Mung Daler Bhaja Puli is a special preparation for Makar Sankranti or Poush Parbon, as celebrated in Bengal. Last year also I posted few recipes on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, such as Sedhyo Pithe, Dudh Puli, Patishapta, however this year quite late I am. But that does not bar me from sharing this tempting recipe. Bhaja (means fried) puli is also a departure from my previous recipes as it is not only sweet but savoury as well. That’s why it could be served as snacks with surprise of sweetness inside. Each bite of fried mung dal cover and sweet coconut filling brings in a heavenly feeling.

Ingredients for 10 pieces :

For the cover :

1. Mung dal/lentil – ½ cup
2. Plain flour – 2 tbspoon
3. Rice flour – 4 tbspoon
4. Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
5. Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
6. Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
7. Salt & sugar to taste
8. Mustard oil – 2 tbspoon + for deep frying the ‘pulis’

For Coconut stuffing :

1. Coconut (grated) – ½
2. Semi-solid date palm jaggery (Khejurer Gur) – 100 gm.

Procedure :

Making of Coconut stuffing :

Mix grated coconut with the jaggery in a kadai or frying pan.

Put the kadai on low-medium flame and cook the mixture until raw flavor of coconut goes away and it is well mingled with jaggery. Do not cook the mixture for long as in this case binding consistency is not required. This coconut mixture, called ‘Chei’ in Bengali, will be used as stuffing for the puli.

Making of cover :

Pressure cook the dal/lentil with 1½ cup of water upto 2 whistle. There should not be much water after the lentils get cooked.

Heat mustard oil in a frying pan or kadai over medium flame.

Add cumin seeds, let it splutter.

Add boiled lentil, cumin powder and red chilli powder and cook for 2-3 minutes. The mixture should not be very dry.

Let the lentil mixture cool and then mix with plain flour, rice flour, salt and sugar to make a dough.

Divide the dough into 10 equal parts and make smooth balls out of them.

Flatten each ball evenly by your fingers to make a hole in the ball, put 1-2 teaspoon full of the coconut filling inside, close from all sides and give a half circular shape or ‘puli’ shape.

Now deep fry the pulis in mustard oil over low-medium heat till golden brown in colour.

Serve hot.

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