Dudh Puli Pithe
8:23 AM
Dudhpuli or puli pithe is another famous pithe which are prepared on the eve of Poush Sankranti. This pithe has an outer shell or the khol made with rice flour and is filled with sweet stuffing made with coconut and sugar. Then these dumplings are either boiled in thickened milk sweetened with jaggery or steamed and eaten with liquid date palm jaggery. The commonly found shape is of the half moon shape (like North Indian gujia) or the crescent shape, but one can do a lot of experiment with the shape and size. We generally give it three shapes the normal half moon/crescent, the sun shape and the Singara/ Samosa or triangle shape.Here is the recipe for a family of four.
Dudh Puli
Ingredients: For the shell:
Rice flour (Atop/sundried Rice flour): 2 cups (you can use both store bought or hand pounded or Dhenki chanta rice flour. I prefer gobindobhog rice flour for the aroma)
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Water: 1-11/2 cup (store bought flour will absorb more water whereas hand pounded will absorb very less water)
For the kheer
1.5 liter: Full cream milk
1 cup: jaggery or sugar
for the stuffing:
2 cups: grated coconut
1 cup: sugar
1 spoon: cardamom powder
Khoya or milk solids: 3/4 cup (optional but recommended for the rich taste)
Method: Step 1: Make the fillingTake the stuffing ingredients in a heavy bottom pan and cook till the mixture comes together. The water from the coconut should evaporate and the mixture should leave the sides of the pan. Flavor it with cardamom powder. Take it off from heat and let it cool.
Step 2: Make the shell or the khol
Heat 1 cup water with the salt in a heavy bottom big pan. )Your rice flour might absorb more water so keep some warm water handy.)
Once the water starts to boil and lower the flame to minimum and add the rice flour. Mix with a wooden spatula to mix. within seconds the water would be absorbed. If you see too much dry flour then add little more water and mix. The mixture won't look sticky rather it should look dry. That is okay. You can always add more water but cant take away from it. Switch off the flame and cover the pan. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Then take it out on a big plate and start kneading. At this stage add water or flour if needed. The dough would stick to your hand in the beginning. Just keep kneading it till it feels smooth. Cover and let it come to room temperature.
Then knead it again and take out lime size dough and roll in your palm to make smooth balls.
Please Note that you need to keep the dough covered at all stages. Rice flour dough hardens and develops a skin very soon. So take big boxes or cover your bowls with lids at all stages.
Step 3: prepare the Pulis:
Start by bringing a bowl of drinking water to your Puli making area. You would need it to moisten your fingers from time to time. This will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and also help to seal the edges.
From the cooled coconut mixture, make smaller balls (smaller than lime) and give it a cylindrical shape. keep aside.
Flatten the ball with your fingers in the shape of a bowl. The shell would be medium thin. Stuff the filling mixture into it. Fold it so that the two edges come together, press and make a design as shown in picture. The sealing should be tight otherwise while boiling, the filling might come out.
Different shapes of Puli Pithe
Add in the puli one by one. Stir and let it cook for 6-8 minutes. You will see when the pulis are boiled they will come at the surface of the milk. Add sugar if using. If using jaggery then wait for it to cool down a bit as jaggery in hot milk often curdles it.
A Homemaker's Notes:
- Generally, I have seen that 2 cups of store bought packaged rice flour absorbs around 11/2 cups of water but hand pounded rice absorbs 3/4 cup water. But this would vary on what kind of flour you are using and where you are making them.
- I often use Milkmaid the sweetened one to thicken the milk faster. I do not add any more sugar in that case. Just add some jaggery when it cools down a bit.
- You can also use bay leaves. They impart another level of flavour to khejur gur and milk.
- Please Note that you need to keep the dough covered at all stages. Rice flour dough hardens and develops a skin very soon. So take big boxes or cover your bowls with lids at all stages.
Posts
7 comments
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to find this site...The other ones were not quite what I was looking for.As I am new to preparing Dudh Puli I wanted all the gory details of the recipe :)
Yours was very informative.Also I must say; excellent presentation.
I am inspired to make some of my own now...
Thanks a bunch
Ishita
I am glad that my post helped you. thanks for visiting Ishita.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your detailed explanation. It was very informative and my very first attempt was successful. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI earnestly hope you'll check this. I am very new at cooking! Actually, I could not make the outer shell of Puli, the dough didn't spread out, it broke instead! What can I do to make it strecth?
Thanks for your details. I made it. It was super hit.But somebody told that the pulis were little bit hard. It should be more softer. So please tell me how to make the pulis softer.
ReplyDeleteShampa
28.01.2014
How to make the pulis soft pls guide
ReplyDeleteHow to make the pulis soft pls guide
ReplyDelete