This section is from the book "Indian Cookery And Confectionery", by I. R. Dey. Also available from Amazon: Indian Cookery And Confectionery.
These cakes are prepared with powdered rice or flour but those made of powdered rice are much softer. Make a stiff dough of powdered rice with boiling water. ( Try to add the necessary amount of water at a time). Make medium balls, stuff them as in the above recipe with kheer or the preparation of cocoa-nut and give them the shape of an almond. Now, if these cakes are fried as before, they are called Fried Puli. If they are fried and immersed in a syrup of sugar till they are saturated, they are called Rasa Puli. If they are placed on a thin linen cloth stretched over the boiling water in a deep pan with the lid on and are, thus boiled by steam only, they are called Vapa (steamed) Puli. If they are boiled in boiling water till they all float, they are called Siddha (boiled) Puli. If they are made small in size and are boiled in milk with sugar, they are called Sweet Puli.
Boil some sweet potatoes, peel and make a paste of them. Mix with salt and some powdered rice so that the paste is stiff enough to make balls of it. Press the balls flat. Stuff with a preparation of cocoa-nut and sugar as in Chandrapuli or with khowa kheer and sugar boiled in equal quantities with a little water till the paste is sticky and stiff. Give them a flat elongated shape when closing up. Fry 4 to 6 at a time with a little ghee or oil till deep brown.
Keep some husked pulses of moog under water for two hours. Then fry them, if you like, with a little ghee for a few minutes. Make a paste of them. Add salt and a little flour, if necessary, to make the paste stiff. Prepare Puli cakes as before stuffing them with kheer or the preparation of cocoa-nut and fry till reddish brown with ghee.
 
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