GB brings lost recipes of Sankranti pithes
Wish to try a hand at Nakshipithe?
Try out the following recipe:
INGREDIENTS
• Ground short-grained rice
• Banana leaf
• Oil
• Date palm thorns or needles
• Paddy blades and bamboo sticks
METHOD OF PREPARATION
• Mix ground rice in boiled water till a paste forms and then flatten it with the rolling pin to make a thick roti like form
• Create patterns on the roti using paddy blades, needles, date palm thorns and bamboo sticks. After drawing the designs with paddy blades and needles, use the date palm thorns and the bamboo sticks to carve them prominently
• Lightly fry the pithe in hot oil and set it out to dry in the sun. Keep it in maximum sunlight for a few days before packing it in a sealed container.
• Since it is well dried, such pithes can be preserved for days.
• As and when needed, they can be fried in oil till they turn light brown.
• Dip them in jaggery or sugar syrup for a while before serving.
• They remain fresh for quite a few days even after being dipped in sugar syrup.
Photo credit - Shrabana Bhunya
For Chandramuger pithe, try out the following recipe:
INGREDIENTS
• Half Cup of Moongdal
• 1 cup of Powdered rice
• Scrapped Coconut
• 200 g of Molasses
• Half spoon of salt
• 1 litre of milk
• 3 Cardamoms
METHOD OF PREPARATION
• Fry moongdal for 1 to 2 minutes in the pot, stop the gas and wash the daal properly with water.
• Then, place the daal in the cauldron with boiling water to prepare the pulses.
• After the daal is boiled, keep on stirring it until it becomes smooth
• Mix rice powder and half a spoon of salt to it and switch off the ignition for five minutes.
• Then, in a glass container, make a pudding of the mixture, add some hot water if necessary. Cover it with a wet cotton cloth and keep it for ten minutes.
• For the filling inside, blend coconut with molasses, boil and churn it in medium heat.
• Take oil in the hand, take the dough and give it the structure of a bowl.
• Put the coconut filling and give them the shape of a crescent moon. Your pithes are ready to be fried.
• Fry the pithe in oil.
• Put 1 litre of milk, cardamom and jiggery in a pot and blend it well in a separate pot. Add coconut fillings. Put the fried pithes in the pot.
• Switch off the ignition after the milk reaches the boiling point.
• Chandramuger pithe is ready to be served.
Dudh Chitui is another mushy delight which can be made easily if you follow this recipe:
INGREDIENTS
• 4 cups of powdered rice
• 1 litre of milk
• 2 cups of molasses
• Half cup of scrapped coconut
METHOD OF PREPARATION
• Heat the milk until it becomes thick.
• Extract juice out of molasses and keep it separately.
• Add powdered rice in hot water and give them dough a thin and round structure.
• Put them in an earthen round cup and dip it in date juice.
• After the pithes cool down, pour cold milk on it and sprinkle scrapped coconut.
• Dudh chitui is ready to be served.
Golapful pithe is yet another artistic pathishpta which you can try this sankranti:
INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups of milk
• 3 cups of flour
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons of Ghee
• For date juice, you will need 3 cups of sugar, 1.5 cup of water, 2 pieces of cinnamon
METHOD OF PREPARATION
• Heat the milk
• After the milk is heated, add sugar, salt and flour and create a mixture.
• After the mixture cools down, add ghee, offer the shape of a roti.
• Cut it out in the shape of a rose
• Fry them in hot oil until it becomes light brown
• After they are fried, put them in the date juice
• Golapful pithe is ready to be served
