Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine features a range of pancake, dumpling, and fritter-like dishes called pitha or pithe. Pitha is often prepared by steaming, frying, or griddling dough or batter; it can be either sweet or savoury. The majority of variants are unleavened and cooked on the stovetop; a small number of varieties are boiled or baked in an oven. Varieties could vary in the presence of filling, garnish, and sauce, and every household in Northeastern/Eastern Indian households smells like a dream come Makar Sankrati season! Nolen gur, coconut, and fluffy rice flour—could make history. Here's the cultural footprint of the beloved pithas!
So, what is pitha?
In particular, Pitha is well-liked in Bangladesh and the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (eastern sections), West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala (southern India), and Assam (northeast India). Some pithas use wheat flour, but the most common ingredient is rice flour.
Because this delicious delicacy is an essential part of every Assam Bihu (harvest festival) celebration, Pitha is crucial to the local culture. Pitha is one of these classic recipes. This tasty treat is typically dipped in sweet syrups such as date palm molasses after being made with jaggery, rice flour, milk, and coconut. A woody dheki is used to crush rice into flour, and in the Assamese language, the word "pitha" is linked with "pithaguri," which means ground rice flour.
Pitha is North-East India’s shared delicacy
This dish's culinary roots are in ancient times, when it had a common ancestor with rice cakes from Southeast Asian nations such as Bangladesh, Thailand, and Burma. Filled with a mixture of black sesame and jaggery, a rice flour crepe is made into the famous til (sesame) pitha, a traditional Assamese dish. Traditionally, the women of the home would dry-roast this dish and serve it at the Bohag Bihu and Bhogali Bihu celebrations. Accompanying it comes a cup of red Assam tea.
A different kind, known as "tekeli mukhot diya pitha," is a steamed rice cake that may contain black sesame seeds, jaggery, or grated coconut. Steaming the mixture in the mouth of a pitcher known as the tekeli is done while it is wrapped with a thin cotton rag. This breakfast meal is quite common.
In farming, the nangol dhuwa pitha is very important. Following the ploughing season, the villagers get together to prepare the rice by grinding it and stuffing it with various ingredients. These fragrant rice treats are steamed while wrapped in 'tora' leaves. After ploughing the soil, the plough is cleansed and stored for the following season. After a long day of labour in the fields, the nangol dhuwa pitha is drunk to replenish lost energy.
Pitthe Puli is an integral part of Bengali weddings and haldi rituals in Bangladesh. In addition to being beloved treats, these traditional sweets play an important symbolic role in ceremonial rites, representing joy, family unity, and wealth. Pithe Puli is a traditional wedding gift that the relatives of the bride and groom trade with one another as a sign of friendship and understanding. Similarly, these treats are offered to guests during haldi rituals to represent good fortune and blessings for the newlyweds. Pithe Puli are an essential part of Bengali weddings and celebrations in Bangladesh because, in addition to being delicious, they have profound cultural importance, bringing people together in joy and tradition.
So, how are pithas usually made?
Pithas can be filled with either sweet or savoury ingredients; they are often formed from a batter composed of wheat flour or rice flour and then moulded. Pithas are stuffed with what are known as pur, and the pouch itself is called a khol, meaning "container" in Hindi. To make filled vegetable pithas, you often fry, roast, or steam vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, or potatoes until they're soft, then mash them until they're cool enough to stuff into the pithas.
Fillings for sweet pithas can include grated coconut, fried or roasted sesame seeds, cashews, pistachios, sweetened veggies, fruits, or date juice or palm syrup. Cardamom and camphor are two other common flavours for sweet pithas. Pithas can be cooked in a variety of ways: fried in oil or ghee, steamed, slow-roasted over an open fire, or baked and rolled over a hot plate.
Pithas are a common accompaniment to tea, a nibble with breakfast, and a main course during lunch or supper. Many variations of pithas are sweet and are best served as desserts or during special occasions.
Easy bhapa pitha recipe
Here’s a very easy bhapa pitha recipe you can make at home. Mix 1 cup rice flour with a pinch of salt and slowly sprinkle warm water, rubbing with your fingers until it looks like moist sand and holds shape when pressed. Do not knead. Lightly grease small bowls or cups, add a layer of the rice flour mix, then a spoon of grated coconut mixed with jaggery, and cover with more rice flour. Steam on medium heat for 12–15 minutes until soft and fluffy. Serve warm with a drizzle of ghee or milk for comfort-food perfection.