Flavors of India

Vaja (fried) Pithe (A Bengali cuisine made in Poush Sankranti)

Ingredients:

For the Shell: 

1. Rice flour:                                             2 cups (or to need) 
2.  Green Gram                                        2 cups
3.  Hot water:                                            to need

For the filling:

1.           Grated Coconut:                           3 cups
2.           Kheer/ condenced milk:                1 cup
3.           Jaggery/ Sugar:                             1cup
4.           Cardamom Powder:                      ½ tablespoon

                   Or

           Cardamom Pods:                             3-4

For fry:

                Refined oil:                                        500ml.

Process:

For the Filling:

1. In a saute pan, mix the Coconut and sugar/ Jaggery together and then place the pan over a simmering flame stirring continuously.
2. Add the kheer/ condenced milk and Cardamom Powder, and keep stirring till the mixture is moist and turns a little brown and sticky. The consistency should be granular.
3. Take out of the flame and keep aside.

For the Shell:

1. Medioum boil the Green Gram.
2. Knead the flour and green gram into tight and smooth but not very soft dough using hot water.Let it rest for 1 hour or a minimum of ½ hour.
3. Make very small balls from the dough and spread each ball with fingers into a small shallow bowl shape.

Making Puli:
 

1. Stuff the coconut filling into the shells.
2. Fold them and seal the edges so that filling doesnt comes out.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
4. Fry the pulis till all turn brown.
5. Serve hot with tea or coffie.

 * Usually, filling of any pithe is same. Once you cook enough of it, you can make various pithas.