Puli mittai

 Puli Mittai or Imli mittai With Step by Step Photos and Video

Puli mittai or imli candy is a tempting Indian sweet which is not just a sweet but it is something that cherish my childhood memories.  This was the most adorable and highly demanding sweet among the school children during 90s. Let us make today the delicious sweet of 90's school kids, the puli mittai or imli candy.  

What is puli mittai?

Puli mittai or imli candy is a soft and chewy candy which was once very popular in India. It was a usual item with the small street vendors or small grocery shops in Kerala. The main ingredient of this candy is tamarind pulp which we call puli in Malayalam or imli in Hindi. This sweet is a mixture of various spices which gave the candy a beautiful mouth watering sweet, salty and sour taste. Once you have tasted this sweet, I am sure you will not stop at one. 

How to make imli candy or puli mittai

Imli candy or puli mittai is actually a time consuming process. The tamarind is soaked in water for a few minutes, pasted and sieved. The resultant tamarind pulp is later cooked in jaggery and other spices, till it turns thick and dark colored. 

Puli mittai recipe - Experts tips

• The ingredients and proportion depends on the strength of tamarind we use. If the tamarind is too strong, then you have to increase the amount of other ingredients accordingly.
• The spices should be incorporated only at the end of cooking in order to prevent burning.
• If you want to shape the tamarind, it should be cooked till thick. Otherwise, it will stick to your hands. But you have it in the form of tamarind jam or imli jam.

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Puli mittai recipe | imli candy recipe | How to make Kerala style tamarind candy at home

Lip-smacking tamarind candy

Preparation time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour | Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 150 gram tamarind / puli / imli
• 1.5 cup water
• 225 gm jaggery
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3/4 tsp chat masala

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How to make puli mittai - video

Preparation of puli mittai with step by step photos

Step 1 : Tamarind pulp preparation

1. Take tamarind in a bowl. 
   
   
   
2. Pour one or one and half cups of water and set aside for next thirty minutes.
   
   
   
3. After thirty minutes, check for any seeds or threads. If present, remove it. Transfer the tamarind along with water into a mixer jar.
   
   
   
4. Paste it.
   
   
   
5. Sieve through a swifter. You may need a spoon or spatula to extract entire content. 
   
   
   
6. Set aside.
   
   
   

Step 2: Melting the jaggery

1. Take 250 gm of jaggery in a pan.
   
   
   
2. Add half cup of water and mix well.
   
   
   
3. When the jaggery melts fully, switch off the flame and set aside.
   
   
   

Step 3: Puli mittai preparation

1. Place one thick bottomed and wide mouthed pan over high heat. When the pan turns hot. Pour one tablespoon of sunflower oil. Oil is optional. It is just to prevent sticking.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Sieve and pour the jaggery syrup into the pan. Use a tea strainer or a cloth to strain the syrup. The jaggery may contain impurities, so do strain the syrup before use.
   
   
   
3. Also add the prepared tamarind pulp.
   
   
   
4. Mix well and cook with continuous stirring till the mixture come to a semi-thick consistency. Reduce the flame and proceed further cooking either over medium flame or low flame. The tamarind jaggery mix will sputter at this stage. Stay away from the pan or use a long spatula to avoid burning. 
   
   
   
5. Once the spluttering stops, add salt to taste.
   
   
   
6.  Also add some chili powder and chat masala (or cumin powder).
   
   
   
   
7. Mix well till it thickens and the bottom of the pan is visible. Switch off the flame and let it come to room temperature.
   
8. Once the tamarind has come to room temperature, take small portions with a spoon.
   
   
   
9. Then shape it.
   
   
   
10. Enjoy.
    
    
    

Happy cooking

Anju