Tota Puli is a traditional Bengali Sweet that is stuffed with Khoya and deep fried and soaked in sugar syrup. This is served with nuts garnished on top. This traditional sweet is slowly losing its mark and not so commonly prepared these days. So learn to make it at your home with this recipe.
Course Sweets
Cuisine Bengali
By Cook Method Deep Fried, Stovetop
Occasion Diwali, Festival Meal
By Diet Protein Rich
Dish Type Deep Fried Dishes, Paneer Dishes
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 4pieces
Author Srivalli
Ingredients
For the Paneer Layer
1cupPaneer/ Chhana / Cottage Cheese
2 to 3tspAll Purpose Flour/ Maida
1tbspGhee
A PinchBaking Soda
For the Khoya Layer
1/2cupKhoya
1/2cupSugarpowdered
A PinchRed Food Colour
For the Sugar Syrup
1cupSugar
2cupsWater
FewCardamom
Other Ingredients
Cooking Oilfor deep frying
Mixed Nutsfor Garnish
Instructions
For the Paneer Layer
Make the fresh soft chhana for making Bengali Sweets
Knead till you get tiny granules.
Take the portion required to make Tota Puli and add baking soda and flour by a teaspoon and start kneading it. Flour should be added by small quantity as it depends on the moisture of the chhana on how it would require retaining the shape.
Knead till you get a dough that's soft and can hold the shape. Remember you will be making a puli to the size that's almost 2.5 to 3 inches in length and half inch width. Once you have kneaded, keep it aside.
For the Khoya Layer
In a bowl, take the khoya, sugar and food colour. Mix well and make small balls.
Assembling the Tota Puli
Divide the paneer dough into equal balls.
Divide the Khoya dough into equal balls. If it is difficult to handle, refrigerate for a while till the khoya is easy to handle.
Now flatten the paneer dough into a disc, place the khoya over it and enclose completely as you would do any stuffed balls.
Then gently roll over the plate to get a thick rope of about 1/2 inch width. Make the ends pointed as a puli. Complete the rest.
Heat the kadai with oil and gently drop in the pulis and deep fry on all sides.
Making the Sugar Syrup
Melt the sugar with water and make a syrup that is not very thick like Jalebi or too thin as Rasagullas. The syrup will have to be little thicker similar to Danadar, as it's not let to soak for long and is served as a separate sweet on its own.
Serving the Tota Puli
Once the syrup is done, drop the deep fried Tota Puli and let it soak for a couple of hours.
Then drain the tota puli, garnish with nuts and chill until serving.
Notes
The original recipe asks you not to soak in sugar syrup for long as it might break. Mine was intact after a couple of hours as well.The Tota Puli is juicy and oozes out sugar syrup when you bite into it.