Muga dali Pitha / Mug dal er pithe / Moong dal ke mithe cheele

During long vacations in my childhood, we would go over to Dadu's house and spend the days there.
But when there were short holidays, some part of the family would come over to our place.
Some part because fitting in the whole family together was possible only in Dadu's huge house.
We stayed an hour away, on the hills, where Bapi had his factory.
So at times, some cousins  and kakus and kakimas would come over to spend a few days with us.

The house would be filled with voices ... all talking, laughing, calling out to others ... all at the same time while we cousins did what we did best ...  creating our own ruckus and having a great time. 
The kitchen would be busy and while Ma looked into the meals all through the day, it would the kakimas or mashis (aunts) who would choose the job of rustling up their special snacks and sweets for us. It would be one of those times when we kids would to be perpetually hungry and after every hour or so we would walk into the kitchen with a "Khide peyeche" announcement.

While we were indulged on most times, it would be a no show if the time was closer to a meal time like lunch or dinner.
So my Mejo kakima came up with this potent medicine of "Dudh kola muri debo?".
The thought of a bowlful of soggy, puffed rice mashed with banana and milk would successfully douse those whimsical hunger pangs that the aromas from the kitchen had brought about.
And with a hasty "We will wait for lunch / dinner", we would disappear.

I remember one such time when Boro mashi, Ma's eldest sister, was visiting.
Mashi worked as a teacher in govt. schools and had just become Principal and was posted in a school at a nearby district. Since it was summer vacation, she and her daughter were spending a few days with us.

Mashi visiting us meant fun in all ways. She would hold quiz contests, grill us on general knowledge, give us math quizzes to solve, hold competitions complete with prizes ... and so on.
And the best part was getting to eat the food she cooked.
Boro Mashi had magic in her hands.

She could make a light, plain dal seem heavenly.
She could make a plain roti interesting.
She could make the fussiest kid eat up without a peep.
And she was a wizard at making achars.
A dash of this, a handful of that, a little chopping here, a quick beat of hands there ..... watching mashi in the kitchen was mesmerising.
Matronly, with a warm smile on and a solution to any problem always, she was one person I looked up to.

It was on that visit that Mashi had made this Muga dali pitha.
She had sat us kids down with a bunch of questions to solve and had disappeared into the kitchen.
We could hear her chatting with Ma and in a while,  this beautiful, warm, sweet aroma drifted out of the kitchen a spread all over the house .... making its way towards us in the drawing room.
We started getting fidgety but were warned against getting up and going to the kitchen.
Bapi had returned by then and the evening tea was just being served.
And Mashi walked in with a plate full of fragrant, hot pithas.

And what pithas they were!
Crisp on the sides, the sweetness of the jaggery mixed with the fragrance of coconut ... it smelt of something that can be only divine.
They were just fried and out of the pan and still very hot.
We savoured each bite, experiencing different flavours everytime ... the sting of black pepper, the bite of small pieces of coconut, the sweetness of a fennel seed .....

Jaggery and coconut are an integral part of Odia pithas.
And are usually paired with crushed black pepper and fennel seeds.
And the body is usually of dals / lentils or rice powder.
Fried, steamed, roasted ... made in different ways for different occasions.

Yesterday, a few of my friends had come over to visit and brought me a load of cooked food so that I could rest and not have to cook for a couple of days at least.
I was touched but not surprised.
All through the years, every time I have fallen ill .... and god knows when I fall ill it has always been a lengthy affair, sometimes stretching to almost a year .... it has been these friends who have been my rock; my support; my pillars.
I was so happy to see them that I wanted to make something for them that would be quick.

I had boiled moong dal in the fridge for dal tadka .... so decided to make this pitha for them.
I had grated coconut in the freezer too.
So all I had to do was to make a mix and fry them.
My friends joined in too and soon we were all in the kitchen .... chatting, laughing, frying the pithas and eating them right there ... straight off the pan .... breaking each one, blowing on the pieces to cool  and sharing with one another.
We made some ginger tea too and while it rained on outside, I basked in the warmth inside, feeling cozy and loved.

Now for the recipe of the Muga dali pitha or Moog daler pithe -

Need :

Whole green moong dal - 2 tea cups, boiled with a pinch of salt
Gur / Jaggery - according to your taste for sweetness (I used granules )
Maida / APF - 2 tbsp
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Elaichi / Cardamom seeds - crushed
Black pepper - crushed
Mouri / Fennel seeds - crushed
Grated coconut - 1 tea cup
Water - a little to make the batter
Cooking oil - as you require
Ghee - half of the amount of cooking oil (optional)

There is no perfect measurement for the ingredients ... you will have to decide according to the thickness of the batter, the sweetness you want, whether you want to pan fry or deep fry ... etc. etc.


How to :

Mix everything except the oil and ghee and make a thick batter.

Heat a heavy pan or a tawa.

Add a oil + ghee in equal quantity.

When hot, pour in spoonfuls of the batter to make thick pancakes.

Fry the pithas, first covered and then uncovered, on both sides, till they turn brown.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy !!

Jaggery and Coconut stuffed sweet Paniyarams or Appes

"How many recipes do you have on your blog?"
"Around 300, maybe."
"When do you plan to cross 500 and more?"

We had just returned from my home, after that life shattering time.
It was not even a month , I would guess.
And that was B, asking me about my blog.
I gave him an incredulous look. Was he joking?
My blog is the last thing on my mind then. In fact I had forgotten that it even existed ... like a lot of other things ... then. The shock and trauma had hit me hard and I was having trouble sleeping, thinking, remembering .... all in all being a normal human being.

And he is asking about my blog?!
Recipes?!
I could not even cook a decent meal then. I had forgotten how to cook too.
I would stand in front of the stove and stare ahead blankly. I would hold a vegetable in my hand and had no idea what to do with it.
And he is asking me write recipes?!

What I did not realise then was that it was one of B's numerous tries to bring me about.
He had thought that maybe doing what I loved doing most would at least give me and my heart some respite from the tormenting memories and pain.

And it worked ... albeit with a little time.
He kept asking me for this sabzi or that dal ... and I would go to the kitchen like a zombie and churn out the food.
But slowly I started to get into the mode of thinking. Thinking of what to cook, three times daily.
One day I even took out the camera and clicked some pictures.
Made some soups. Took out the tiles that I had bought when my kitchen was being done ... to photograph.
And slowly these efforts made their way back into my blog.

But the one thing that struck me is that I could not make tea anymore! 
Even today, the tea I make is just not edible, or drinkable, or even tolerable.
I have no idea how or why this happened .... but I cannot make a good tea anymore!
Life! And its strange ways indeed!

I made these Appes or sweet Paniyarams during sankaranti.

There is something about coconut and jaggery that fascinates me.
Mixed together, along with the infusion of the very heady green cardamom, it takes you on a whirlwind tour from temples and their prasads  .... to the kitchens of your childhood where the women of the family doled out pithes or just the narkel nadu ( coconut laddoos ).

I love the smell of jaggery and coconut being cooked together ... especially if with ghee. And sometimes, I add a good amount of freshly pounded black peppercorns.
The taste ... ah! another story altogether.
Most often I use this as a filling for the patishapta, or the bhapa pithe. 

I had the idli batter and some pur ready in the fridge .... so decided to make these Paniyarams or Appes.
I love the crisp covering they get when frying in the appe pan. Also, they require very little oil or ghee. Hence guilt free too. 

Need :


The batter - ( find the recipe here ). It should be of free flowing consistency but not very watery.
The filling or the pur - ( find the recipe here )
A little oil or ghee

How to :

Heat an Appe pan like the one below.

Brush it with a little oil or ghee.

Pour in the batter till half full.

Place a little of the filling in it and cover with some more batter.

Cover and cook for around five minutes, on low heat.

Remove cover and flip them over.
Cook for five more minutes or till they turn golden brown and crisp, uncovered.

These can be served hot or warm.
Or at room temperature too.

But during winters, it is best to enjoy them hot.
That way, the crisp outside and the soft fragrant filling combine to give it a unique taste altogether.

I was making these in the kitchen while Mummy sat in my little kitchen chair with wheels, chatting. Papa dragged in a dining chair and B perched on the counter top.
And we chomped on these crisp appes hot out of the pan, with steaming cups of tea made by B, on a chilly winter evening.

There is a savoury version of this too, that I make often for breakfast.
Will make a post on that too ... soon I hope.

Take care folks.
And enjoy!!

Koraishutir Patishapta / Traditional crepes with a savoury filling of green peas

Happy new year!
Happy Makar Sankaranti!
Happy everyday!

Well, what do I say?
I have been wanting to make a post from the first day of the new year.
But then could not for obvious reasons.
And a little more.

The parents in law were here for a few days.
And as usual, it was pure mayhem at home.
Food being churned out of the kitchen throughout the day ... enough to feed an army.
Not to mention the variety.
Mom in law decided to make very one of her son's favourite dishes in exactly five days.
So morning, noon and night, the kitchen fires were a'burning.

Of course, I had to do my bit too.
Regular meals, that is. You need your dal,roti and sabzi to sustain yourself, you know.
So went the days by, with both of us jostling around in the kitchen ... utilising great restraint from pushing each other around, for space.
With the men hovering around in the background. Or whatever space is left of it.

I had started some preparations before they came, especially because Papa loves to try out new things made by me.
This time, I had made some fresh green peas pur / filling to make Matar paratha for them.
It is basically the same pur that I use to make Matarshutir kochuri.

Also, there was a batch of my all time favourite batter ... that I use to make a whole lot of other things too.

So made these savoury Koraishutir Patishaptas.

The month of Poush is a time to make Pithes in almost every Bengali household, with freshly harvested ingredients of rice , lentils and gur / jaggery.
In many small villages, traditional savoury Pithes are made too.
Many use pulses or lentils, fresh winter vegetables , ground rice and coconut to make old style, traditional pithes.
Usually, they would be cooked either by steaming, roasting or by deep frying in ghee.

The savoury pithes that Thamma made usually had Moong dal as a part ... either as the covering or the filling. There is especially one, that I loved, that had a mix of moong dal as well as coconut.
Hope to make a post on it someday.

This savoury patishapta has the best of both worlds .... winter's fresh green peas for the filling. And Patishapta ... that celebrates winter by itself.

And the crepes covering them are made with a paste of rice flour + urid / biulir dal, that has been thinned down with water.
A well seasoned tawa, a bowlful of this splendid batter and a good filling is all you need to dole out these crisp babies. 

Traditional Patishapta is not made crisp. Rather, it should be soft yet well cooked.
But the savoury version tastes best when served crisp and hot.

Need :

A thin, well soaked batter made of rice and urid dal ( the recipe is here )
The filling made from fresh green peas ( the recipe is here )
Ghee or oil to grease the tawa with

How to :

Heat the tawa or a flat griddle on low heat.
Brush it lightly with oil or ghee ... I use a silicone brush. You can use halved potato too.
Just dip it into the oil and smear it all over the tawa.

Pour a big ladleful of the batter and spread it well ... check out this post on the Soru chakli to get an idea.

Let it cook till the sides start to leave.
Take a little filling and spread in the middle of the chakli.

Fold from both sides ... like so.

Serve immediately.
Thamma would drizzle some Nolen gur on it with a generous hand.
I am not so lucky to get it here.
So paired them with some Appes / Paniyarams and tea.

The recipe for the Appes / Paniyarams will come up later.
This will be all for today.

Soon the winter sun will shift from my windows and move upwards.
The days will turn longer and evenings will be late.
We are still feeling the chill of a late winter ... but the spring breeze will blow soon.
Light, warm, pleasant.
And better days will be here again.
Soon.

Till then, stay around folks!
And stay well.

Saantlano Pithe / Tempered savoury pancakes

With the weather turning from beautiful to absolutely, unbelieveably, awesomely beautiful, the outdoors has been a'calling me for a while now.
What with a cold, windy breeze and numerous clouds playing hide and seek, the temperature looking downwards all the while and a very light sunshine all around, the weekends have been diving me cray.
All I want is to go on long drives, for picnics, for photographs, and so on.
Basically to stay out.
Soon, when the rains come, we will have to stay indoors. But this weather now ... it is perfect to be outside.

But things are not always meant to be.
B is submerged up to the neck with work. And I with numerous chores that need to be completed before the rains start. Chores that have been piling up from the last few or more months.
But I will not be bogged down, I thought.
And decided come what may, we will go out and have a break at least on one day of the weekend.

Which was just a day away , by then.

B asked not to pick up any place that would be too far away ... he needed to be back home for work.
And said could give only a few hours, not more.
I sighed.
My dreams of a longish drive and lunch seemed distant. Earlier we had wanted to drive till Panvel, have lunch there and return with a small stop at Lonavla. But gave that up as Lonavla still needs some good rain and greenery.
Then B suggested we take a drive down the Bombay-Pune old highway.
Thanks to the expressway, the traffic there has lessened considerably. With a lot of trees still standing and a lot of open space all around, it has been our favourite road for aimless drives always.

We haven't 't been on that road for a long while now ... almost close to four years or more. It would be fun to rediscover old memories.
So off we went on a late Sunday morning.
Drove down the beautiful , very green with huge trees , road all the way up to Talegaon. It had started to rain by then and we rolled down the windows to let that fresh, wet breeze, in.
The small hills on the side had turned dark and light,white clouds hung on their tips.
It was beautiful.

After a while, we came to Toni da Dhaba, a place famous for its Punjabi food, for many years now.
We stopped for a late lunch, that became later, with us having to wait for around an hour .... it was that crowded.
But the food was worth the wait ... as always.
I did not eat much due to my rct; but B enjoyed his laccha paratha, dal, paneer amritsari and some garam garam jalebis.
On the way back, we took a detour and explored another new road.
Later stopped at a roadside stall for some ginger tea. And then it was time to return.
Dusk was setting in . I leaned back into my seat, closed my eyes and set some Sufi music on the loose.
And happily looked forward to another hectic week.

Before leaving, I had made these Saantlano chakli pithe for breakfast.

Back home, any holiday and sometimes a weekend , meant this  pithe or pitha, for breakfast. Thanks to our Odiya cook , we had a good dose of pithas in our childhood.
The varieties were numerous and unlike the Bengali pithes that are mostly sweet, Odiya pithas have a number of savoury ones.  Almost all of them can be eaten both as snacks as well as a meal.
And almost always paired with a light vegetable curry, these pithas make for a filling, healthy meal. And if had for breakfast, they can keep you going for a long time before you are hungry again.

And this Saantlano pithe or the Santula pitha was our favourite.
A cross between the dosa and the uttapam, this pitha can be eaten with any chutney or the kasundi on the side for a snack.
Ma would use the same batter that she made for idlis or dosas; so do I.
The batter needs to be slightly thicker than a regular dosa batter, but still in a pourable consistency.
Unlike in an uttapam, where the chopped onions are spread on the top of the dosa while it is still on the tawa, this pithe has the temerings and the onions fried a little first and then added to the batter.
And then spread on the tawa as a thickish dosa.

If you have the batter ready, these are real quick to make and are very good with the ginger tea on the side. A life saver when you have sudden guests.

Need :

Fermented Idli batter - thinned a little with water.
( You can see the proportions and method in this post)

Onions - chopped
Green chillies - chopped
Tomatoes - chopped (optional)
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves - chopped
Coriander leaves - chopped ( optional)
Ginger - chopped
Salt - to taste
Cooking oil - as needed

How to :

Heat a little oil in a kadahi.
Or you can use the tawa in which the pithes are to be made.

Add the mustard seeds.
When they start to splutter, add the onions, green chillies, curry leaves and ginger.
Stir fry on low heat for a while.
When the onions start to turn pink, remove from heat.

Add the above mixture to the batter.

Now heat the tawa.
Brush it with a little oil.
Now take a spoonful or two of the batter and spread it carefully on the tawa.
Do not try to spread it very thin.

Cover for a while.
Then remove cover and let it stay for a minute.

Carefully, flip it over and fry the other side too.

Both sides should be done crisp.

Remove and serve hot.

The above photo shows the crisp edges.

This pitha is best enjoyed hot off the tawa.
Hence I usually set two tawas, so that nobody has to wait for a second helping.

Goes great with a light vegetable curry.
Or any achar or chutney.

But best of all, unlike the Soru chakli pithe, this can be enjoyed as is too.
I love it with ketchup and kasundi too.


Enjoy!!

Savoury Poda Pithe

Breakfast is one thing that I never get around to posting on my blog.
While I do make a lot of different things for breakfast, there is hardly enough time to arrange and shoot them.
Earlier I used to make a lot of egg based things like omelettes with vegetables, French toasts ... both sweet and the savoury ones, egg bhurji, pancakes, etc.

However things changed after I was found to be allergic to eggs. It was a sudden discovery ... and life changed for me after that.

First ... I love eggs. And it broke my heart when I was told, rather warned, to stay away from them ... a warning I do ignore at times, when greed overrules common sense.
And little white figure on the my right of my head just sighs and turns away from the grinning one on my left.

Second ... it created a huge problem concerning breakfast.
I had to turn to the Poha, which incidentally I am not too fond of.
And bread ... but had to come up with ideas for sandwiches stuffing.
And every morning, or even the night before, breakfast was a big question mark.

Until I started making idlis and dosas. It was a Eureka moment for me when I realised I could do a whole lot more stuff than those two time taking things.
That batter was a life saver.
I started to make big batches of the batter and store it in the fridge.
It was a huge help.
Breakfast, a different kind of lunch, evening snacks, dinner .... I could do a whole lot of different things.

Slowly I started to make a batter from mixed dals .... it all started when I had some leftover soaked dals after I had used the desired amount for my Dal Panchmela .... and made pancakes and dosas from it.
Later came to know it is very common among South Indians.

I now almost regularly make pithes, handvo, vegetable idlis, quick uttapams and of course the dosa with this  dal and rice batter.
Among them, the regular is the Poda Pithe.
Quick to make, needs no baby sitting, great with a hot cup of tea.
Very light, yet very filling.
Healthy too.

I usually make the slight sweetish one.
But this time I made the savoury one. And thought of clicking some quick pictures ... just so I will be able to share it here.


How to make the batter :

Soak 1 cup of urad dal + 2 cups of rice for around 4 to 5 hours.
Grind it into a paste. Add a pinch of salt, cover and keep overnight to ferment.
You can use this batter to make everything mentioned above.


Need :

Rice + Urad dal batter - 2 cups
Jeera / Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
Ginger - 1", chopped
Green chillies - 2, chopped
Coconut - chopped, around 5 tbsp
Fresh Curry leaves - chopped, 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Ghee - just enough to smear the kadahi

How to :

Take a heavy bottomed kadahi ... preferable a cast iron one.

Mix all the above ingredients except the ghee.

Smear the ghee well on the kadahi. Do not heat the kadahi first.

Pour the mixture and set the kadahi on low heat.

Put on a tight cover.

Check after 10 minutes. Flip it over, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove and let it cool.


The outer crust will be very very crisp. But it will be very soft inside.
Great as a breakfast or as a snack, anytime of the day.
You can also eat it with a chutney or achar on the side too.
In Orissa, it is eaten with a potato curry that has a very thin gravy ... to soak it up with.

You can try it with this aloo ki sabzi or this one too.

I clicked this quick picture to show the insides in detail, before settling down with the day's paper and my hot cup of the very spicy ginger tea.

Enjoy!!


PS: This post of mine has been selected as one of the top 12 food posts of February 2015 by Baggout.
Yeh! :-)

Soru Chakli Pithe with Sada Aloor Chorchori / Rice flour Crepes with a simple Potato curry

Winter means Pithe. Or Pitha.
I know, I know. Winter is still a far way off.
But I am lucky to be staying in a place that has beautiful weather the whole year through.
So, other than the month of May when it does turn very hot, the slightly cool weather and low temperature of this city helps hugely when it comes to making and enjoying dishes that you want to make and not worry about the right time of the year for them.

I do make the Soru chakli pithe quite regularly. But like many other dishes, never got around to make a post out of it for lack of time or energy.
And since this is made for breakfast, time is more the reason here than energy.
Ma used to make this Soru chakli pithe too. But only on holidays.
Winter holidays or winter weekends.
And served it with the Sada Aloo'r chorchori. Or plain potato curry.

But what I remember most is the Chakli pithes at Dadu's house.
Thamma would make them on the mati'r unoon or the chulha .... a hot tawa sitting on the reddish coal embers inside the dark kitchen, that went 'ssssssss' with every ladleful of batter on it.
White smoke curled out as Thamma expertly flipped the pithas and plonked them on our plates, one by one.  It was a quick process as the pithes are required to be soft and not cooked for long.
One side done ...  flip ....  the next side done.
Plonk on a plate held out by a small hand.

And then pour the golden, beautifully fragrant jhola gur or Nolen gur on each pithe.

We sat around the unoon, soaking in the warmth while once in a while a gush of bitterly cold air would come in through the door and make us jostle and sit a little more closer to one another.
That was our time ... Thamma and us grandkids ... together. Jethima, Ma, Kakimas, not even the helps were allowed in then.

Years later, after I had mastered the art of making the batter, fermenting it properly and make a decent dosa, I introduced this pithe to the man.
He took to it and I heaved a sigh of relief.

 

The Soru Chakli pithe, or the Soru Chakuli pitha as it known in Orissa / Odisha, is made from a batter made by soaking rice and Urid dal. 

Soru means thin. The pancakes are very thin hence the name. 

I use the same batter that I use for my idlis. 

You may or may not ferment it. I do. 

Gives the batter a good resting time that way.

Ma makes another version of this pithe. I'll try to make a post of it another time.

Need : 

Rice - 2 cups  

Urid dal (dehusked ) - 1 cup 

Salt - 2 tbsp 

Grated ginger - 1 tbsp 

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp 

How to : 

Wash well and soak the rice and dal for around 3 to 4 hours. 

I soak it overnight. 

Grind in a mixer to a smooth paste. 

Add a little water at a time when grinding. If you add too much water in the begining, it will be difficult to make a smooth paste. 

The rice will stay as stubborn grains.

Add salt and keep it covered overnight to ferment. 

To make the pithes, take a well seasoned tawa. 

A heavy, cast iron one is best. 

If you use a non stick one, then season it well with oil and water and wipe it clean. 

Keep a clean, wet cloth at hand. 

Take the amount of batter needed in a deep bowl and add water and a little salt.
Add the grated ginger and 1 tbsp of oil.
Mix well. 

The batter should be thin but not too runny. 

 

Heat the tawa well. 

Put in a drop or two of oil and wipe it with the wet cloth. 

Heat again. 

Now pour a ladleful of batter on the tawa and slowly move it on the batter to give it a round shape.
Cover it for around a minute.
Remove cover and flip and let it cook for around a minute.
Remove from the tawa and keep in a slotted bowl, so that it does not turn soggy in its own moisture.
Wipe the tawa clean with the wet cloth before pouring in another ladleful.

The pancakes will be thin ... almost crepe like.
Do not keep them on the tawa for long as they might turn crisp.
No harm in that. But the Soru Chakli pithe is supposed to be paper like thin and soft.

They go best with an equally soft aloo ki sabzi. Or the Sada ( white ) Alur chochchori.
Very simple, very light in flavours, no masalas, not even turmeric.
This torkari is the perfect accompaniment to these light crepes or pancakes.

Sada Aloor Chorchori 

Need :

Potatoes - cut into long slices
Kalo jeere / Kalonji / Nigella seeds
Whole red chillies - broken
Black pepper powder
Oil - I use mustard oil
Salt
Water

 How to :

Heat oil in a kadahi.
Add the Kalo jeere / kalonji and the red chillies.
Let in the potato slices and stir well on high heat for around a minute.
Add enough water to submerge the potatoes.
Add salt and cover and cook till the potatoes are tender.
Check to see there is enough water in between.

When the potatoes are well cooked, add the black pepper powder and give a good stir.
Remove from heat.
This dish should have a thin gravy or the potatoes should be cooked till very very soft.
Mine looks dryish because I was busy clicking the pithes.

Most people use fresh green chillies in the tempering.
I had run out of them so used the red, whole ones.
And I'm so glad I did.
The chillies give a wonderfully smoky flavour to the potatoes and mixed with the flavour of the mustard oil and the kalonji seeds, they took the simple torkari to a different level.

We had this for our breakfast today.
And I raced against time and my painful hand to make this post.

Enjoy!!

Puli Pithey / Coconut stuffed Rice dumplings in milk

 Much as I want to post regularly, things seem to keep getting out of hand.

I am appalled at the way my time management has gone out of the window ; or the door or my balcony.

All I know is it is not where I left it last.

Nothing seems to be in my control any more. Am so tempted to write 'no more' here!
See ... that's how much I have changed. :-|

It has taken me a lot of time to get back my kitchen.

Now that it is behaving and happily churning out simple, daily dishes, I thought I'd get started with the blog.

For that one needs to click photos.

How else am I to serve what I've cooked ... albeit virtually?!

It is another thing that I still use my photos as proof ... to prove my cooking and photographing ability ...

... to myself.

And now, after all that storing of photographs, storing of recipes in my mind ...

... when I finally start posting again ... I find myself at a dead end.

Complete lack of zeal.

To write. To upload. To arrange.

To make a post on this hugely simply laid out blog seems an effort.

Why am I writing this here ... of all things??

Well ... see ... because I just don't know what to write.

I just wish I can ... again.

Till then ... dear readers ... I guess you'll have to put up with this nonsense.

I know all of you love me; love Kichu Khonn.

But I also know that I'm asking for too much. :-)

 So, while still a lot of photographs languish in my folders, I'll just get over with this post of Puli Pithe.

I recently made these and want to share with you all ... before winter passes by.

Actually, I'd amde a post on this long, long back.

When I was a new blogger and a new cook.

When I was new to photography ... especially food photography.

So new that I could not give the pulis their authentic shape. So had made them in rounds.

But I call myself an expert now ... at least in the kitchen.

It is another thing that all I can cook up is homely food ... nothing exotic, nothing glamorous.
I mean ... not even the most glamorous of evening wear is going to successfully clothe my dishes
and make a plate look like a ... say ... beauty queen.
You can still see that lone black pepper or the jeera
or the colour of just how much frying have my onions gone through.
Nah ... no red carpet for my plain Jane dishes.

And it is another thing that I have not gone beyond a few pithes when it comes to traditional cooking.

But let us not dwell on that.

Especially when I have dished out these lovelies for you. :-)

And this time ... in all their traditional shape and glory.

For the recipe, I'd still send you to my old post.

Where I was enthusiastic enough to click a few steps of the process too.

And if you still can't make these beautiful moon shaped pithes, worry not.

You can make them round .. and they'd still be a winner.

And so will you be.

Serve warm or cold.
Enjoy!
And stay warm ... winter will soon begone. :-)

Ranga Alur Pithe or Pantua / Coconut stuffed Sweet Potato

Winter.

Holidays!

Pithe!

All three are synonymous to each other.

Pithe.

Traditional sweet or savoury things that are usually made with rice, coconut and jaggery.

Sometimes dals or lentils are used too.

With these few ingredients, some wonderful pithes  are lovingly made 

by the ladies of a house every winter.

The Ranga Alur Pithe or Pantua is one of them.

 During the holidays, Thamma would be extra busy.

Of course she was busy throughout the year ... what with a huge joint family to run.

But during holidays, the house brimmed with people.

Relatives of all relations ... kakimas' brothers with their families or 

Jethima's sister with her two sons. 

Or my mashis with their brood.

The house would be overflowing with people. Almost like a wedding is on.

Everyday was a celebration.

All through the day one would get hear all kinds of voices.

A mother's high pitched voice calling out to her children, ladies chattering with a lot of laughter, childern screaming out in warning when running pell-mell all across the long verandah.

The house is big. Huge.

Once you cross these sound barriers , you reach another long verandah that houses the bharaar ghor/ the store room.

And the two kitchens.

Two? Yes. One for vegetarian food too.

And from these two rooms came the most wonderful smells in the world.

All kinds of food being cooked.

And among them ... on one side there would be a small unoon/chulha .... that was used to make Pithe.

Amidst everything, Thamma made sure at least one kind of Pithe was on our plates everyday of our holidays.

My mind is a-wandering. 

More later.

I'll put in the recipe now.

To make this pithey, you can start preparing a day or two earlier.

That way you won't feel overwhelmed when you actually start making it.

I usually prepare the coconut stuffing a day or two earlier.

Boil the potatoes too and keep away.

And also the sugar syrup.

So your work gets cut down by half.All you need to do is stuff the pithes, fry and soak in the syrup.

Gets done in a jiffy.

Need: 

Sweet potatoes - I used 2 big sized ones

Maida/apf - 3 tbsp

Grated coconut 

Jaggery

Crushed cardamom / elaichi

Oil to deep fry

How to:

Sugar syrup - Boil one and a half cups of sugar in 2 cups of water till dissolved well

(No need for any thread consistency ... just thin syrup will do)

Coconut stuffing - Melt jaggery with a little water in a pan.

Add the coconut and the cardamom powder and cook well till dryish.

Remove and cool.

Pithe / Pantua -

Peel and mash the sweet potato with the maida.

Make medium sized balls, flatten on palm and stuff with a little coconut stuffing.

Cover and roll on palm to make a smooth elongated shape.

Wet your fingers with water if needed.

Heat enough oil in a deep kadahi.

Slowly let in the pithes and fry on low flame till brown.

Remove and soak in the sugar syrup.

PS: If you have made the syrup a day earlier, reheat it before soaking the pithes.

Leave them for a while to soak up the syrup well.

Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Click here for the list of  Pithe / Pitha on my blog

Pithe for Makar Sankaranti

Wishing you a happy and fruitful Makar Sankaranti!!

Could make a little Pithe on this auspicious day.
So am sharing them with you on this harvest festival.

The recipe for Dudh Puli is here ... posted a long time back.

Don't go by the snaps ... it tastes awesome.

Will be updating with the new snaps I have taken today. :-)

The other one is Ranga Aloo'r Pantua/pithe.

Will be sharing the recipe in my next post.

Good wishes, everyone!

Patishapta / Rice crepes with coconut filling

Patishapta! ... the most made Pithe in Bengali homes I guess.

Traditional Patishapta is made with a rice flour batter
and fresh coconuts and jaggery .... all harvested products.
But due to the fast paced life of recent times, it is no longer possible to actually go
through the whole process of cleaning, washing, soaking and grinding rice to make a fresh powder.
And then use that powder to make a batter.
So, many people make it with a batter of maida and sooji ,
a quicker version of the original, traditional way.

I usually do not make this frequently ... my favourite pithe is the Poda pithe.
But come winter, every Bengali has to taste the Patishapta once.

When made or had with fresh date palm jaggery, the Patishapta
evokes wonderful memories of childhood
in every Bengali.

With visions of our grandmothers making it on a chulha on cold winter evenings
and us children sitting around it,
savouring the soft, hot patishapta with jaggery oozing out of it,in the warmth of the hot unoon,
knocking on our hearts,
we try to recreate the same taste and memories in our own kitchens
with inept hands.

I am still not into complex cooking yet and would not have made this right now either ...

was happy just watching this wonderful sweet
all over Bong blogosphere ...
but for a reader who requested me for the recipe.

So went ahead and made it.
Thanks to esskay we did get to enjoy the patishapta this winter.

I made it the traditional way ... but added some lentils (urid dal) to
the batter to give the crepes a little softness ...
I have noticed that the only rice batter
tends to make the crepes
slightly dryish.

I have also added a very,very, very small pinch of salt
to the batter ...
to complement the sweet filling.

One tip I'd like to share ...
the first and second crepes will turn out slightly thicker and not very perfect.
But as you keep making them, they will turn out better and better.
And keep the batter thin ... helps in spreading.
And also brings out crisp sides.

Do use a well seasoned, cast iron tawa.
If you want to use a non stick tawa, make sure you add just a few drops of oil and smear it well all over.
Use a wet cloth to smear the oil.
And heat the tawa well ... but on a low flame.
Patience is the key here.

Also, I never try to make it at one go ... or in one day.
A little preparation done earlier helps hugely here.
For example ... I make the coconut filling on one day and store it in the fridge.
I soak the rice and dal overnight ( do not keep it in the fridge ).
And grind it on the next day.
Then keep it in the fridge till I need it ... that way it soaks well.
And all I need to do is heat the tawa and make the pithes whenever I want to.


Need :

For the pur / filling

Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup
Jaggery (I used granules) - around 1 cup
Elaichi / Green cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Water - ½ cup


For the Crepes

Rice - 1 and ½ cup
Urid dal - a little less than ¼ cup
Enough water to make a thin batter


How to make :

The Pur / filling

In a deep pan, put the water and the jaggery together and let it come to a boil.
When the jaggery melts completely, remove and strain it to remove any impurities.
Put it back into the pan and add the coconut.
Keep stirring.
Add the elaichi powder and keep stirring till the mixture turns dryish.

The crepes :

Soak the rice and dal together for around 2 hours ...  the more, the better.
Grind into a smooth batter, adding water if needed.
Add water to make a very thin,
free flowing batter.
( If you let the batter sit for a day, the crepes turn out even better. )

Heat a little oil on a non stick tawa / griddle.
If using a cast iron tawa, heat it well first.
Then smear a good amount of oil on it and heat it again.
Now wipe off the oil with a wet cloth.
Add a little oil again and smear it well and then wipe it off again, with a wet cloth.

Now pour a ladleful of batter on the tawa and spread it to make a thin round.
I cannot do it with the ladle ...
so pick up and turn the tawa in a circle ...
works for me. :-)
Let it cook for a while.

(This was the first one ... so is slightly thick.)

It should leave the bottom of the tawa easily when done.

Place some of the filling in the middle of the crepe.

Roll the crepe on the filling from both sides to cover it.

Remove from the tawa.

See the fluffy soft crepes? The texture was perfect!

A closer look.

I have noticed that if you use maida, it does turn a little tough when cool.

But the rice flour ones stay soft enough
to be easily cut with a spoon.

Make sure to smear the tawa with a little oil and heat it well before adding another spoonful of batter.

These fluffy white blankets of sweet are best served with some

date palm jaggery or Nolen gur
poured over them.
Or sweet, thickened milk.

I'm not so lucky .... so enjoyed them as is.

Enjoy !!

Some wonderful varities of the Patishapta on blogosphere

Sandeepa's Patishapta ...
using Maida, Khoya & Semolina ...
and a beautiful write ...
miss ya Bong mom ... come back soon.

Jaya's Patishapta ...
she has 3 different ways of making the batter and a huge info on the sweet.

Sayantani's Patishapta ...
using maida, semolina & khoya too ...
and has a wonderful writeup on Poush Parbon.

Other Pithes on Kichu Khon

Arisa Pithe

Poda Pithe

Puli Pithe

Monda Pitha