Khejur Gurer Shoru Chakli ( Jaggary Rice Dosa)

This is made with rice flour and all purpose flour, mixed together with jaggery water an made into a batter. Then the batter is cooked into a kind of a sweet dosa.
Ingredients 
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup All Purpose flour
1/4 cup Date Jaggery
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cardomon powder 
Ghee for Drizzeling on the pan

Method 
Take the Jaggary, salt, Cardomon powder and add a cup of water , let it boil till the Jaggary melts. Take it off the  flame. Take a bowl, add both the flours and mix it. Add the Jaggery water into the flour and mix it to make a thin batter. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Take a pan, drizzle ghee, pour in 1 or 2 ladle of the batter and swirl the batter in the pan so that the batter spreads out evenly, keep it on low flame for 3 or more minutes, so that the batter gets cooked. Keep checking, once one side is done, turn it and cook for another minute. Shoru Chakli is done...

Bhaja Puli

This Pitha is made with rice flour which is kneaded into a dough. A lime size portion is taken from the dough and stuffed with coconut and jaggary. Then it is given a shape and fried in oil.
For the Stuffing 
Ingredients
1 cup Coconut grated
1/2 cup Date Jaggary grated
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
Pinch of Salt

Method
Take a pan, add the Jaggary, Cardomom and salt, stir it on a low flame till it melts. Add the coconut and stir on low heat till the mixture becomes dry. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.

For the Rice Dumplings 
Ingredients
2 cups of Rice Flour
1 Pinch Salt
Warm water

Method 
To make the dumplings, take the flour and add the salt in a mixing bowl, add warm water little at a time. Knead it into a soft dough. Keep the dough covered as the dough will becomes hard if kept open.

For the Final step
Ingredients 
Stuffing 
Rice Dough 
Oil or Ghee for Frying

Method 
Take lemon size balls from the dough. Flatten the balls with your fingers in the shape of a bowl. The shell would be medium thin. Fill the stuffing into it. Close, fold and seal the edges of the dough. Give it a boat shape with 2 edges pointing outwards. Heat oil or ghee in a wok, Heat the oil or ghee. Add the stuffed dumplings in the oil and fry it till golden brown.

Dudhpuli

This Pitha is made with rice flour which is kneaded into a dough. Then the little portion of the dough is stuffed with coconut and jaggary. Then it is given a shape and boiled in milk.
For the Stuffing 
Ingredients
1 cup Coconut grated
1/2 cup Date Jaggary grated
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
Pinch of Salt

Method
Take a pan, add the Jaggary, Cardomom and salt, stir it on a low flame till it melts. Add the coconut and stir on low heat till the mixture becomes dry. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.

For the Rice Dumplings 
Ingredients
2 cups of Rice Flour
1 Pinch Salt
Warm water

Method 
To make the dumplings, take the flour and add the salt in a mixing bowl, add warm water little at a time. Knead it into a soft dough. Keep the dough covered as the dough will becomes hard if kept open.

For the kheer
1 liter  Full cream Milk
1 cup Date Jaggery 
Pinch of Salt 
Pinch of Cardomon Powder

Method
Add the milk in a pot and keep it on low flame till it reduces a bit. Add salt, Cardomon powder and Jaggary and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile we will get the dumplings ready.

For the Final step
Ingredients 
Stuffing 
Rice Dough 
Kheer

Method 
Take lemon size balls from the dough. Flatten the balls with your fingers in the shape of a bowl. The shell would be medium thin. Fill the stuffing into it. Close, fold and seal the edges of the dough. Give it a boat shape with 2 edges pointing outwards. Once the kheer has simmer for 15 minutes, add the dumplings into the kheer. Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, till the dumplings are cooked.

Chushi Pitha Kheer

Chushi Pitha is traditionally made during Paush Sankranti. This is a Bangladeshi sweet dish. There many types of Pitha made during this season with the new harvested rice and date jaggery which is made during this winter season. Chushi Pitha or Chutki Pitha or Chui Pitha has to be made in advance as the small rice dumplings are made first and then sun dried. It is time consuming to make them so the traditional method is becoming extinct. Now a days the dried rice dumplings are available in the market. 

Traditionally it is made with Gobindo bhog rice flour or Basmati Rice flour. The dough is made by cooking the flour in hot water and then kneading it well. A pinch of the dough is taken and then shaped. There are many traditional and faster ways of making it, but since I being a Prabasi Bangali (out of the state), I am not very acquainted with all the methods.  The dumplings are sun dried and it can be stored. These are used to make Chushi Pitha Kheer. To make the kheer date jaggery is used as it is the season for this jaggery. Milk is boiled and reduced and sugar and date jaggery is added to the milk, it stirred till the sugar and jaggery is dissolved. The dumplings are fried in ghee and added into the milk and cooked till the milk has slightly thickened. 

Here I have mixed the flour and salt together and add hot water to the flour. I have mixed it and microwaved it for 30 seconds. Then kneaded it in to a dough... 

For the Chushi Pitha

Ingredients

1/2 cup + 1 tsp Rice Flour ( Gobindo bhog RiceFlour / Basmati  Rice Flour )

Salt to taste

Hot water as required

Method

Take bowl.  Mix 1/2 cup flour and salt. Add little hot water at a time and mix it till it forms a wet dough. Microwave the dough for 30 seconds. Let cool down a bit. Knead it well for 5 minutes.  Cover the dough and keep it for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on a platform. Take a small pinch of the dough and roll it into a ball. Keep it on a platform and with the help of the heel of the palm,  gently roll it from the edge and make it into a oblong shape. Then turn the dough and using the heel of the palm, roll it from the edge. It is pointy at the edges and thick in the centre. Follow the same process to make the other dumplings. Sprinkle some flour on them and sun dry. These can be stored in a jar and kept until Chushi pitha payesh is made out of it.

Chushi Pitha Kheer

Ingredients

3/4 cup Chushi pitha

1 1/2 liters Milk

3/4 cup Date plam Jaggery grated

3 tbsp Sugar or more as required

1/4 tsp Cardomom powder

Pinch of Salt

Few Raisins

Few Broken Cashewnuts

1 tbsp Ghee

Method

Take a heavy bottom pot. Let the milk simmer, stir it occasionally.  Meanwhile take a pan. Add ghee and stir fry the Chushi pitha till light brown in colour. Keep it aside. As 1/4 cup of the  milk reduces, add the sugar, cardamom powder, salt, jaggery, raisins and cashwenuts. Stirring the milk occasionally, dissolve the jaggery. Add the chushi pitha and keep stirring it as it should not form a lump. As the milk thickens, switch off the flame and let it cool. If you feel that the chushi pitha has absorbed the milk, then please add some more milk and stir it.

P .S. Some times due to the jaggery the milk curdles. So in that case if you are not sure of the jaggery, it is better to melt the jaggery with little water and then add it to the milk. 

Malpuas

Malpuas

It is like sweet pancakes, it is popular in India and Bangladesh. It is also served to Lord Jagannath Dev in his Sakala Dhupa (morning food served to the lord). During Paush Sankranti, Malpuas are prepared in Bengali homes. Malpuas along with mutton curry is served in many non-vegetarian Maithil homes during Holi. 

Net Resource...

It is made in many ways... All purpose flour (Maida) mixed with fennel seeds, sugar, curd and milk.. Or some times rice flour or Simolina along with banana is mixed with curd and shallow fried and dipped in sugar syrup. 

Here is my version of the Malpuas... 

Sugar Syrup

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup Sugar 

1 cup Water

Pinch of Saffron

Method

Add all the above ingredients in a pan and let it simmer on medium heat till 1/2 string consistency is acquired. Take it off the flame and keep it aside. 

Malpua Batter 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour 

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 tbsp Cottage Cheese

2 tbsp Mava

Pinch of Salt

1 tbsp Sugar

2 Pinches of Cardomom powder

1/4 tsp Fennel seed powder

1/4 cup Curd

2 cups Milk or more as per requirement 

Ghee to Shallow Fry 

For Garnishing

1 tbsp Almond and Pistachio Flakes

4 tbsp Rabdi or Condensed Milk 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl,add all purpose flour, wheat flour, Mava, cottage cheese, salt, sugar,fennel seed powder and Cardomom powder. Mix it well. Add curd and milk as required to make a medium thick batter. Like a crepe batter. It's better to churn it in a blender to get a smooth batter. Take a pan, add ghee. Let it heat. Take a ladle full of the batter and pour it into the ghee. Fry the Malpuas till golden in colour on both the sides. Arrange the Malpuas on a plate, pour in the hot syrup on the the Malpuas. Pour the Rabdi or condensed milk on the Malpuas and garnish with almond and pistachio flakes... 

Pitha (Rosh Bora Pitha, Chushi Pitha Kheer, Dudh Puli, Bhaja Puli andGurer Shoru Chakl,Patishapta, Gokul Pitha , Mung Dal Pakun Pithe)

Poush Sankranti ar Pitha....

In West Bengal, Sankranti, also known as Poush Sankranti is named after the Bengali month, it is celebrated as a harvest festival Poush Parbon. It falls on 14 th January according to the western Calendar. The freshly harvested paddy ( Nobo anno) and the date palm jaggery in form of liquid called Jhola Gur or solid block form called Notun / Nolen / Patali gur are used along with coconut and milk to prepare sweet dish called Pithas. There are many kinds of Pithas made. 

Few of the Pithas are

Chitui piṭha

Aarisha Kakara pitha

Teler piṭha 

Bhapa piṭha 

Pakan piṭha

Puli piṭha

Gokul pitha 

Beni piṭha 

Dudher piṭha 

Chôndro puli

Muger puli

Dudh puli

Paṭhi shapta

Mug pakon

Rosh Bora 

Chushi Pitha (Traditional Old Dhaka Pitha)....

Here are few common pitha recipe links that I would like to share with you. Please click on the names to see the recipe. 

             Click here 👉  Bhaja Puli

              Click here 👉Dudh Puli

   Click here 👉 Gokul Pitha

Click here 👉 Khejur Gurer Shoru Chakli

Click here 👉 Patisapta

Click here 👉 Chushi Pitha Kheer

Click here 👉  Rosh Bora

            Click here 👉 Moong Dal Pakon Pitha

Pathisapta

For the Stuffing
Ingredients
2 cup Coconut grated
3/4 cup Date Jaggary grated
2 tbsp Sugar or more as per the taste
4 tbsp Mawa / Khoya
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Raisins

Method
Take a pan, add the coconut, sugar, Jaggary and salt, stir it on a low flame till the coconut becomes dry. Add Mawa, Cardomom and raisins.Cook for another couple of minutes till the mixture is dry. Pour in a bowl and let it cool down.

For the Crepe
Ingredients
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Semolina
1 cup Milk or more
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
Ghee for drizzling on the pan
Liquid Date jaggary for drizzling (optional)

Method
Take a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, sugar and semolina. Mix it. Add milk little at a time to make the batter. Cover and let the batter stand for 30 minutes. The batter will be just a little runny-consistency that is easy to spread and swirl on the pan. Heat a small heavy bottom non-stick pan on medium-low heat and add just enough oil or ghee once the pan is hot. Add 1 or 2 ladle full of batter to the pan and immediately tilt the pan and swirl the batter to cover the entire surface. Soon it will start to set. Give the pan a gentle wiggle. If the crepe moves, it is ready. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of the stuffing lengthwise in the center. Fold the crepe from both the sides. Drizzle the Jaggary syrup on top of the pathisapta (optional).

Moog Dal Pakon Pitha

Moong Pakon Pitha is a traditional dish of Bangladesh. The pitha is made with moong dal and rice flour dough. The dough is rolled and different designs and patterns are created on it. It is then deep fried and soaked in thick sugar syrup. Due to the designs, it is also called Nakshi pitha.  

I tried making it, but I need lots of practice to master the art to create a perfect design. 

For Syrup

2 cup sugar

1 cup water 

1 small piece cinnamon

2 cardamom

Method 

To make the syrup combine all the syrup ingredients in a pot.

The syrup should be thick in consistency.

For the Pitha

Ingredients

1/2 cup Moong dal

1 cup Rice Flour

1 pinch of salt

2 tbsp oil

2 1/2 cups water

Oil for deep frying

Method

Boil the Moog Dal in water.

Use a hand blender, so that the moog dal blends well.

Add salt and 1 tbsp oil.

Switch off the flame.

Stir the dal.

Add the rice flour and stir.

Cover the vessel and keep it aside till the mixture cools down a bit and it is easy to handle.

 Knead it to form a soft dough. Add little oil and knead it well.

Take a big lime size portion.

Apply oil  on the  rolling surface to prevent the dough from sticking.

Roll the dough to about a ¼ inch to 1/3 inch thickness.

Apply oil on the rolled disc.

You may use cookie cutters, fork, comb, toothpick or any other material to create designs on the rolled disc.

Ensure the design is deep enough as it will help absorb the syrup and make the inside of the pitha moist.

Heat oil to deep fry the pithas.

Fry the decorated pieces until in golden color. 

Remove the pithas from the oil.

Place the pitas directly in the hot syrup.

Pakon pitha is ready to be serverd.

Rosh Bora

Rosh Bora
The festival of Makar Shankranti is also known as Pithey Parbon in Bengal. There are many types of Pithey made in Bengal. Another type of sweet made during Shankranti is Rosh Bora.
Ingredients
2 cups of whole white urad dal
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp grated ginger
Oil for frying
Notun gur or date jaggery according to the sweetness of the syrup wanted

Method
Soak the dal for an hour. Drain the water and grind into a fine paste. Mix in fennel seeds, salt and grated ginger with the paste. The consistency of the mixture should be thick. Whisk the batter in one direction till light and fluffy. Heat oil in a wok and when oil gets heated up then drop a tablespoon of the batter and fry till golden brown in color. Fry in batches. Once the boras are ready. Keep them on a absorbing paper to drain off the excess oil. While frying the boras, get the Gur syrup ready. Heat 2 cups water with 2 cups grated Notun gur. When the gur completely dissolves and forms 1 string consistency then switch of the flame. Soak the boras in the syrup for an hour. Boras will turn super moist after absorbing the syrup.