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Ranga alur pithe
Sweet potato coconut parcels
রাঙা আলুর পিঠে: sweet-potato dough parcels filled with coconut and jaggery, fried and soaked in syrup
IndianPoush Sankranti in Bengal is the day for pithe, and ranga alur pithe uses the sweet potatoes that come in with the winter harvest. Boiled sweet potato is kneaded with a little flour into a soft dough, wrapped round a coconut and jaggery filling, fried and then dipped in syrup, so you get a crisp shell, a melting orange layer and a sweet, nutty centre. They are eaten warm on the festival evening or the next day once they have soaked up more syrup. Common mistake: watery sweet potato; boil it whole in its skin and let it steam dry, or the dough gets sticky and the pithe burst in the oil. They are fried enough when they are deep golden and float. Chef's tip: the syrup should be warm and at one-string stage, a thread forming between finger and thumb; too thick and it won't soak in.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz sweet potatoesboiled whole in their skins
- 2 ⅞ oz plain flour (maida)
- 2 tbsp rice flour
For the filling
- 4 oz fresh grated coconut
- 2 ⅞ oz date-palm or cane jaggerygrated
- ¼ tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 tsp ghee
For the syrup and frying
- 7 oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 2 cups oil for deep-frying
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Peel the boiled 14 oz sweet potatoes, leave them to steam dry for 10 minutes, then mash until completely smooth.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 ⅞ oz plain flour (maida) and 2 tbsp rice flour and knead to a soft, non-sticky dough. Add a little more flour only if it sticks to your hands.
4 minStep 3: Cook 4 oz fresh grated coconut, 2 ⅞ oz date-palm or cane jaggery, ¼ tsp ground green cardamom and 1 tsp ghee in a pan over a low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it is dry enough to hold a shape. Cool.
8 minStep 4: Boil 7 oz sugar and ¾ cup water for 5–6 minutes to a one-string syrup: a drop pressed between finger and thumb pulls into a single thread. Keep it warm.
6 minStep 5: Divide the dough into 12 balls. Flatten each into a cup on your palm, put in a spoonful of filling, seal and shape into an oval with no cracks.
12 minStep 6: Heat 2 cups oil for deep-frying over a medium heat (about 350°F) and fry the pithe in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning gently, until deep golden and floating.
12 minStep 7: Drop the hot pithe straight into the warm syrup and soak for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or the next day.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ranga alur pithe take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 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.
- What can I use instead of sweet potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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