Dudh Puli Pitha | Kheera Puli Pithe
This is the recipe for Dudh Puli Pitha (also called Kheera Puli Pithe), a traditional dessert from Bengal made to celebrate Poush Parbon (Makara Sankranti). These are essentially packets made of rice flour dough that are stuffed with a coconut-jaggery mix, and cooked in sweetened milk.
Ingredients
To Make the Covering
- 1 Cup Rice Flour
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Oil
To Make the Stuffing
- 1 Cup Grated Coconut
- 2/3 Cup Grated Date Palm Jaggery Alternate: Regular Jaggery
- 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
For the Kheer
- 3/4 Litre Full Fat Milk
- 2 tsp Sugar Optional
- 1/4 Cup Grated Date Palm Jaggery
- 2 tbsp Water
Instructions
Making the Coconut-Jaggery Filling
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, mix together the jaggery, coconut, and cardamom powder.
- Using a medium flame, heat the pan.
- Mix constantly till the jaggery melts and the jaggery-coconut mix comes together as a ball.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the jaggery-coconut mix into a plate.
Making the Kheer
- Boil the milk till it reduces to about 3/4 the original volume.
- Add the sugar (if using) and the cardamom powder.
- On low heat, let the kheer continue to simmer.
Making the Rice Flour Dough
- Add the oil and salt to the water.
- Bring the water to a gentle simmer.
- Add the rice flour and mix quickly till the mix starts to come together as a dough.
- Immediately transfer the rice flour dough into a plate.
- While the rice flour dough is hot, knead it into a smooth dough. Grease your palms a bit with ghee/oil, if required.
- Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.
Making the Dudh Puli | Kheera Puli Pitha
- Divide the rice flour dough and the jaggery-coconut mix into 16 equal portions.
- Grease your palms a bit.
- Roll each rice flour dough portion into a ball.
- Press the rice flour dough ball into a thin flat disc about 3" in diameter.
- Place one portion of the coconut-jaggery mix on one half of the rice flour disc.
- Fold the other half of rice flour disc over the filling.
- Press the edges together and pinch to seal the puli.
- Slide the puli into the simmering kheer. The Puli will first sink and then rise to the top when it is cooked.
- As soon as the puli rises to the top, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the Kheer as set aside.
- Repeat the process to make all the Pulis. Actually, you can multitask by making a new Puli while the previous one is cooking.
- When all the Puli are cooked, turn off the heat and let the Kheer cool to room temperature.
- While the Kheer is cooling, add the jaggery and water into pan and melt the jaggery to a syrup.
- Let the jaggery syrup also cool to room temperature.
- Add the jaggery syrup to the kheer.
- Pour the kheer over the Puli to complete the Dudh Puli Pitha | Kheer Puli Pithe.
- Enjoy!