is the covering.
  • I use a 2:1 ration of rice and udad dal because we like a crispy covering. However, if you prefer a softer outer layer, use 1.5:1 proportion. However, in this case, you will find that you can taste the udad dal in the covering.
  • Traditionally, rice and udad dal are soaked and then ground to a smooth, thick batter. However, I have found that using udad dal flour and rice flour gives you good results as well. Only thing is that you have to let the batter rest for at least an hour after you make it.
• When Deep-Frying
  • The kadai you use to fry the boorelu must be deep because the entire boori must be submerged in oil to fry well. In many Andhra homes, we have a small but deep kadai that we call Boorela Mukudu (Mukudu is Kadai in Telugu). If the boorelu are not submerged, the batter coating sometimes tends to slip off the top and expose the poornam inside and this may cause the boorelu to disintegrate. You will then have an oily mess on you hands.

Other Recipes with the Poornam

• Of course, there is the ever popular Bobbattu or Puran Poli.
• With leftover poornam, you can also make Obattu Saaru or Holige Saaru.

How to Make Poornam Boorelu or Poornalu

1. Making the Batter for the Covering
   1. Add 1/4 cup udad dal and 1/2 cup rice to a bowl, and wash well under running water.
   2. Add 1.5 cups of water and soak for 3 hours.
   3. Drain all the water from the dal-rice mix.
      Pin
       
   4. Add to a grinder with 1/4 tsp salt and grind to a smooth batter. Add a little water, if needed.
      Pin
      
   5. Transfer to a bowl and check consistency. The batter should flow off a spoon as ribbons.
      Pin
      
2. To make the Poornam or Filling:
   1. Soak 1/2 cup chana dal in 1.5 cups water for 1 hour.
      Pin
   2. Drain all the water and add 1/2 cup fresh water.
   3. Pressure cook the chana dal for 1 whistle.
   4. Let the pressure cooker depressurise naturally and then take the chana dal out.
   5. Drain the dal completely and mash it well so that the chana dal breaks down.
      Pin
   6. In a heavy-bottomed vessel, over medium heat, melt 1 tsp of ghee.
      Pin
   7. Add the mashed chana dal and 1/2 cup grated jaggery or sugar.
      Pin
   8. Mix well and cook till the water in the mix evapourates and the mix starts to come together, and hold shape.
      Pin
   9. Turn of the heat.
   10. Add 1/2 tsp cardamom powder and 2 tbsp coconut.
       Pin
   11. Mix well and set aside to cool a bit.
   12. Grease your palms with a little ghee.
   13. Divide the filling into 8 portions.
   14. Roll each portion into a ball.
       Pin
3. To make Poornam Boorelu:
   1. To a deep kadai, add enough oil to achieve a 4″ depth. This is required because the boorelu should be completely submerged as they are frying.
   2. Over medium flame, heat oil till it is hot. Add 1/4 tsp of the covering batter. I should settled at the bottom but sizzle there.
   3. Dip the poornam balls in the batter and ensure they are completely covered.
      Pin
   4. Gently shake-off the excess batter and drop the covered boori into the oil. Do not slide it into the oil. If you do the covering batter will stick to the sides of the kadai and poornam may become uncovered.
      
   5. Let the Poornam Boorelu fry in oil without moving them or touching them till they start to turn light golden brown.
      Pin
   6. Gently dislodge the frying boorelu and move them around so that they fry evenly.
   7. Using a slotted spoon or a frying spatula, lift the Boorelu out of oil and hold them over the kadai for a few seconds so that the oil drains.
      Pin
   8. Transfer to a plate and let them cool.
      Pin
4. Move the cooled boorelu to an air-tight container. You can store them at room temperature for 2 days.

I had first posted this recipe in 2016 and am updating it only now though I make this sweet so often!

Recipe for Poornalu | Poornam Boorelu | Sukrunde

Pin

Poornam Boorelu | Poornalu | Sukrunde

Aruna

Crisp and savoury on the outside while being soft and sweet on the inside, Poornam Boorelu is a traditional sweet from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is also made in the Mangalore region where it is called Sukrunde.

Also called Poornalu, the inside of the Boorelu is the poornam or puran used to make Bobbattu o Puran Poli, while the outer covering is a rice and udad dal batter. This sweet is a must at Andhra weddings and for most festive meals.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Soaking Time 3 hours hrs

Course Dessert, Naivedyam, Snack

Cuisine Andhra, Gluten Free, Indian, Mangalore, South Indian, Telangana, Vegetarian

Servings 8 Boorelu

Calories 236 kcal

Equipment

• 2 Bowls
• Plate
• Heavy Bottomed Vessel
• Deep Kadai or Wok
• Spoon
• Slotted Ladle or Frying Ladle
• Air-tight tin or dabba
• Grinder

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Poornam or the Filling

• 1/2 Cup Chana Dal (100 gms)
• 1/2 Cup Grated Jaggery or Sugar (100 gms)
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 2 tbsp Grated Coconut
• 1 tsp Ghee

For the Covering

• 1/4 Cup Udad dal (50 gms)
• 1/2 Cup Rice (100 gms)
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Other Ingredients

• Oil for deep-frying
• Water

Instructions

 

Making the Poornam or Filling

• Soak 1/2 cup chana dal in 1.5 cups water for 1 hour.
• Drain all the water and add 1/2 cup fresh water.
• Pressure cook the chana dal for 1 whistle.
• Let the pressure cooker depressurise naturally and then take the chana dal out.
• Drain the dal completely and mash it well so that the chana dal breaks down.
• In a heavy-bottomed vessel, over medium heat, melt 1 tsp of ghee.
• Add the mashed chana dal and 1/2 cup grated jaggery or sugar.
• Mix well and cook till the water in the mix evapourates and the mix starts to come together, and hold shape.
• Turn off the heat.
• Add 1/2 tsp cardamom powder and 2 tbsp coconut.
• Mix well and set aside to cool a bit.
• Grease your palms with a little ghee.
• Divide the filling into 8 portions.
• Roll each portion into a ball.

Making the Batter for the Covering

• Add 1/4 cup udad dal and 1/2 cup rice to a bowl, and wash well under running water.
• Add 1.5 cups of water and soak for 3 hours.
• Drain all the water from the dal-rice mix.
• Add to a grinder with 1/4 tsp salt and grind to a smooth batter. Add a little water, if needed.
• Transfer to a bowl and check consistency. The batter should flow off a spoon as ribbons.

Making the Poornam Boorelu

• To a deep kadai, add enough oil to achieve a 4″ depth. This is required because the boorelu should be completely submerged as they are frying.
• Over medium flame, heat oil till it is hot. Add 1/4 tsp of the covering batter. I should settled at the bottom but sizzle there.
• Dip the poornam balls in the batter and ensure they are completely covered.
• Gently shake-off the excess batter and drop the batter covered boorelu into the oil. Do not slide it into the oil. If you do the covering batter will stick to the sides of the kadai and poornam may become uncovered.
• Let the Poornam Boorelu fry in oil without moving them or touching them till they start to turn light golden brown.
• Gently dislodge the frying boorelu and move them around so that they fry evenly.
• Using a slotted spoon or a frying spatula, lift the Boorelu out of oil and hold them over the kadai for a few seconds so that the oil drains.
• Transfer to a plate and let them cool.
• Move the cooled boorelu to an air-tight container. You can store them at room temperature for 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 236 kcalCarbohydrates: 32 gProtein: 4 gFat: 10 gSaturated Fat: 2 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 4 gCholesterol: 2 mgSodium: 74 mgPotassium: 19 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 13 gVitamin A: 1 IUVitamin C: 1 mgCalcium: 32 mgIron: 1 mg

Keyword Boorelu, Poornalu, Poornam Boorelu, Sukrunde

Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!