Showing posts with label Pitha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pitha. Show all posts

Wednesday, 14 January 2015

Soru Chakli Pithe – A Sankranti Special Recipe

22:35 by Sumana2 comments

Saru chakli|Soru Chakli Pithe Recipe

Soru chakli pithe is another Sankranti special dish from Bengal. Poush parbon being a three day affair of Bengalis, a variety of pitha is prepared – puli pithe, soru chakli, patisapta, gokul pithe, dudh puli, chirer puli. Saru chakli serves the purpose of main course for a Sankranti dinner and is normally served with Aloor dum recipe.

Saruchakli is a kind of pancake, basically Indian version of pancake.  It is like famous south Indian dish dosa between ratios of ingredients. The preparation of dosa is a long process as it requires fermentation. But it requires much less time to make Bengali Saru chakli.

Soru chakli | saru chakuli is a sankranati special dish which looks like a pan cake
Soru Chakli

Soru chakli recipe

Ingredients:

Rice – 2 cup
Biulir dal/Urad dal – 1 cup
Salt
White oil
Water

How to make soru chakli:

Soak rice and urad dal for 5-6 hrs. Then grind the soaked rice and dal to make a paste. Don’t pour water in the grinder initially. If required, pour little bit of water in after a while. If too much of water is poured in the grinder initially, the paste will not be smooth.

Now take a large mixing bowl and add salt and water in the paste to make a smooth batter. The batter should not be too runny. Some people use rice powder to make the batter but I don’t like to use this for soru chakli. Personally I feel, instead of using rice flour, if the paste is prepared from rice, it enhances the taste and also helps to remove it from the pan easily, which is a bit tricky process. Though I am not sure, but the reason might be the small granules that still remain when you grind it at home using grinder.

Put a non-stick pan on heat and grease with white oil. I used the silicon brush available in the market to grease the pan. But traditionally this is done by the stem of a cut eggplant. Pour batter on the tawa with one medium size ladle and swirl it to spread just like pan cake. When one side is cooked, turn it over to cook the other side.

Serve soru chakli with aloor dum.

View my other Sakranti special recipes at
-          Vapa pithe or puli pithe recipe
-          Dudh puli recipe
-          Patisapta recipe
-          Gokul pithe recipe
-          Chirer puli recipe

Happy Sankranti J

Monday, 12 January 2015

Chirer Puli Pithe Recipe – Flattened Rice Dumplings For Sankranti

23:11 by Sumana3 comments

How to make Bengali chirer pithe or chirer ros puli:

Chirer puli pithe or chirer ros puli is another variety of puli pitha that Bengalis prepare at home during Sankranti. The process of making chirer pithe is very similar to the process of making puli pithe from rice flour.

Chire is the Bengali name of flattened rice or bitten rice which is also known as Poha or chiwda in India. This flattened rice is very popular in India as breakfasts and snacks. Flaked rice or pounded rice rich in carbohydrates retaining all the qualities of rice.

Poha is a very versatile ingredient and soaks water and milk very easily. Like other parts of India, Bengalis also prepare different dishes with poha. Chirer pulao is one my favorite. Chirer puli pithe or chirer ros puli is a dessert prepared during Pous parbon. Learn how to make chirer pithe from the easy steps mentioned below.

chirer pithe fried and dipped in sugar syrup to make chirer ros puli
Chirer Ros Pithe Puli

Ingredients:

Chire – 1 cup
Milk – 1 cup
Chenna (paneer) 100gms
Flour – 2-3 tbsp
Sugar – 1 cup
Grated coconut – 1 ½ cup
Dates jiggery – ½ cup
Water – 2 cup
White oil or ghee

Chirer Puli Pithe Before Frying and dipping in sugar syrup
Chirer Puli Pithe Before Frying

How to make chirer pithe puli:

At first, take 1 cup of chire and clean with running water. Now soak chire into 1 cup milk and keep aside for 1 hr.

Mix grated coconut and ¼ cup dates jaggery in a pan and put it in low flame. Stir well for five minutes and take out from flame. The stuffing is now ready.

After 1 hr take a mixing bowl and gently smash the soaked chire and add chenna. Mix it very gently and add 2-3 tbsp flour. Actually flour helps to bind chire and chenna. Now you will get smooth dough.

Now, make small balls from the dough and spread each ball in your plum so that it looks like a small bowl. Stuff the coconut mixture and fold it in a way so that it looks like a half circle. Seal the edges properly. Your pulis are now ready (see the picture above). To know more details on how to make puli pithe, visit my puli pithe recipe.

Now take a large vessel and pour sugar and water in oven to make syrup.

When the syrup is ready, heat oil or ghee in a pan and deep fry the puli till golden.

Then immerse all pulis into the syrup for 30 – 45 minutes. Chirer pithe is now ready to serve.

Enjoy this Sankranti with your near and dear ones with all kinds of traditional Sankranti desserts and snacks and meals. To know more about Bengali Sankranti special recipes please visit the following posts:
Puli Pitha recipe
Dudh puli recipe
Patisapta recipe
Gokul pithe recipe

Happy sankranti and happy cooking J

Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Gokul Pithe - A Sankranti Special Bengali Dessert Recipe

19:20 by Sumana1 comment
Gokul pithe is a traditional Bengali dessert. This is prepared during Makar Sankranti / Poush Sankranti along with puli pitha or vapa pitha, dudh puli and  patishapta. Along with Poush Parbon, many people also prepare Gokul Pithe for Janmashtami. Like most of the Sankranti desserts, Gokul pitha is prepared with a stuffing of grated coconut and as these are kept in sugar syrup for some time. As a result, Gokul pithe becomes very soft and melts in your mouth with all its sweetness. I prepare this not only during pujas, but also in other traditional lunch/dinners as desserts. Most of my non Bengali friends confuse this with malpoa. But after the first bite, they understand that this is not malpoa, but another delicacy from Bengal which has no comparison. This yummy dessert can be easily prepared at home with little effort. The only thing that takes time is preparing the coconut stuffing. If you are aware that guests are coning, keep the stuffing ready and prepare fresh when guests are in. Learn how to make Gokul pithe from the following description.

A Bengali traditional dessert recipe prepared from coconut and flour and made during Makar Sankranti
Gokul Pithe

Gokul Pithe - Ingredients:

Grated coconut – 1 ½ cup
Dates jaggery – ¼ cup
Milk powder – ½ cup
Regular flour – 1 cup
Milk – 1 cup
Ghee – 1 tsp
Soda bi curb – ½ tsp
White oil or ghee
For syrup:
Sugar – 2 ½ cup
Water – 2 cup

How to make Gokul Pithe:

At first mix grated coconut and ¼ cup dates jaggery in a pan and put it in low flame. Stir well for 5 minutes and take out from flame and add milk powder. Mix it well and the stuffing of gokul pithe is now ready.
Take water in a heavy bottom pan and add sugar. Now boil it for 7-8 minutes in high flame to get a thick syrup.
Now in a bowl mix flour, soda bi curb and ghee. Then add milk and make a smooth batter and keep it aside with lid for 15 minutes.
Make small balls from the coconut mixture and put it on your plum. Then flatten it by pressing with the other palm to make it look like patty. Now heat white oil or ghee in a deep pan. Dip the coconut patty in the batter and deep fry it.
Keep the fried patty on a tissue paper to soak the excess oil. While these are still hot, immerse into sugar syrup and keep it for 10 minutes.

Gokul pithe is now ready. Enjoy sankranti with this traditional Bengali sweet delicacy.....

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

Patishapta - A Bengali Pancake With Coconut Stuffing

11:25 by Sumana4 comments
Patishapta is a dessert item of Bengali cuisine. It is made by flour, coconut and dates jaggery. It is an Indian pancake and very mouth watering. This looks like famous South Indian dish Dosa. Sometimes it is made by rice flour and rawa with the stuffing being made of coconut. But me and my family like Patishapta made by flour with the stuffing being made from coconut and dates jaggery. We also like the stuffing made by kheer or Sandesh. In that case coconut is not required.
For Bengalis, Patishapta is a form of Pitha and forms an integral part of Poush Sankranti festival. The festival is incomplete without eating yummy dessert.

how to cook patishapta with flour coconut and dates jaggery, patishapta recipe
Patishapta

Patishapta recipe:

Patishapta - Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 1 cup
White oil – 3 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Milk
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Dates jaggery – ¼ cup
White oil or ghee (for greasing)

How to make Patishapta:

At first mix grated coconut and ¼ cup dates jaggery in a pan and put it in low flame. Stir well for 5 minutes and take out from flame. Stuffing of Patishapta is now ready. Keep it aside.
Now, in a bowl take flour, 3 tbsp white oil and sugar. Mix it gently with sufficient milk and make a medium smooth batter.
Then take a flat pan and a medium size spoon. Grease the pan with white oil and pour a full spoon of batter and spread it like pancake. After that, keep a spoon full of coconut mixture on the pancake, wait for a few moments so that the batter is set and cook till the pancake turns golden. Then fold it and take out from flame.

Your Patishapta is now ready. Serve it cold or hot, whatever you like.

Sunday, 5 January 2014

Vapa Pithe - A Bengali Delicacy

19:36 by Sumana3 comments
Vapa pithe (bhapa pitha) or puli pithe is the simplest and basic form of pithe made by Bengalis during Poush Parbon or Poush Sankranti festival. Vapa means steamed. Vapa Pithe (vapa pitha) is a kind of dumpling with the outer shell being made from rice flour and stuffing being prepared with grated coconut. There can be several varieties of stuffing for Pitha. Though the following recipe shows pitha stuffed with coconut and dates jaggery mixture, you can prepare stuffing with sugar and coconut mixture. If you do not like sweets too much or want some variety as neutralizer, Vapa Pithe can be stuffed with  different vegetables also (eg. potato and cauliflower mix). These are called vegetable pitha.

Learn how to make vapa pithe with the easy steps mentioned below.

vapa pithe or puli pithe is a dumpling made of rice flour and coconut made by Bengalis during Poush Sankranti
Vapa Pithe

Vapa Pithe Recipe:

Vapa Pithe (Pitha)- Ingredients:

Grated coconut – 1 medium
Rice flour – 2 cup
Date palm jaggery – 3/4 cup
Warm water

How to make Vapa Pithe (Pitha):

At first mix grated coconut and ¼ cup dates jaggery in a pan and put it in low flame. Stir well for five minutes and take out from flame. The stuffing is now ready.
Then take the rice flour and add sufficient warm water to make smooth dough. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
Now, make small balls from the dough and spread each ball in your plum so that it looks like a small bowl. Stuff the coconut mixture and fold it in a way so that it looks like a half circle. Seal the edges properly. Your pulis are now ready.
Now, place the pulis in a steamer and steam it for 10-15 minutes. If you do not have a steamer, you can take a vessel with wholes. Now place the pulis in it and put the vessel on a handi which is full of water. Put this on flame for 10-15 minutes so that they are steamed properly
Take the pithes out of the vessel and let them cool.
Serve vapa pithe in room temperature with liquid dates jaggery (nalin gur).

There is one more method to make puli pithe. And this is very easy. Take a pressure cooker and fill it with up to 1 inch of water. Then take a Tiffin box, place the puli in it and cover the cooker without whistle. Cook it for 10-15 minutes in high flame. When done, take the pulis out of the cooker. After some time, when the pulis cool down to room temperature, serve with liquid dates jaggery a.k.a. ‘nolen gur’.

 Enjoy your Sankranti with vapa pithe with nolen gur. I also prepared Dudh puli or pithe payes and Gokul Pithe. Learn how to make Dudh puli or Gokul pithe using the following links - 
Dudh puli 
Goluk Pithe

 Enjoy this Sankranti with various types of pithe and other Sankranti desserts. 

 Happy Sankranti..   :)

Saturday, 4 January 2014

Dudh Puli – a yummy Bengali dessert of coconut stuffed dumplings

03:34 by SumanaNo comments
Dudh puli or pithe payes is a traditional Bengali dessert prepared on the eve of Poush Sankranti (Makar Sankranti) in every Bengali household. Pithe Parbon (festival) is incomplete without Dudh Puli (or doodh puli). Dudh means milk in Bengali. Puli resembles with dumpling with the outer shell or khol being prepared from rice powder and the stuffing is made from grated coconut and date palm jaggery (Nolen gur or khajur ka gur). Dudh puli is kheer or payasam with puli pithe.

Easy dudh puli or doodh puli recipe with grated cocont and nolen gur and milk
Dudh puli

Dudh puli recipe

Dudh Puli – Ingredients:

 Grated coconut -1 medium
Milk – 1 ltr
Rice flour – 2 cup
Date palm jaggery – 3/4 cup
Warm water

Dudh Puli - Preparation:

At first, mix the grated coconut and ¼ cup date jaggery in a pan and put it in low flame. Stir well for 5 minutes and take out from flame. The stuffing is now ready.

Then take rice flour and add sufficient warm water to make a smooth dough. Keep aside the dough for 10 minutes.
Make small balls from dough and spread each ball in your plum. Stuff this with coconut mixture and fold it so that it looks like a half circle. Seal the edges properly. Your pulis are now ready.
When pulis are ready for dudh puli they should look like half circle
When pulis are ready - they should look like these

Now put a heavy bottom vessel on flame, pour milk and stir it constantly. When the milk starts to boil add the pulis into the milk very slowly and continue stirring the milk lightly. After 10 -15 minutes when the pulis are cooked and the milk is thickened, add dates jaggery and stir it gently so that the pulis do not break. After a few minutes when the jaggery is completely melted and mixed in the milk, pour it into serving a bowl.
Dudh puli is now ready. Serve when cooled down to normal temperature. Spread little bit of grated coconut and jaggery mixture (initially created for stuffing) on top. It serves as garnishing and also enhances the taste.

If you do not have date palm jaggery, you can use plain sugar and in that case you should add green cardamom powder.

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