NARKOL DIYE CHITOI PITHE O KHEJUR GUR

No, I will not start with the much cliched "poush toder dak diyechey, aaire chute aai aai aai"...... Gurudeb may get angry.... there is more and yet more to him than the few verses of him that circulates in the social media.... I have not read him enough that I can make an impromptu quote from his treasure trove. Instead, let me look for an easier recipe of doing Chitoi Pithe..... I did not even dare to follow our mother's recipe..... she follows her mother's recipe which requires two particular variety of rice and salt..... they would wash and soak the rice overnight, drain the water next day, half grind in a "hamandista" and then prepare a semi smooth paste in the "shil nora" .... then would go ahead with the recipe. I will take a bow with reverence, saluting all these yesteryear ladies.... the super women but would want to follow an easier recipe! I am thankful to the  internet for introducing me to some easy recipes! A traditional Bengali recipe with an easier method got me this near perfect, soft NARKOL DIYE CHITOI PITHE O KHEJUR GUR. 

It is a celebration time for the Indians spread all over the world! If it is a Makar Sankranti, I have to go ahead with something traditional that suits, if it is an Eid celebration, I will go ahead with a chicken recipe or something that suits, its as simple as that! I was telling a dear and trusted someone just yesterday that life seems complicated these days but I prefer a straight road! Do not ask me if the person is a man or a woman.... haha..... I never do think before an action and that lands me in to unwanted complications! Let me tell you about an incident that occured few weeks back. I was inside an Asian store, happy and content with the size of "ilish" or with a packet of "loitta shutki"..... chit chatting with the store guys.... all of a sudden I discovered they used the beef cutter machine for cutting my fish or mutton, chicken! I screamed "eta ki korlen apnara, aar nimuna mach apnader thika."...... Then I saw the pain on the known faces who call me "Apu"..... On my way back home, a feeling of gloom and guilt overshadowed me.... I was thinking what if they hold me at gun point tomorrow for hurting their religious sentiments? It was only last week that my son while ordering a beef steak was instructing the restaurant manager for a rare one ... with 20% cooking... I felt awkward then too! Why? 

Some where there a party wins 80 seats in a State Assembly election only by visiting temples prior to the election ignoring the other places of worship.... there are also other such places where you can stay in power for long if you speak ill of or destroy temples! Meanwhile, in both the countries a girl child is abducted, raped, strangulated and killed.... and we are busy spitting at each other! It is good to protect animal rights, not alone of cows though.... but one should ensure that the kids and adults do not die in a hospital in the absence of oxygen! I will not go ahead with a chicken keema ball share on a Makar Sankranti Day just because I try not to hurt sentiments. However poor I am at bakes, I did share a cake recipe for Xmas.... All of us have every right to uphold and take pride in our own culture and tradition, but without hurting the sentiments of the rest! We are unable to be this perfect always and that is so humane....

Chitoi Pithe is an authentic Bengali, savoury snack recipe which is done during Poush Sankranti and to be had with Khejur Gur / Date Palm Jaggery..... Unable to follow the yesteryear women's laborious method, unavailability of the required ingredients and utensils, I preferred to consult easier method in the internet. I follow such pages to go back in time, relive childhood through the food shares I grew up eating! The recipe  requires use of cooked rice which our grandmothers & mothers will never approve of! The lady is at our Kolkata home now, cleaning before Sankranti because the daughter could not make her winter visit. It is only for her that it has not turned into a remains till date. Yet I do not do the 1/4th for her what my little brother does. 

Anyway, we do not offer savoury snacks to the God usually, I used baking soda instead of the cooked rice! Even the use of baking soda our family veterans would not allow. I like it and giggle when the rest of India or say people of this island offer God what they eat!.... This recipe of NARKOL DIYE CHITOI PITHE O KHEJUR GUR uses an idli variety of rice, a little of oil, salt, baking soda..... the shredded coconut is my addition! I really got an authentic taste of Chitoi Pithe. Inspite of being a diabetic, I am indeed enjoying it with date palm jaggery or a cup of tea.... 

You can turn these snacks into a dessert adding them to thickened milk. Will come up with that recipe later.... Till yesterday, I prepared only 3 desserts and pithe altogether because my men are small eaters. 

I still do not know how to share links of my previous posts as some of my friends do.... I am the only food blogger perhaps with no technical knowledge, neither I am a cook with precision.... I always urge people... leave me alone... be it in the kitchen or in life.... I perform better that way and do not wish to bother others either. Traditionally, this recipe requires a "matir shora" and "matir unan" but I have none! I would suggest you to use even smaller wok. In the beginning I made the blunder of spreading the batter with the back of the ladle a bit.... never do that.... else they will not rise, neither will remain soft and fluffy at the center.  I corrected after getting it wrong initially....

I was heavily inspired by a Chitoi Pithe recipe from Daisy's Notebook & Cuisine Gallery, although my family had been doing it for ages; I wanted an instant batter recipe to be done in lesser time! But it uses cooked rice paste in the batter, that I am not comfortable with! My kind of families consider cooked rice as "shorki", "etho", they would not approve of using cooked rice in the making of pithe-puli / Bengali salted & sweet steamed & fried snacks!

INGREDIENTS :

Gobinda Bhog / Chini Gura / Kali Jeera Rice : 1 coffee mug [we get this variety in the Bangladeshi stores] [ I have used Idli Rice variety]
Shredded Coconut : 1small tea cup
Oil : 2tbsp
Salt : 1/3tsp
Baking Soda : 1/4 tsp
Water : As Required for a paste like consistency

METHOD :

Wash and soak the rice overnight. Next Morning, drain the water and transfer the rice to a grinder, add all the other ingredients except for the oil & baking powder.

Add some water and grind to a fine paste. Do the grinding part with intervals and do not add water all at a time!

Pour the batter into a large bowl.... Add little water if only required! Mix well, use a hand beater!

Add the  baking powder. Beat again well! The batter wouldn't be too thick or watery! Mix well again the entire content.

Heat a cast iron or non stick round, small wok on gas oven very well.  Brush the centre of the wok with a bit of oil! Take a round shaped spoonful of batter and pour gently at the centre of the wok.

Do not do anything.... just cover and reduce the heat to minimum immediately.

It took me about 1 minute for each to fluff up.

Gently take out, the bottom will be little burnt..... while the centre will be fluffy! Authentically we enjoy NARKOL DIYE CHITOI PITHE O KHEJUR GUR / date palm jaggery.... You can also enjoy it with your favourite chutney and hot cups of tea / coffee .... even stale the next day!