Dudh puli pitha recipe | Doodh puli | How to make dudh puli

Dudh puli pitha recipe aka doodh puli is one of the most authentic and scrumptious Bengali pitha recipes. It is rich, irresistibly delicious and full of flavors. It is an old traditional Bengali pithe which has been prepared for ages in Bengali households during poush parbon. In short, “Makar Sankranti” is incomplete without dudh puli pitha for Bengalis. It is hugely popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. In this preparation, half-moon-shaped sweet coconut-jaggery stuffed dumplings are prepared with soft rice flour dough and then cooked in milk with date palm jaggery. Dudh puli is mostly served as breakfast or a snack. But can be relished at any time of the day to satisfy your craving.

About the recipe
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How to make Dudh Puli (step wise photos)
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Dudh puli is basically a Bengali pitha recipe where puli aka half moon dumplings are prepared with rice flour dough and stuffed with sweetened coconut and then cooked in milk along with nolen gur aka date palm jaggery sweetener. Nolen gur is a special variety of jaggery which is used to prepare pithe-puli and payesh during winter.

Previously, when people used to stay in joint families, all the homemakers used to sit together and prepare puli pitha in large batches. This pitha preparation requires time, dedication and patience. At that time, dudh puli pitha was crazily popular and used to get prepared in almost every Bengali house during winter. Surprisingly, nowadays even after the massive availability of junk foods and a busy life schedule, this traditional pithe recipe did not fade away. Till now, every Bengali try to prepare this delight at least once in winter. It is hugely popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Dudh puli is also known as kheer puli.

Today, just before the special occasion of Poush Sankranti, I am going to share the traditional dudh puli recipe with you. Before going through the recipe, I know many people are not aware of a few terms ‘Poush Parbon’ and ‘Bengali pitha‘. First, let me tell a few words about both terms.

Poush parbon is one of the most integral parts of Bengali culture which has been conserved by generations and is celebrated each year in the month of January. Poush parbon is celebrated in Poush mash of Bengali year which is also popular as the month of pitha-puli. During this occasion, every Bengali house is flavoured with Nolen gur (date palm jaggery), coconut and kheer (reduced milk). There are various kinds of Bengali pithe that are prepared in each Bengali kitchen to celebrate the festival of food.

During poush parbon, new harvests and nolen gur arrive and this is used to prepare Bengali pithe in each house to celebrate the culinary diversity. There are myriad Bengali pithe recipes in Bengali cuisine, among which patishapta, puli pitha, choshir payesh, pua pitha are a few of the most popular ones.

Dudh puli pitha is undoubtedly one of the most traditional and luscious varieties of Bengali pitha puli recipe. In fact, in many authentic Bengali restaurants, it has occupied the place in the exclusive dessert section of their menu card.

As a Bengali, I have grown up eating this delight. I still remember how my grandmother (Dida) used to ground the rice grains and prepare a large batch of puli so perfectly and quickly. Then in a large kadai, she used to prepare a large quantity of dudh puli for around a hundred people. The pithe payesh was distributed to the neighbours and relatives other than family members. I can’t forget the taste of this warm delight even now.

Honestly, dudh puli is not a very simple Bengali pithe recipe. It requires a little bit of culinary skill. I must say this recipe is not for novices. The difficulty level of preparing this Bengali recipe is moderate. This recipe demands only time and patience from you like most of the other Bengali pithe puli. All the ingredients required to prepare the dish are very basic and they are easily available in any kitchen pantry, except patali gur. But nowadays you can buy nolen gur or patali gur online any time of the year.

The preparation of the dudh puli recipe is divided into three parts. First, we need to prepare the stuffing for the puli. The stuffing is prepared with grated coconut and nolen gur. You can add mawa as well to enhance the taste.

Secondly, rice flour dough is prepared with which we shaped half-moon shaped dumplings.

In the third stage, we need to cook the payesh recipe with these half-moon-shaped dumplings aka puli.

Dudh puli recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tricks and tips below and in the instruction section to make the recipe easier for you on your very first attempt. If you follow the steps precisely then you will definitely get perfect doodh puli pitha as an outcome.

• Add a little bit of salt during the time of preparing the dough. It enhances the taste and flavour of the pitha.
• Knead the rice dough very nicely for better results. I kneaded it for 4-5 minutes.
• After preparing the dough, cover it with a wet cloth or else the dough will become dry and hard. As a result, cracks will occur during the time of shaping them.
• Dust the palms with rice flour before shaping the dough to puli. It will make your job easier or else the dough may stick to your fingers.
• The addition of cardamoms enhances the flavour of the dish. Don’t skip it.
• Add the patali gur aka jaggery to the milk before adding the puli.
• Add the puli very carefully into the milk because they are very delicate.
• Don’t stir it frequently after adding the puli into the milk or else they will break.
• Doodh puli gets thicker after cooling down. So, adjust the consistency accordingly.

To prepare dudh puli pitha, first, prepare the stuffing for the puli. I usually prepare it one day before preparing the doodh puli. It saves a lot of time and effort on the day.

To prepare the stuffing, I used only 5 ingredients for the recipe. First, add grated roughly chopped date palm jaggery aka patali gur into a pan. Then add a little bit of ghee into it and allow the jaggery to melt. After this, add the grated coconut and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a few minutes until the raw mixture becomes sticky. Then add powdered milk and mix it well. Now, add cardamom powder at the final stage and mix it well. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.

On the other hand, we need to prepare the rice flour dough. For the dough, first, take a pan and add water to it. Then add a little bit of salt into the water and allow it to boil. Once the water starts boiling, put the flame on low and add the rice flour to it. Cover the pan and cook it on the lowest flame for 2-3 minutes. Then take off the lid and mix the content thoroughly until it turns into dough. Cover the pan and cook it over the lowest flame for another 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and transfer the content to a separate plate.

Allow the content to release a little bit of heat and knead the mixture thoroughly to a smooth and soft dough. Make sure the mixture is warm during the time of kneading. Then cover the dough with a wet cloth.

Rub some rice flour on your palm and pinch out a little dough to make a ping pong size ball. Then put pressure from the top and flatten it. After this, make the disk bigger with the help of your fingers as shown in the picture.

Add some stuffing at the centre of the disk and seal the sides. Then shape it to puli by rolling lightly between your palms and with the help of your fingers. After preparing the puli, cover it with a wet cloth. Repeat the same process and prepare puli with the rest of the dough and stuffing and keep them aside.

Now put a heavy bottom pan on medium flame and add milk to it. Add cardamoms to the milk and give it a stir. Once the milk starts boiling, put the flame on low and reduce it for 10-15 minutes. Then add the grated or small pieces of date palm jaggery aka patali gur into the milk and stir it until the jaggery melts. Cook it on low flame for another 5-6 minutes.

Then add the puli very carefully, one by one into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for around 15 minutes. Stir it once very delicately every 5 minutes intervals. Doodh puli gets thicker after cooling down. So adjust the consistency accordingly. Then switch off the flame and allow it to cool down completely before serving.

Many Bengali pitha recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You may like a few of them like

Patishapta
Pua pitha
Nolen gurer payesh
Choshir payesh
Rosh bora

..And Many more…

1 cup = 250 ml

• 1 cup grated coconut
• ½ cup Patali gur aka date Palm jaggery
• ¼ cup Milk powder
• ¾ teaspoon Ghee aka clarified Butter
• ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder aka Elaichi powder

• 1 cup Rice flour
• 1¼ cup Water
• ½ teaspoon Salt

• 1 litre full cream Milk
• 300 grams Patali gur aka Date palm jaggery
• 3 Cardamoms aka elaichi

1. Add ½ cup grated roughly chopped date palm jaggery aka patali gur into a pan.
2. Add ¾ teaspoon ghee into it and mix it. Allow the jaggery to melt.
3. Add 1 cup of grated coconut and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 4-5 minutes until the raw smell of coconut disappears and the mixture becomes sticky.
4. Add ¼ cup powdered milk and mix it well.
5. Add ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder at the final stage and mix it well. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
6. On the other hand, for the rice dough, first, take a pan and add 1¼ cup water to it. Then add ½ teaspoon salt into the water and allow it to boil.
7. Once the water starts boiling, put the flame on low and add 1 cup of rice flour into it. Cover the pan and cook it on the lowest flame for 2-3 minutes. Then take off the lid and mix the content thoroughly until it turns into dough. Cover the pan and cook it over the lowest flame for another 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and transfer the content to a separate plate.
8. Allow the content to release a little bit of heat and knead the mixture thoroughly to a smooth and soft dough. I kneaded it for 5 minutes. Make sure the mixture is warm during the time of kneading. Then cover the dough with a wet cloth.
9. Rub some rice flour on your palm so the rice doesn’t stick to your hand.
10. Pinch out a little dough to make a ping pong size ball. Then put pressure from the top and flatten it. Then make the disk bigger with the help of your fingers as shown in the picture.
11. Add some stuffing at the centre of the disk and seal the sides. Then shape it to puli by rolling lightly between your palms and with the help of your fingers.
12. Repeat the same process and prepare puli with the rest of the dough and stuffing. After preparing the puli cover it with a wet cloth.
13. Now put a heavy bottom pan on medium flame and add 1 litre of milk into it.
14. Add 3 cardamoms into the milk and give a stir. Once the milk starts boiling, put the flame on low and reduce it for 10-15 minutes.
15. Add 300 grams of grated or small pieces of date palm jaggery aka patali gur into the milk and stir it until the jaggery melts. Cook it on low flame for another 5-6 minutes. You can adjust the amount of sweetener according to your taste.
16. Add the puli very carefully one by one into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for around 15 minutes. Stir it once very delicately every 5 minutes intervals.
17. Doodh puli gets thicker after cooling down. So adjust the consistency accordingly. Then switch off the flame and allow it to cool down completely before serving.

Transfer the dudh puli pitha into serving bowls. Serve it at room temperature to enjoy its best taste. Serve it to your family and friends and enjoy the classic Bengali delicacy.

Dudh puli pitha recipe | Doodh puli | How to make dudh puli

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes 60 minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

1 cup = 250 ml

For the stuffing

• 1 cup grated coconut
• ½ cup Patali gur aka date Palm jaggery
• ¼ cup Milk powder
• ¾ teaspoon Ghee aka clarified Butter
• ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder aka Elaichi powder

For the rice dough

• 1 cup Rice flour
• 1¼ cup Water
• ½ teaspoon Salt

Ingredients for Dudh puli

• 1 litre full cream Milk
• 300 grams Patali gur aka Date palm jaggery
• 3 Cardamoms aka Elaichi

Instructions

1. Add ½ cup grated roughly chopped date palm jaggery aka patali gur into a pan.
2. Add ¾ teaspoon ghee into it and mix it. Allow the jaggery to melt.
3. Add 1 cup of grated coconut and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 4-5 minutes until the raw smell of coconut disappears and the mixture becomes sticky.
4. Add ¼ cup powdered milk and mix it well.
5. Add ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder at the final stage and mix it well. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
6. On the other hand, for the rice dough, first, take a pan and add 1¼ cup water to it. Then add ½ teaspoon salt into the water and allow it to boil.
7. Once the water starts boiling, put the flame on low and add 1 cup of rice flour into it. Cover the pan and cook it on the lowest flame for 2-3 minutes. Then take off the lid and mix the content thoroughly until it turns into dough. Cover the pan and cook it over the lowest flame for another 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and transfer the content to a separate plate.
8. Allow the content to release a little bit of heat and knead the mixture thoroughly to a smooth and soft dough. I kneaded it for 5 minutes. Make sure the mixture is warm during the time of kneading. Then cover the dough with a wet cloth.
9. Rub some rice flour on your palm so the rice doesn’t stick to your hand.
10. Pinch out a little dough to make a ping pong size ball. Then put pressure from the top and flatten it. Then make the disk bigger with the help of your fingers as shown in the picture.
11. Add some stuffing at the centre of the disk and seal the sides. Then shape it to puli by rolling lightly between your palms and with the help of your fingers.
12. Repeat the same process and prepare puli with the rest of the dough and stuffing. After preparing the puli cover it with a wet cloth.
13. Now put a heavy bottom pan on medium flame and add 1 litre of milk into it.
14. Add 3 cardamoms into the milk and give a stir. Once the milk starts boiling, put the flame on low and reduce it for 10-15 minutes.
15. Add 300 grams of grated or small pieces of date palm jaggery aka patali gur into the milk and stir it until the jaggery melts. Cook it on low flame for another 5-6 minutes. You can adjust the amount of sweetener according to your taste.
16. Add the puli very carefully one by one into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for around 15 minutes. Stir it once very delicately every 5 minutes intervals.
17. Doodh puli gets thicker after cooling down. So adjust the consistency accordingly. Then switch off the flame and allow it to cool down completely before serving.