RANGA ALOOR PULI PITHE

Makar Sankranti brings back a number of childhood memories. At this time of the year, we were always at our maternal grand parents' place where it used to be kind of 'pithe puli utsab'; sweet or salted steamed or fried snacks festival during the Makar Sankranti, in and around 14th-15th of January. Our maternal grandfather had some landed property in the outskirts of the small hamlet they lived in, about 100km away from Kolkata. So, fresh farm produce used to come from there, of which date palm jaggery and juice were a part. Our wintry morning started with drinking 'khejurer rosh' / date palm juice. 

Almost everyday in and around the "makar sankranti", the maternal grandmother used to prepare various kind of "pithe puli". The sweet ones had khoya, lentil and coconut fillings whereas the salted ones we had with liquid date palm jaggery. My grandma lived few years in Assam where she had learnt a number of steamed pithe . Wish I could try them all some day. This sweet potato dessert or sweet was part of the winter time bliss.

We get very good sweet potatoes throughout the year in this island. Bengalis do prepare a number of sweets with sweet potato which we call "ranga aloo". This is a simple recipe of sweet potato dumplings with a dal / lentil and shredded coconut stuffing. It is a fried sweet meat or pithe soaked in sugar syrup that is done mainly in winter. I do it when I feel like. Let us prepare Ranga Aloor Puli Pithe together.

INGREDIENTS : [for the filling]

Moong Dal [split yellow dal] : 1small sized tea cup
Shredded Coconut : 1/3small cup
Sugar : 1/2small cup [I use brown sugar]

Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 2tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the sugar syrup]

Sugar : 1medium sized tea cup [I used brown sugar]
Water : 11/2big cup
Green Cardamom : 2-3

INGREDIENTS : [final round]

The Sugar Syrup

The Coconut & Lentil Stuffing

Ranga Aloo [Sweet Potato]: 3-4 [medium size]
Sugar : 1tbsp
Rice Flour : 11/2tbsp
Green Cardamom : 2-3 
Oil : 2 Coffee Mugs to fry the dumplings.

METHOD :

Dry roast the moong dal, wash and soak it in hot water for 2 hours.

We will take out the skin of the sweet potatoes, wash and cut them half. Boil them until tender in enough water or pressure cook at minimal heat up to 3-4 whistles. 

We will let it cool, then drain the water. Thereafter, we will take them in a bowl and mash well adding the rice flour, 1 tbsp brown sugar and cardamom powder.

We will drain the water from the dal, wash and grind to a paste in the blender adding very little water. 

We will heat 2tbsp ghee in a wok, add the dal and keep stirring until it comes out of the sides and the raw smell goes away. 

We will add the green cardamom powder, brown sugar and shredded coconut; fold in well and stir cook for 3-4 minutes. Our stuffing is ready.

Now shape the sweet potato mix into tennis size balls, smoothen by rolling between palms for a while. Make a hole and fill with the dal and coconut stuffing. 

Add little more of the coverage, shape and flatten a bit. This takes less oil to fry.

Once done, we will refrigerate them in a closely tight bowl for at least 4-5 hours!

We will take the box out just before frying them.

We will heat the oil in a wok. Thereafter, we will fry the stuffed dumplings in batches. Simultaneously, we will prepare the sugar syrup with sugar, water and green cardamom.

We will place  the fried dumplings onto tissue paper, then arrange them on a bowl and pour the hot sugar syrup on the top!

The sugar syrup need not be too sticky, a little will do. 

We will let it be for about 2 hours before serving it!We will serve it warm! If refrigerated, we have to take it out an hour before, warm and have it!