Delight your sweet tooth with the age-old Bengali dessert—Ranga Alur Puli, a culinary masterpiece that enchants the gastronomic senses with its crispy outer layer. While traditionally a household treat, some sweet shops are now including it in their offerings to cater to the time-constrained generation.
During our short stay in Siliguri this year, my sweet-toothed husband’s cravings were satisfied as my mom-in-law initiated and guided the preparation of this delightful recipe.
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes: 500 gms
- Flour: 1 ½ tablespoons if preparing stuffed (100gm for plain)
- Milk: ½ litre
- Sugar: 1 tablespoon
- Coconut: ½ (grated)
- Cardamom (green): 2-3
- Raisins
- Sugar: 1 cup
- Water: 1 cup
- Oil for frying
Method:
The Puli Dough:
- Wash and boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Peel and mash, then add the flour and knead into dough. Set aside.
The Stuffing (optional):
- Boil milk with a tablespoon of sugar. Once thickened, add coconut, raisins, and condense it to a thick, sticky consistency. Remove from heat, add crushed cardamoms, and let it cool.
The Syrup:
- Boil a cup of sugar in a cup of water to create a medium-consistency syrup. Let it cool.
Making the Pulis:
- Take a small portion of the dough, shape it accordingly, or flatten for stuffed pulis. For stuffed pulis, make a cavity in the center, fill with the stuffing, seal the edges, and shape it.
- Heat oil in a wok, deep fry the pulis in batches until golden.
- Dip the pulis into the syrup carefully, one by one.
- Serve hot or cold.
Frying Pullis:
We prepared plain puli without stuffing, but the stuffed ones are truly mouth-watering and delicious. Ranga Alur Puli, along with other pulis like Muger puli (made of moong dal), Chirer Puli (made of poha -beaten rice), chana dal puli, Chaler puli (made of rice), uses harvest produce—rice, coconut, date palm juice, and jaggery, making them special items for Shankranti.