Wish all the fellow Indians a very Happy Makar Sankranti !🌸🏵🌸🏵

This is an auspicious day celebrated across the length and breadth of India known by various names like Lohri, Pongal, Uttarayan, Bhogali Bihu, Poush Parbon and likewise. The day along with its religious significance in the Hindu calendar also has a cultural significance as it is an important harvest festival of the season throughout the subcontinent where the good agricultural produce were celebrated by all, as the ancient indian civilizations were mostly agrarian.

Similar to the rest of India, the eastern and northeastern parts of it also celebrates the harvest festival with some similar food stuffs prepared from common ingredients for this particular day which mostly includes sesame seeds, jaggery, rice, pulses, milk, coconut etc. Here, in Assam it is a festival of feasting especially with kinds of the sweetmeats appropriate for this festival which mainly include pitha(s), ladoos and porridges and some similar ones.

Being a Bengali from Assam I grew up enjoying all those flavours of this festival that makes it unique in its own way.This festival always holds a special significance for me with all its nostalgic memories from my childhood when my grandparents used to celebrate it with such pomp and gaiety.The unique and delicious varieties of pitha(s) prepared by our grandma were just heavenly and unforgettable. And I still remember the irresistible taste of those freshly made hot pithas straight from the flame which were offered to us as children for tasting & commenting on it for any correction. Although nothing could match those valuable experiences of my childhood, yet for me, preparing a few of the pitha(s), if not all on this occasion is a chance to relive those moments & memories that are so dear to my heart.

Along with the traditional bengaIi pithas, I always love to try something new, innovative or any other variety from different states that I am not familiar with. Last year on Makar Sankranti, I tried Goan Holle and really enjoyed its flavour. This year, I decided to try this pitha from odisha when one of our friends discussed about it.This dessert from Odisha known as “Kheera Gaintha Pitha”, a pitha dessert recipe from Odisha is similar to Bengal’s “dudh puli” in some way & to the indian rasmalai in other way except for the fact that the chhena balls in rasmalai is replaced by rice flour balls in it. In the dish, the milk is thickened and usually flavoured with cardamom, saffron and nuts. But I thought of preparing it with a slight bengali twist i.e. addition of Nolen Gur or Date Palm jaggery to it. The result was just wonderful. And so, I thought about sharing the recipe with you all. You may find the recipe here👇👇

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

A) For rice balls:

1. Rice (Aromatic Joha/Gobindo Bhog) – 1 cup flour.
2. Refined oil or ghee – 1 cup.
3. Bay leaf – 1 pc.
4. Salt – A pinch or two.
5. Water – 2 cups.
6. Freshly grated coconut 1 tbs.

B) For Kheer:

1. Milk – 1 litre.
2. Nolen gur ( Date palm jaggery) or Sugar – 2 tbs or as per requirement.
3. Bay leaf – 1 leaf.
4. Cardamom (if using sugar instead of nolen gur) – 3-4.
5. Chopped Nuts (Almonds and pistachio) – As per taste.

Preparation:

A) For preparation of the dough:

1. In a pan, take water, add the salt, bay leaf, oil or ghee and mix.
2. Bring this mixture to oil over a medium flame.
3. When water starts boiling, slowly add the rice flour while stirring in continuously so that no lumps are formed.
4. When all the flour is absorbed in the mixture or water, switch off the flame and let it cool down slightly.
5. Using your palm, knead the mixture to make a smooth, soft dough.
6. Take small portions of the dough and make small balls out of it.
7. Keep the balls covered with a moist cloth until your kheer is ready, otherwise the balls may turn dry.

B) For preparation of the kheer:

1. Heat the milk in a pan, add bay leaf and keep stirring over a low fame.
2. Keep stirrin until the milk is thickened.
3. Now, add the rice balls gently, one by one and cook for 10-15 minutes till your rice balls are cooked. ( Note: The rice balls will turn slightly transparent when cooked).
4. Add jaggery and chopped nuts.
5. Cook for another 1 or 2 minutes to blend the jaggery completely in your milk.
6. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
7. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve or refrigerate and serve chilled to relish this yummilicious pitha.