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Dudh puli
Rice dumplings in sweet milk
দুধ পুলি (dudh puli): rice dumplings stuffed with coconut and date jaggery, simmered in sweet milk
Poush Sankranti, the mid-January festival that marks the height of winter, is the day for dudh puli in Bangladeshi and Bengali homes, when grandmothers sit with daughters and granddaughters shaping dozens of little half-moon dumplings from cooked rice dough. Each one hides a sticky filling of fresh coconut and khejur gur, the smoky date-palm jaggery of the season, and the dumplings are simmered in milk until it thickens around them into a pale, fragrant sauce. The puli are soft and slightly chewy, the milk sweet and caramel-scented, and the bowl is eaten warm or cold the next morning. Milk often splits when cold jaggery hits it at a hard boil, so take the pan off the heat before stirring the jaggery in. Chef's tip: knead the hot rice dough with the heel of your hand until completely smooth, or the dumplings crack in the milk.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the filling
- 2 ⅞ oz date-palm jaggery (khejur gur) or other jaggerygrated
- 1 /4 tsp ground cardamom
For the dough
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz fine rice flourplus extra for dusting
For the milk
- 4 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 ⅞ oz date-palm jaggery (khejur gur)grated
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cook 5 ½ oz grated coconut, fresh or frozen, 2 ⅞ oz date-palm jaggery (khejur gur) or other jaggery and 1 /4 tsp ground cardamom in a dry pan over a medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until sticky and it holds together; cool.
10 minStep 2: Bring 1 cup water and 1 pinch salt to the boil, tip in 7 oz fine rice flour all at once, stir hard and take off the heat; cover and leave for 5 minutes.
3 minStep 3: While still warm, knead the dough on a lightly dusted surface for 5 minutes until smooth and soft.
5 minStep 4: Divide into 18 balls. Flatten each into a 7 cm round, put a teaspoon of filling in the middle, fold into a half-moon and pinch the edge tight.
20 minStep 5: Meanwhile, bring 4 ¼ cups whole milk to the boil with 1 bay leaf in a wide, heavy pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often, until reduced by about a quarter. Stir in 2 tbsp sugar.
15 minStep 6: Slip the dumplings into the simmering milk and cook gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring carefully, until they float and look glossy and the milk has thickened.
12 minStep 7: Take the pan off the heat, wait 2 minutes, then stir in 2 ⅞ oz date-palm jaggery (khejur gur) until dissolved. Serve warm or chilled.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dudh puli take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of date-palm jaggery (khejur gur) or other jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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