Five

Pitha

Recipes To Celebrate Bohag Bihu

Quick Summary

Pitha is to Bohag Bihu what modak is to Ganesh Chaturthi, and is that one food item that marks the season. Assam's spring festival is Rongali or Bohag Bihu, celebrated around April 14-15 each year as the Assamese New Year. It runs for seven days, and pitha-making is a ritual that tags alongside it. The rice cakes come in every form, whether rolled, fried, steamed, stuffed, or folded, with some needing nothing but a hot tawa.

Deep Dive

What exactly is a pitha, and how does it tie itself to Bohu celebrations in Assma? Pitha refers to a variety of rice cakes made from rice, with fillings or toppings of coconut, sesame seeds, jaggery, or sugar. Bora saul is the rice used for the Assamese pitha. It is a glutinous, sticky rice native to Assam, the foundation of almost every pitha variety.

The pitha-making process involves soaking the rice, grinding it into a fine powder, and then shaping or moulding the pitha according to the recipe. These come in many shapes and sizes, whether crescent-shaped, rolled like a crepe, or a pancake. Rongali Bihu would not be complete without these authentic Assamese delicacies. 

Til Pitha

The most iconic Assamese pitha, and arguably the one that requires the most practice to master. Rice flour spread thin on a hot tawa, stuffed with a filling of roasted black sesame seeds and jaggery, and rolled into a tight cylinder before it cools. These pithas are very popular in Assam and can be found year-round.

Ingredients:

• Bora saul (glutinous rice): 3 cups (soaked 6-7 hours)
• Black sesame seeds: 150g
• Jaggery (grated): 200g

Instructions:

• Drain the soaked rice and spread it on a muslin cloth for 30 minutes; do not let it dry completely. 
• Grind the still-damp rice into a fine powder; if the grinder gets hot, pause and let it cool to preserve the stickiness. Keep the rice powder in a bowl covered with a damp cloth. 
• Dry-roast the sesame seeds for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then grind to a rough powder. Mix the sesame powder with the jaggery and set aside. 
• Heat an iron tawa or griddle, then spread the semi-wet rice flour to the size of a roti using the back of your hand. Put the stuffing in the middle. 
• As soon as the rice flour firms up, fold the sides to form a roll, covering the stuffing. Turn it over and heat lightly before taking it off the fire. 
• When done, the pithas will be crunchy.

Xutuli Pitha 

Xutuli is a traditional Assamese musical instrument that resembles a crescent or half-moon. Xutuli pitha is named after that instrument and is a fried, stuffed pitha that is crispy on the outside and has a sweet sesame and jaggery filling inside. The sesame seed filling is made for the harvest festivals and also during the winter.

Ingredients:

• Rice flour/bora saul: 2 cups
•  Refined flour:½ cup
• Jaggery (dissolved in warm water): as needed

For the filling:

• Black sesame seeds (roasted, ground):1 cup
• Jaggery powder:1 cup
• Oil (for deep frying): as needed

Instructions:

• Take 2 cups of rice flour. Add curd and jaggery, then mix to form a dough. Keep it at rest for 15-20 minutes. 
• For the filling, roast some black sesame seeds and grind them. Make a coarse powder, then mix the powder with powdered jaggery and grated coconut.
• Take small portions of the dough, roll into small balls, and flatten each into a circle about the size of a poori. 
• Fold it into a half-moon shape and seal it well so the contents do not spill. Optionally, rub the xutuli pitha on extra sesame seeds for an extra crunch on the outer layer. 
• Heat oil in a pan on medium flame and fry the pithas until golden brown.

Gila Pitha

Ghila pitha has only three ingredients, needs no special technique, and can be made in under an hour. The name comes from the Assamese word for knee cap, as the round, domed shape of each fried pitha, plus its size, resembles one. Tel pitha in Lower Assam is often known as ghila pitha in Upper Assam.

Ingredients:

• Rice flour: 3 cups
• Wheat flour: 1 cup
• Jaggery (dissolved, strained): 1½ cups
• Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
• Dried orange rind (optional): 1 tbsp
• Oil (for deep frying): as needed

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, add about 2 cups of water and jaggery. Mix with your hand until completely dissolved. Strain this mixture into a different bowl. 
• Add the rice flour and wheat flour little by little, mixing well so that no lumps form. The batter should have the consistency of a cake batter, neither too thick nor too runny. 
• Add orange rind, fennel seeds, and baking soda. Mix well. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes. 
• Heat oil for deep frying. Add a spoonful of batter to the hot oil and deep-fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain excess oil. Serve hot.

Doodh Pitha

Doodh or doodh pitha are rice dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery, cooked in milk. The name breaks down simply: doodh is milk, and pitha is the dumpling. It is popular across the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam, as well as the general northeast region. The Assamese version typically uses less spicing than the Bengali counterpart.

Ingredients:

For the pitha:

• Rice flour: 2 cups
• Hot water: as needed
• Salt: a pinch

For the filling:

• Grated coconut: 1 cup
• Jaggery: 1 cup

For cooking:

• Full-fat milk: 1 litre
• Jaggery or sugar: ½ cup
• Green cardamom pods: 2-3
• Bay leaves: 2

Instructions:

• Cook grated coconut with jaggery in a pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes sticky enough to hold together. Let it cool. 
• For the dough, mix rice flour with a pinch of salt, then add hot water gradually to knead into a soft, pliable dough. Keep covered with a damp cloth. 
• Take small portions of dough, flatten each into a thin disc, place a teaspoon of filling in the centre, and fold into a half-moon, sealing the edges firmly.
• Pour full-fat milk into a wide pan and heat over medium heat. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat. 
• Add the cardamom and bay leaves, then add jaggery or sugar. Boil the milk for 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened. 
• Add the pitha dumplings to the milk. Let them cook for 10 minutes without stirring. Then stir gently and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool before serving.

Tekeli Pitha

This is a steamed pitha named after the tekeli, or a clay pot (at whose mouths these pithas were steamed) or, in modern households, the kettle (ketli), because the pitha is steamed on the inverted lid of a boiling vessel. Tekeli pitha is one of Assam's most cherished traditional snacks, enjoyed especially during festive seasons like Magh Bihu and Bohag Bihu.

Ingredients:

• Rice: 2 cups
• Grated coconut: as needed
• Jaggery (chopped): as needed
• Salt: a pinch 
• Muslin cloth: 2 pieces
• Kettle: 1

Instructions:

• Soak the rice for 2 hours, then spread it on a muslin cloth to dry partially but not completely. Grind to a fine flour. 
• Transfer to a bowl with salt and add water in small amounts, mixing with your hands until the dough is crumbly but holds when pressed; not wet, not dry.
• Fill the kettle half with water and bring to a boil. Take the kettle lid and wrap it with a damp muslin cloth. 
• Spread a layer of the rice dough over the cloth. Add about 1 tbsp of grated coconut and 1 tbsp of jaggery. Cover with another layer of rice dough. Take care not to press the dough too much to ensure a fluffier pitha. 
• Wrap another damp cloth over the mixture, secure it around the lid, and place the lid over the kettle of boiling water. 
• Steam for 10-12 minutes. Carefully remove the lid, gently unwrap the cloth, and use a sharp knife along the edges to unmould the pitha. Serve immediately.

A Note on Technique

If you are making pitha for the first time, start with ghila pitha or doodh pitha. Once you understand how rice flour works, move to xutuli and tekeli. Leave til pitha for when you feel genuinely confident, or when there is an experienced Assamese cook in the kitchen who can show you how to roll it. This Bohag Bihu, try making these rice cakes for yourself and your loved ones.