Pitha


Pitha is a type of rice cake from the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, common in Bangladesh, Nepal and India. It is especially popular in the eastern Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, the South Indian state of Kerala, and the Northeast Indian states, especially Assam. Pithas are typically made of rice flour, although there are some types of pitha made of wheat flour. Less common types of pitha are made of palm or ol.

Preparation

Pithas are primarily made from a batter of rice flour or wheat flour, which is shaped and optionally filled with sweet or savory ingredients. When filled, the pitha's pouch is called a khol and the fillings are called pur.
For stuffed vegetable pithas, ingredients such as cauliflower, cabbage, radish, or potato are usually fried, baked, or steamed, and then mashed, cooled, and formed into small balls to stuff into the pithas.
Sweet pithas typically contain sugar, jaggery, date juice, or palm syrup, and can be filled with grated coconut, fried or roasted sesame seeds, cashews, pistachios, sweetened vegetables, or fruits. Sweet pithas are also often flavored using cardamom or camphor.
Depending on the type of pitha being prepared, pithas can be fried in oil or ghee, slow-roasted over a fire, steamed, or baked and rolled over a hot plate.
Pithas are often eaten during breakfast, as a snack with, and in dinner or lunch. Although there are many sweet varieties that are reserved for desserts or holidays.

Regional variation

Pithas vary considerably across the regions of the eastern Indian subcontinent.

In Assam

In Assam, pitha is a special class of rice preparation generally made only on special occasions like Bihu. Assamese pithas are often made from bora saul, a special kind of glutinous rice, or xaali saul, or sun-dried rice. Some pithas commonly found in Assam include the following:
In Odisha, Pithas are special delicacies in an Odia home. On traditional festivals, sweet pithas form a part of the celebrations.Pithas are also routinely prepared and served in Odia homes in normal days. The pitha may be broadly put in the category cakes. Some Odia pithas include the following:
Pitha is also the part of Bihari cuisine particularly in Mithila region of Bihar. Mainly the rice flour pitha is popular in Bihar and two varieties of stuffed or unstuffed pitha are consumed.

In Bangladesh, West Bengal, Tripura

While some pitha can be made at any time of the year in Bengal, there are special pitha strongly associated with harvest festivals such as Nabanna and the Poush parbon or Makar Sankranti, celebrated on January 14 every year. Pitha are usually made with rice flour, milk, coconut and jaggery. It is often served with sweet syrups such as date tree molasses. Some of the most common pitha found in Bengal include the following: