Taler Pitha / Palmyra fruit Steamed Cake

 Palmyra fruit / Taal / Tardgola  / Sugar palm 

The palmyra fruit is eaten while the outer covering is still unripe during summers… once the fruit is riped then the inside of the fruit becomes yellow and pulpy from inside. In Bengal it’s said in the month of Bhadro (August) tal fruit becomes ripe, it is used to make different types of dishes like pitha , fritters, kheer, luchi etc. This dishes made from Tal are offered to Lord Krishna on Janmashtami day in Bengal. 

The fruit is peeled, the pulp is extracted and then strained. Sugar and pinch of salt are added to the pulp and then simmered. The pulp can be stored in the fridge for further use. Since Janmashtami is just around.. today we made Taler pitha / Palmyra fruit steamed cake. It’s a sweet dish. Milk and sugar is used to make the dish, but I have used condensed milk to give richness to the taste. 

Ingredients 

1/4 cup Rice flour 

1/4 cup Semolina 

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Baking powder 

1 tsp + 1/2 tsp broken Cashews

1 tsp Raisins

1/4 cup Grated Coconut 

1/4 cup or more Condensed Milk as per the sweetness 

1/2 cup Palmyra fruit Pulp

1/4 cup Ghee

Method 

Take a bowl, add rice flour, semolina, salt, cardamom powder, baking soda and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add ghee, condensed milk and the pulp. Mix well. The batter has to be thick and dropped consistency. Add 1 tsp broken cashews and raisins, mix well. Pour the batter into a greased container. Sprinkle the grated coconut. Gently mix the batter. Add the remaining broken cashews. Steam the batter for 25 minutes or until done. Insert a toothpick to check. Once done cool the Taler pitha and enjoy. 

Taler Bora / Sugar Palm Fritters

 

Taler Boras are very popular in Bengal during this month, specially during Janmashtami as it’s supposed to be favourite of Shree Krishna. Ripe sugar plum pulp is extracted and made into various types of traditional sweets like Taler bora, Taler luchi or pitha. The golden pulp of the sugar palm, wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina or rice flour, sugar, salt and grated coconut is used to make the batter, which is then dip fried to make fritters.  Some people add mashed bananas into the batter. This can be enjoyed as snacks, but it’s so delicious  that you can’t stop eating until it’s over. 

Ingredients 

1 Sugar Palm

1/2 cup Wheat Flour 

1/2 cup Rice Flour 

1/4 cup Grated Coconut 

1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt 

Oil for frying 

Method 

Take a bowl, add wheat flour, rice flour, salt and sugar. Add the sugar palm as required to make a thick batter, whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the coconut, stir and mix the batter well. Rest the batter for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok, drop small portions of the batter into the oil. Fry the fritters until golden brown in colour. Remove the fritters on a paper towel. Enjoy. 

Kesar Pista Barfi Handi filled with Malai Rabdi...

Kesar Pista Barfi Handi filled with Malai Rabdi...

Kesar Pista Barfi
Ingredients
1 cup Pistachio powder
1 cup Cashewnut powder
1/4 cup Khoya
1/2 cup powder Sugar
2 pinch of Saffron
2 tbsp hot milk
1 tsp Ghee
1 tsp Almond flakes for garnishing
1 tsp Pistachio powder for garnishing

Method
Take a mixing bowl. Mix pistachio powder, cashew powder and sugar. Take 2 tbsp hot milk, add saffron and let the saffron soak for 5 minutes. Take a pan. Add the Khoya. On low flame, cook the Khoya for few seconds, add the dry ingredients. Mix it. Add the saffron milk. Keep stirring the Barfi.... till it starts to leave the pan edges. Grease a plate. Pour the mixture. Let it cool a bit, but it should be still warm to shape the Barfi.  Apply ghee on the palms. Knead the mixture so that the mixture becomes smooth and forms a dough and it will be easy to shape it. Take a palm size portion and give it a handi shape. Make a hole in the handi to fill it with Malai Rabdi. Once the handi is made.. Sprinkle Pistachio powder and almond flakes on the handi. Sprinkle some pistachio powder on the Rabdi.

Malai Rabdi
Ingredients
500 grams Full Cream Milk
5 tbsp Condensed Milk
1 pinch of Cardomon powder

Method
Heat and simmer the milk on low heat. Reduce the milk to 1/2 the quantity. Add the condensed milk and cardamom powder. Let it simmer and keep on stirring constantly till the milk has become thick....
Take it off the flame and cool it.