The Food Diary- Chitau Pitha ( Rice Coconut Pancakes)

 

A special variety  of rice pancake which is offered to LORD JAGANNATH on Shravana Amavasya also known as Chitau Amavasya.

This authentic Odia recipe is made with soaked rice and coconut which are ground together to make super delicious fluffy coconut pancakes.

I always used to observe the process and certain techniques when Grandma, "Jejema" as I call her in Odia made these for puja offering. Once the puja was done everyone in my  family gets to have these pithas and these are one of my most loved delicacies.

Varieties of pithas has always been a very integral part in every festival, occasion or puja in my state Odisha.

These pancakes just make a super yummy and healthy breakfast when relished by dunking each piece into some warm milk/homemade kheer.

The most interesting fact about Chitau Pitha is that it is never flipped and this method of cooking makes it soft, mushy and tender which just melts in the mouth with every bite.

Detailed Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup rice( idli rice/pitha arua rice(in odia))

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut.

1 cup milk.

8 tsp pure desi ghee(clarified butter).

2 tsp sugar or jaggery.

salt as per your taste.

Process:

Step 1- Rinse and soak the rice, for about 4 hrs.

Step 2- Then grind together the soaked rice, grated coconut, milk with little water to make a completely smooth paste. Allow it to settle and ferment for almost 3-4 hrs.                        Note: the batter should not be too thick neither too thin. The consistency should be such that it can easily give the shape of a pancake once spread on a deep bottomed kadhai.

Step 3- Then add sugar/jaggery and salt. Sugar/jaggery and salt should be added after the fermentation has taken place.

Step 4- Preheat the deep bottomed kadhai with 1/2 ghee.

Step 5- After the kadhai is well heated pour a laddle full of batter in the centre and allow it to spread on its own.

Step 6- Cover the kadhai with a lid. The size of the lid should be such that it just covers the spread. Should not be oversize. Then after covering the spread with a lid (i.e exact or little bigger size from the size of spread), cover the sides of the lid with a thin wet cloth.

Step 7- Then cook it in a low medium flame by adding 4-5 tbsp of water onto the wet cloth in order to compensate the extra heat and to make the pancakes super fluffy and moist.

Step 8- After few minutes (7-8 mins) remove it from the flame.No need to flip the upper portion.

Step 9- Serve it with homemade kheer or some warm milk.

Do try this unique, healthy and traditional  recipe and share your experience in the comment section.

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                                                                ~Thanks~