Makar Sankranti Special Recipes

Today is an auspicious day as 'Makar Sankranti' is celebrated today in different parts of India. It is a harvest festival which marks the harvest season and is celebrated as Lohri and Maghi in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and Bihu in Assam.

Makar sankranti is celebrated in the last day of bengali month 'poush'so called as 'poush sankranti.On this special day mothers and grandmothers usually prepare home-made sweets like Patishapta Pithe, Puli pithe, doodh puli and so many other varieties of pithe and puli.The specialites of this sweets are, these are made of rice flour and with inner filling made of coconut.I still remember those days of my childhood when my mother used to make all kinds of pithe and puli for us.I miss them here in Banglore. Today I have tried to make some which I learnt from maa.It came out nice but obviously not like her ones. Here I want to share those with all of you.

Doodh Puli Pithe

Ingredients:

• 1 coconut.
• 1 cup sugar / 1 cup Nolen Gur (date jaggery)
• 2 cup Rice flour
• 2 tblsp. plain flour (Maida)
• 1 litr milk.
• 10 gms raisins
• 10 gms cashewnut
• 1 tsp. cardamom powder.

Method:

1. Grate coconut and mix with sugar/nolen gur and cardamom powder. Mix well and keep it aside.
   
2. Heat a Pan and add Rice flour. Stir for about 5 minutes. Take it out in an bowl and add plain flour to that. Now add Hot water and knead well to make a dough.
   
3. Make small balls from the dough, spread each ball with hand and stuff the coconut sugar mixture into it. Fold it and seal the edges so that filling doesn't come out to get the shape of 'Puli' as in the picture.
   
4. Heat a pan and add milk. boil the milk for some time so that it get reduce to half. Add sugar and cardamom powder. cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the pulies to the milk slowly.cover it and let it cook for about 15 minutes with stirring in between. Add raisins and cashew nuts.
   
   Take it out in a serving tray. Serve cold.

This has been sent for  Harvest: The Festival of Rice event conducted by Sudeshna.

Steamed Puli pithe (Sheddho Puli)

Ingredient:

1 coconut.

2 tbsp.sugar.

1 cup Rice flour

2 tblsp.plain flour(Maida)

1 tsp salt.

1/2 tsp. cardamom powder.

Method:

1 Grate coconut and mix with sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well and keep it aside.

2. Heat a Pan and add Rice flour. Stirr for about 5 minutes. Take it out in an bowl and add plain flour and salt to that.  Now add Hot water and knead well to make a dough which shouldn't be very soft.

4. Make small balls from the dough, spread each ball with hand and stuff the coconut sugar mixture into it. Fold it and seal the edges so that filling doesnt come out and it get the shape of 'Puli' as in the picture.

5. Arrange the pulies in a steamer and steam those for about 10 minutes. In absence of steamer a vessel with pore in its base can be used. Arrange the pulies in the vessel, Pour some water in a handi and put the vessel over that and let the water boil. Keep it for about 8 to 10 by that time puli gets steamed properly. Take it out and let it cool.