FOOD; MY UNADULTERATED LOVE!
I had a late lunch today and you will get surprised, have irritation if you get to hear about the series of food I ate in a twenty minutes window. No wise person would eat this wrong late in the afternoon and have the medicine for diabetes control, thereafter. With a full stomach now, I am wondering for what did I go down for a late swim; my diet pattern kills any attempt to stay fit and slim. But wait, I am still not an wise; the help is sent to get vegetarian curry puff to have with my evening tea after sometime. I keep freezing my activities and my readers know I do not fear to share them in public. Married in this family, I forgot to follow any routine in life. Yet, today seemed more jeopardised since morning; everything got delayed! I also got busy cleaning our tiny green spot; then cooking with "Kharkol Pata & Kumror Doga" was a pleasure. I keep my calm cooking and eating what I enjoy, else I am a restless, agony aunt. I am too eager to share with you all one such FAMILY RECIPE today, a WINTER TIME STEAMED SNACK RECIPE; DOLLA PITHA!
WHAT IS DOLLA PITHA?
I think DOLLA PITHA is the simplest of all the pitha / winter special steamed or fried snacks been done in the family. It's been done with three ingredients. If you can accept the loads of carb in it, it is a very HEALTHY SNACK you can have any day. My family brought it with them from erstwhile Purbabangla; now Bangladesh. My forefathers hail from Bangladesh and even after the relocation, they maintained the food habits they were used too; they also learnt to use poppy seed in different dishes and prepare good handmade breads. Because, I am born in West Bengal and not prone to research; my demarcation of the East from West Bengal is limited to rice and "posto, ruti", "ilish & chingri"! This is stupid, my very Purbabangiyo family almost worshipped prawns, besides Hilsa & other fish. We are very fond of the BENGALI WINTER TREAT; PITHE PULI. There are a variety of been made, of which this STEAMED BREAKFAST SNACK / PITHE made of only RICE FLOUR, SALT, WATER is so favourite of mine. It is eaten with liquid date palm jaggery. In it's absence, I had it with melted coconut rock sugar.
WHY I AM SO HAPPY BEEN ABLE TO COOK A DOLLA PITHA / STEAMED RICE BALLS?
I am bound to be happy after making and having them! It was beyond my expectation that I will be able to prepare them with store bought rice flour. I had seen the family veterans soaking the rice in water, draining and drying, then hand grinding in a "hamandista", it was an all day affair. I took it as a try and I tasted success in my first attempt. DOLLA PITHA is indeed STEAMED SALTY RICE BALL; South East Asia does similar steamed stuffs. It is also called Myara Pitha, Choi Pitha! There are various additions made to it; milk, coconut, sugar but my family's authentic way is to prepare it the way you see; I followed it. So, I happily share this in the blog knowing my men would not want it with jaggery. If I serve it with a light potato or egg or chicken or mutton curry, they will. I will serve them that way but a blog post about it for the first time should be as authentic. Hindu Bengalis do not have their Sankranti Pithe-Puli non-vegetarian. This is no dig, the Southern Indian Hindus eat their rice crepes and kozhukattai with non-vegetarian curries.
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