Bhapa Puli Pitha

This time of the year is celebrated as the harvest festival in India, as most parts of the country yield fresh rice, and other farming products essential for our daily life. This celebration is popularly known as 'Makar Sankranti', which is considered as one of the most auspicious festivals of the year, especially to the farmers who freshly harvest their crops and store for their upcoming days. Makar Sankranti brings celebration of various cultures with distinct names and rituals in different parts of the country. With just another week to go for the 'Poush Parbon' celebration which marks the feast of harvesting season in #WestBengal  I present to you one of the traditional recipe from the Bengal cuisine 'Bhapa Puli Pithe'.

Makar Sankranti is also known as 'Poush Sankranti' or "Poush Parbon' in West Bengal, on this auspicious occasion, we prepare a very famous traditional Bengali delicacy, known as Pithe Puli'. These authentic Pithe puli are generally made up of steamed rice flour dumpling stuffed with varieties of savories. We prepare different varieties of 'Pitha' for Poush Parbon celebration and to mark the harvesting festival. Making varieties of steamed rice flour caking stuffed with different ingredients, actually takes a bit of long time, however it brings all the members of the family together in the preparation and eating time.

Poush Parbon is traditionally the oldest, most colorful harvest festival in Bengal usually celebrated with food, dance, merry time and also cooking in the cool winter nights. Having said that every year 'Poush Sankranti' falls on the 14th of January, hence people all around the country will begin their first celebration of this year.

Today I'll share the very basic, most simple and easiest "Pithe Puli' preparation, called ‘Bhapa Puli Pitha’ (Bhapa= steamed), which is also known as 'Sidho Pithe Puli'. I've used two types of stuffing, as we usually use this two stuffing every time when we prepare steamed Pithe Puli and stuffing prep is not very spicy. Find the full recipe with full instructions below:

Bhapa Puli Pitha | Spicy Bhapa Pitha | Sidho Pithe Puli

[Veg]

Author: Paromita.P

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: About an hour (approx)

Recipe Type: stuffed dumpling

Course: Main dish

Cuisine: Indian/Bengali

Serves: 4

Yields: 40 Pithe (approximately)

Measuring Items: 1 cup=150 ml; Teaspoon (tsp); Tablespoon (tbsp)

Ingredients:

For Cabbage Sabji:

1. Cabbage
2. Potato- 2
3. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
4. Cumin powder- 2 tsp
5. Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
6. Red mirchi powder- 1 tsp
7. Salt- for taste
8. Mustard oil- 2 tbsp

Method for Cabbage Sabji:

1. Finely chop cabbage and potato.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, let it splutter.
3. Add chopped cabbage, potato, and other spices.
4. Cover and cook until veggies turn soft.
5. Stir occasionally, do not add water as cabbage releases water.
6. Stir-fry the cabbage in high to low flame for 5 minutes.

For Chana Dal fry:

1. Chana Dal- 1 cup
2. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
3. Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
4. Salt- for taste
5. Roasted cumin powder- 2 tsp
6. Mustard oil- 2 tbsp

Method for Chana Dal fry:

1. Soak chana dal in water for about an hour. Wash and keep the water drained.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds, let it splutter.
3. Add chana dal, turmeric powder, and salt.
4. Put water to consistent amount. (i.e, for 1 cup dal, add 1.5 cups of water)
5. Cover the lid of the cooker, let it whistle out 3.
6. Remove the pressure of the cooker, stir the dal in high to low flame for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from flame and sprinkle roasted cumin powder.

For Bhapa Puli Pitha:

Rice Flour- 4 cups

Salt- for taste

Warm water- as and how much required

Rice Flour (Chawal ka Aata)

Method:

How to prepare ‘Bhapa Puli Pitha’ with step by step pictures and instructions-

1. Prepare a dough, mixing the rice flour, salt, and warm water. Cover the dough with a lid/clean cloth, let it rest for 15 minutes.
   
2. Now make small sized balls, then roll into a bowl shape along with the fingertips.
    
3. Stuff the cabbage sabji/ dal fry this way.
   
4. Bring both the sides together like this.
   
5. Press in between the lines to close the ends.
   
6. Slightly roll the palms to give the pithe the desired shape. (Roll very softly as pithe may break, or stuffing may come out)
   
7. These are the result how the pithas would look like.
   
8. Keep water for boiling in a steamer, put the pithas slowly into the steamer pan.
   
9. Close the steamer lid, let it cook for 15 minutes (approx). Keep the flame in medium to low.
   

Tips: Rice flour dough prepared with a cup of lukewarm water, makes the dough just perfect, not too hard or too soft. The stuffings are prepared too dry to avoid the pithe turn moist.

Bengali traditional ‘Bhapa Puli Pitha’ or 'Sidho Pithe Puli' dipped in jaggery (khejur gur rosh= date palm jaggery syrup) is ready to be savoured and enjoy the feasting. May this harvest season bring you lots of happiness and prosperity. Till then enjoy cooking, serving and eating!!

Paromita Pramanick ©2018. All Rights Reserved.