Why This Pune Cafe’s Puran Poli And Modak Are Locals’ Favourites

Pune is a vibrant city with a rich culture, diverse culinary delights and a myriad of festivals that reflect its historical significance. As the historical seat of the Peshwas, Pune proudly preserves its authentic culinary heritage. A quintessential Pune meal includes traditional flavours, featuring dishes such as Puran Poli- a sweet paratha filled with pulses, or dal and modak. But do you know now that these dishes are also found in cafes?

Recently a cafe was opened in Pune which serves Puran Poli and modak. The name of the cafe is Cafe 30. It was started by Vishal Khopkar Tarun, who lives in Pune’s Sadashiv Peth. This cafe serves dishes ranging from pizza and burgers to other tasty dishes. But the main attractions of this cafe are Puran Poli and Modak.

Puran Poli

Puran Poli is a popular Maharashtrian sweet flatbread. It is made with flatbread packed with a sweet lentil filling prepared from chana dal and sugar. You may also use Bengal gram and jaggery. In Marathi, the sweet filling is called puran, and the outer bread is called poli. It is a delicious side dish with rich flavours, yet it is extremely easy and quick to make. This dish is popular among people of all ages and may even be packed as a tiffin.

Modak

Modak is a flour dumpling stuffed with coconut, jaggery, nutmeg and saffron. It is a popular dessert from Maharashtra that is consumed highly during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Modaks are currently made at a variety of locations around the country. Lord Ganesha is known as ‘Modakpriya’, or the one who enjoys modak, hence 21 pieces of modak are served as an offering during Ganesh Chaturthi.

The Modak recipe is rich in nut and saffron tastes, which appeal to our taste buds and make this sweet irresistibly delicious. However, one can also experiment with the stuffing as per their liking, from chocolate, nuts, and khoya to dry fruits; add whatever suits one’s preference. However, modaks can also be fried rather than steamed.