Pitha

Odisa is situated on the coasts of Bay of Bengal.Rice is widely cultivated in Odisa and is the major base for most of the staple food in the state and like all other coastal regions coconut finds its predominance among the popular ingredients for making food. Pitha is a type of cake or dumpling common in Bangladesh and India, especially the North eastern states of Assam, Odisha, West Bengal etc. Pitha are typically made of rice ,lentils or rarely wheat flour.Poda pitha is a variety made from fermented rice and lentil flour sweetened with jaggery and slow cooked or baked in an oven till the outer crust almost gets burnt.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup – black gram dal (urad dal).
2. 1 cup- rice.
3. 1/2 – Coconut dessicated.
4. 1 cup – guda (jaggery) / sugar.
5. 1/2 inches  – ginger.
6. 1 tsp – black pepper powder.
7. 2 tsp – ghee.
8. 1 to 2 tsp – salt.

Preparation

1. Soak black gram dal and rice for overnight.
2. Wash the lentil and rice, and grind it.
3. The paste should be fine and thick like idly batter.
4. Add salt and mix well. Keep paste aside for 2 to 3 hours.
5. Grate ginger .
6. Then mix coconut, jaggery, ginger and black pepper powder and mix well.
7. Pre-heat oven for 10 mins and grease the pan it with ghee.
8. Pour the paste into the tray and keep it in the oven.
9. Cook on high for 45 mins.
10. Reduce to medium for 20 mins.
11. A needle inserted should come out clean. When its colour is golden brown, the poda pitha is ready to eat.
12. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.
13. Cut into small pieces and serve with coconut chutney or sweet molten jaggery.