Poornam Boorelu or Poornalu

While I like Bobbattu (Obbattu/Puran Poli), I love Poornam Boorelu or Poornalu. This is a deep fried sweet that is unique to Andhra Pradesh. It is made with Poornam, the same filling used for Bobbattu. The Poornam is shaped into balls and dipped in a Udad Dal + Rice batter and then deep fried.

Crisp and savoury on the outside, soft and sweet on the outside, perfectly made Poornam Boorelu just melt in your mouth. I always save some Poornam while making Puran Poli to make Poornam Boorelu.

Truth be told, I guess I like Poornam Boorelu better than Bobbattlu, because it is the taste of Poornam I love. When I was a child, Amma would always save a small portion of Poornam for me to enjoy!

I alternate between Poornam Boorelu and Bobbattlu for various festivals. This time for Ugadi, I made both!

Do also try Obattu Saaru or Holige Saaru as well with the leftover Poornam.

How to Make Poornam Boorelu or Poornalu

Ingredients

1. Chana Dal – 1 Cup
2. Grated Jaggery or Sugar – 1 Cup
3. Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Grated Coconut – 1/2 Cup
5. Udad dal – 3/4 Cups
6. Rice – 2 tbsp
7. Oil for deep-frying – 1.5 Cups
8. Salt – 1/4 tsp
9. Ghee – 1 tbsp
10. Water

Method

To make Poornam/Puran:

1. Pressure cook Chana Dal with 1.5 Cups of Water for 3 whistles.
2. Drain the dal completely for about 1 hour. There should be no water.
3. When the dal is drained of water, grind it along with grated jaggery/sugar and cardamom powder.
4. Add the grated coconut and mix well.
5. In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat the ghee and the Chana dal paste to it.
6. Over medium heat, cook the paste while stirring constantly.
7. Cook the paste till:
   • it is transparent and golden brown.
   • the excess water has evaporated.
8. Set aside to cool completely.

You will know the Poornam is ready when it starts to form a crust at the bottom. 🙂

To make the dough:

1. Soak Udad dal and rice in water for about 4 hours.
2. Drain the water completely.
3. With a little water, grind into a thick batter.
4. Add salt to the mix.

To make Poornam Boorelu:

1. Make 1.5″ balls of the Poornam.
2. Heat oil till it is hot.
3. Dip Poornam balls in the batter.
4. Ensure the Poornam is completely covered.
5. Gently drop into hot oil.
6. Fry the Poornam Boorelu till golden brown.
7. Using a slotted spoon, lift the Boorelu out of oil.
8. Let the oil drain completely.
9. Store the Poornam an air-tight container. You can store them at room temperature for 2 days. If you intend to store them for longer, refrigerate the Poornam Boorelu.

Tips

• The Udad dal batter should be thicker than a dosa batter, but slightly thinner than Idli batter. I hope that is clear. :-).
• If the batter is thin, the Poornam Boorelu will disintegrate. 🙁
• Fry the Poornam Boorelu in hot oil, otherwise the batter will absorb a lot oil.
• To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a few drops of the batter in it. The batter drops should immediately rise to the top and sizzle.