Pithas are a variety of food similar to pancakes, dumplings or fritters, originating from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...

, common in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. Pitha can be sweet or savoury, and usually made from a dough or batter, which is then steamed, fried or griddled. Very few varieties are oven-baked or boiled, and most are unleavened and cooked on a stovetop (or equivalent). Some versions may have a filling, garnish, or sauce. Few may be set or shaped after cooking. They are typically eaten as a snack with chai, or as treats during special occasions (similar to mithai). Pitha is especially popular in Bangladesh and the eastern

Indian states India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indep ...

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

(eastern parts),

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the four ...

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sc ...

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . ...

, the

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...

n state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

, and the

Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

n states, especially

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

. Pithas are typically made of

rice flour Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...

, although there are some types of pitha made of

wheat flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ''brea ...

. Less common types of pitha are made of

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (b ...

or ''ol'' (a local

root vegetable Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocoty ...

Preparation

Pithas are primarily made from a

batter Batter or batters may refer to: Common meanings * Batter (cooking), thin dough that can be easily poured into a pan * Batter (baseball), person whose turn it is to face the pitcher * Batter (cricket), a player who is currently batting * Batter ( ...

of rice flour or wheat flour, which is shaped and optionally filled with sweet or savory ingredients. When filled, the pitha's pouch is called a ''khol'' (literally "container") and the fillings are called ''pur''. For stuffed vegetable pithas, ingredients such as

cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species '' Brassica oleracea'' in the genus ''Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – t ...

, cabbage,

radish The radish ('' Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten ra ...

, or potato are usually fried, baked, or

steamed Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking hav ...

, and then mashed, cooled, and formed into small balls to stuff into the pithas. Sweet pithas typically contain sugar,

jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, an ...

date Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner ** Group dating *Play date, a ...

juice, or

palm syrup Miel de palma (lit. palm honey, also palm syrup) is an edible sweet syrup produced from the sap of a number of palms. It is produced in the Canary Islands and coastal regions of South America. Species In the Canary Islands, palm syrup (''miel de ...

, and can be filled with grated

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or ...

, fried or roasted

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is c ...

seeds,

cashew The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus '' Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf c ...

pistachio The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. ''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other spe ...

s, sweetened vegetables, or fruits. Sweet pithas are also often flavored using

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel ('' Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the k ...

. Depending on the type of pitha being prepared, pithas can be fried in oil or

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned fro ...

, slow-roasted over a fire, steamed, or

baked Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred " ...

and rolled over a hot plate. Pithas are often eaten during breakfast, as a snack with (often with tea), and in dinner or lunch. Although there are many sweet varieties that are reserved for

dessert Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and most parts o ...

s or holidays.

Different pithas from each region

Pithas vary considerably across the regions of the eastern

In Odisha

In Odisha, pitha are a group of festive preparations, usually prepared on ritual days as part of an Osa or Brata. Pithas are part of the Mahaprasada and are prepared every day by the Mahasuaras in the Rosasala of the Jagannatha Temple, Puri. They have been prepared in the same method for several millennia in the temple kitchen. Several pithas owe their origin to the state. Some common pithas are: * Enduri Pitha (ଏଣ୍ଡୁରି ପିଠା) : Prepared on Prathamastami with sweetened jaggery and coconut stuffing using turmeric leaves. * Poda Pitha (ପୋଡ଼ପିଠା) : Semi-burnt rice-based Pitha with coconut that is sweet to taste, offered to Jagannatha in

Ratha Jatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...

. * Kakara Pitha (କାକରା ପିଠା) : Prepared during most festivals, it consists of deep-fried Suji stuffed with rich coconut stuffing. * Arisa Pitha (ଆରିସା ପିଠା) : Rice-based Pitha topped with sesame seeds, ritually prepared in the month of Margasira during Manabasa Gurubara (Lakhmi Puja). Merchants Tapassu and Bhallika from Odisha offered this to the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in ...

himself as a token of respect from their land. This leads to the fact that this ancient pitha was prepared in Odisha from at least 2000 years ago. * Manda Pitha (ମଣ୍ଡା ପିଠା) : Steamed pitha stuffed with coconut and jaggery mix, prepared in most festivals including Manabasa Gurubara, Kumara Purnima, etc. * Sarsatia Pitha (ସରସତିଆ ପିଠା‌) : Crispy sweet Pitha made using Arua and resin from twigs of the Ganjer tree. Popular in Western Odisha. *

Chakuli Pitha Chakuli pitha ( or, ଚକୁଳି ପିଠା) is a flat Odia rice-based fermented cake traditionally popular in the regions of Odisha in India. It is prepared and served during festivals. Preparation The dish is prepared using rice flour, ...

(ଚକୁଳି ପିଠା) : Flat rice pitha resembling pancake, one of the few non-sweet Pithas of Odisha * Chitau Pitha (ଚିତଉ ପିଠା) : Resembling Chakuli, but with different texture and thickness. Prepared on Chitalagi Amabasya. * Chandrakanti Pitha (ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରକାନ୍ତି ପିଠା‌‌) : Deep-fried Pitha made of green gram and rice flour. Prepared on Dipabali. * Gaintha Pitha (ଗଇଁଠା ବା ଗଇଣ୍ଠା ପିଠା) : Rice flour dough balls soaked in thickened cardamom flavoured milk. Prepared on Bakula Amabasya. File:Turmeric leaf wrapped cake.jpg, Enduri Pitha, made on Prathamastami. File:Khira gaintha Odia Pitha.jpg, Gaintha Pitha, made on Bakula Amabasya. File:Kakara Peetha-Puri-Odisha-IMG 0689.jpg, Kakara Pitha. File:Arisa Pitha.jpg, Arisa Pitha. File:Chuda poda pitha.jpg, Poda Pitha, offered to Lord Jagannatha during Ratha Jatra. File:Mugakanti,Chandrakanti.jpg, Chandrakanti or Mugakanti Pitha. File:Chuda chakuli pitha.jpg, Chakuli Pitha. File:Chitau pitha.jpg, Chitau Pitha, made on Chitalagi Amabasya.

In Assam

In Assam,

pitha Pithas are a variety of food similar to pancakes, dumplings or fritters, originating from the Indian subcontinent, common in Bangladesh and India. Pitha can be sweet or savoury, and usually made from a dough or batter, which is then steamed, fri ...

is a special class of rice preparation generally made only on special occasions like

Bihu Bihu is a set of three important Assamese festivals in the Indian state of Assam – 'Rongali' or 'Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or 'Kati Bihu' observed in October, and 'Bhogali' or ' Magh Bihu' observed in January. The Rongali Bih ...

. Assamese pithas are often made from bora saul, a special kind of

glutinous rice Glutinous rice ('' Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low a ...

, or xaali saul, or sun-dried rice. Some pithas commonly found in Assam include the following: *কাঁচি পিঠা Kachi pitha (lit. "Sickle pitha"): a pan baked pancake made from bora saul and filled with

seeds, ground

, dried orange rind, and

. The

sickle A sickle, bagging hook, reaping-hook or grasshook is a single-handed agricultural tool designed with variously curved blades and typically used for harvesting, or reaping, grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock, ...

is known as " Kachi" in

Assamese Assamese may refer to: * Assamese people, a socio-ethnolinguistic identity of north-eastern India * People of Assam, multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religious people of Assam * Assamese language, one of the easternmost Indo-Aryan language ...

and hence the name. * ঘিলা পিঠা

Ghila pitha Jolpan ( as, জলপান), or snacks, are often served at breakfast in the cuisine of Assam, although they may also be served at Bihu festivals or weddings. The word ''jolpan'' includes all the preparations namely ''jolpan'', ''pitha'', '' ...

(lit. "knee pitha"): a fried pitha made from bora saul and

. Salt can also be used instead of jaggery for a savory variant. * চুঙা পিঠা Sunga pitha: a special pitha made with both xaali saul and bora saul, which are mixed with water and

and churned thoroughly before being placed in a young

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

tube corked with banana leaf and roasted in fire. The resulting tube-shaped cake is then cut into pieces and served with hot milk. * টেকেলি পিঠা Tekeli pitha (lit. "earthenware pitha"): a special pitha made with both xaali saul and bora saul, mixed with

, sugar, and

powdered milk Powdered milk, also called milk powder, dried milk, or dry milk, is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and do ...

. Ground

and dried orange rind can also be added. The pitha is steamed in an

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...

pot or a

kettle A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a type of pot specialized for boiling water, commonly with a ''lid'', ''spout'', and ''handle'', or a small electric kitchen appliance of similar shape that functions in a self-contained ...

set on a

hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a low, ...

. *উহোৱা পিঠা Uhuwa pitha: Rice flour of Xaali Saul and Bora Saul is mixed with jaggery or salt and water and churned thoroughly. The paste is rolled into small balls and flattened and then boiled in water. It is served with tea and also can be eaten with

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulati ...

. *কেটলি পিঠা Ketli pitha: The method of preparation, as well as the substance, is as same as tekeli pitha, but a

is used here instead of the earthenware. That is the reason it is called Ketli pitha (Ketli in

means

). Here the kettle-cork is kept upside down on the kettle and the substance is put on it. It usually takes less time to be baked than tekeli pitha takes. *তিল পিঠা Til pitha: This is made with sesame and rice. The rice flour is spread in a circle on a pan, basically made of cast iron and heated. The roasted

seeds are placed in the circle along with sugar or

and rolled. These are cylindrical shaped, more like a cigar. *তেল পিঠা Tel pitha this is a pitha which is fried in oil. *নাৰিকল দিয়া পিঠা বা নাৰিকলৰ পিঠা Narikol diya pitha *সুতুলি পিঠা Xutuli pitha *ধূপ পিঠা Dhup pitha, also known as Bhapa pitha *ভাপতদিয়া পিঠা Bhapotdiya pitha *লখিমী পিঠা Lakhimi pitha *তৰা পিঠা Tora pitha *মুঠিয়া পিঠা Muthiya pitha *খোলাচাপৰি পিঠা Kholasapori pitha *লস্কৰা Laskara *আঙুলি পিঠা Anguli Pitha: In Assamese language, ‘anguli’ means finger while ‘pitha’ is a type of

rice cake A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten and are particularly preval ...

. ‘Anguli Pitha’ has got its name from the fact that the pithas are shaped like fingers.

In Bangladesh, West Bengal, Tripura

Home-made Puli piṭha; popular in winter in Bangladesh

While some pitha can be made at any time of the year in

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

(

and

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indep ...

s of

Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the eas ...

Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...

Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the ...

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and Jai ...

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...

Orissa Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of S ...

and

), there are special pitha strongly associated with

harvest festival A harvest festival is an annual celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different places. H ...

s such as Nabanna ( bn, নবান্ন ''nôbanno'', literally "new rice" or "new food") and the '' Poush parbon'' or

Makar Sankranti Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sa ...

, celebrated on January 14 every year. During the autumn and winter seasons, festivals dedicated to pitha called ''pitha mela'' or ''pitha utshob'' are held locally all over

. Some common ingredients in pitha are

and

. It is often served with sweet syrups such as

tree

molasses Molasses () is a viscous substance resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used to sweeten and flavour foods ...

( bn, খেজুরের গুড় khejurer guṛ). A few of the most common pitha found in

include the following: *তেলের পিঠা Teler piṭha (lit. "oil pitha"), also known as Guror Handesh or simply as Handesh is a Pitha which originated in

Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climat ...

. *খোলা চিতই khola chitoi is a

crêpe A crêpe or crepe ( or , , Quebec French: ) is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, ...

made with rice flour abd and eggs and originate from

Noakhali Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and officia ...

*নুনের পিঠা Nuner pitha (lit. “The pitha of salt.”) is generally a mixture of water,

Onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

, Gingers,

Turmeric powder Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast As ...

Salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...

Coriander Coriander (;

leaves,

Chilli pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...

and

, after adding the

the mixture will turn into

dough Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening ag ...

after which it’s smashed down and cut into circles. Nuner Pitha originated from

. *দুধ চিতই Dudh Chitoi *সিঈারা

Shingara A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. ...

is a Bangladeshi version of a

samosa A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Sa ...

. Some do consider this a Pitha. *ভ *মোহনবাঁশি Mohon bashi *পাকন পিঠা Pakan piṭha is a small piece of special dough with the artistic symbols of generally a leaf or a flour fried and soaked with shira (sauger water with cardamom) *পুলি পিঠা Puli piṭha: a

dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, ...

like dish with brads in the end and stuffed with a coconut mixture or

kheer Kheer, also known as payasam, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur whe ...

. Fried or Steamed. *বেনি পিঠা Beni piṭha (lit. "braid pitha") *দুধের পিঠা Dudher piṭha (lit. "milk pitha") or ভিজা পিঠা bhija piṭha (lit. "wet pitha") *চন্দ্র পুলি Chôndropuli *চন্দনপাতা Chondonpata *মাছ পিঠা Mach Pitha is fish shape

stuffed with fish mince *মুগের পুলি Muger puli *বিস্কুট পিঠা Biscuit pitha is a deep fried cookies. Generally in different shape and colors. *দুধ পুলি Dudh puli *

Nakshi Pitha Nakshi Pitha ( bn, নকশি পিঠা, lit=Designed cake) or Pakkon Pitha is a type of pitha made from rice flour. It is originally from Bangladesh. Various designs are made on the body of this pitha. Origin This pitha originated in the ...

(lit. “The Pitha of artistic patterns”) is a piece of special

sculpted into art via a

stick or a small metal plate moulded into a v shape, this Pitha is a beautiful piece of art originating from the rural part of

. *পাটিসাপটা পিঠা Paṭi shapta or Patibola পাটিবলা (thin crepes stuffed with

and coconut or

) *ভাপা পিঠা/ধুপি পিঠা Bhapa Pitha/Dhupi pitha is a steamed ricecake *তালের পিঠা Taler pitha (lit. “palm pitha”) is a Pitha that can be made in many ways, it can be fried, steamed, made with batter and more but it always has to be made with

Asian palmyra palm ''Borassus flabellifer'', commonly known as doub palm, palmyra palm, tala or tal palm, toddy palm, wine palm or ice apple, is native to South Asia (especially in Bangladesh & South India) and Southeast Asia. It is reportedly naturalized in Socot ...

fruits In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particul ...

. Taler Pitha has many varieties and each originating from a different place in

such as the batter version of Taler Pitha and Taler Bibi khan Pitha which originated from

and some other versions which originated from other

and neighbouring regions such as

and

. *তালের বিবি খান পিঠা Taler Bibi khan Pitha is a type of Bibi khan Pitha and a type of Taler pitha. *তালের ভাপা পিঠা Taler Vapa Pitha (lit. “steamed palm Pitha”) is a type of Taler Pitha and Bhapa piṭha. *গোলাপ পিঠা Golap Pitha is a rose shaped deep fried crispy pitha *মুগ পাকন Mug pakon is a Pitha that has artistic symbols moulded on top and bottom of it and it’s soft since it‘s soaked with shira ( sugar water with

mixed with it). *গোকুল পিঠা Gokul Pitha Is a special dough fried and then soaked with a special type of shira. *Chui Pitha or Chutki Pitha (Traditional

Old Dhaka Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ� ...

Pitha) *চিতই পিঠা/আস্কে পিঠা Aske Pitha/ Chitoi Pitha is a

pancake A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan, often frying wit ...

like dish made with batter, to make a Chitoi Pitha you need to have a special Chitoi Pitha pan where the batter is generally dropped for he mould to form. Chitoi Pitha Is generally eaten with kacha morich bhorta and other spicy bhortas. *পাতা পিঠা Pata pitha (lit. “leaf Pitha”) is a type of

leaf A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

shaped Nokshi pitha. *শামুক পিঠা Shamuk pitha is a snail shaped Nokshi Pitha *মেরা পিঠা/দইল্যা পিঠা Mera pitha/doila Pitha are steamed dumpling made with rice flour, ginger and spice such

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

Jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, an ...

*লবঙ্গ লতিকা Lonbongo Lotika (lit. “clove lotika”) *বিবি খান পিঠা Bibi khan Pitha is a steamed Pitha That looks like a cake. Bibi khan Pitha originated in the

Bikrampur district Munshiganj ( bn, মুন্সীগঞ্জ), also historically known as Bikrampur, is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District. Geography Total land area is 235974 acres (954 km2), ...

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

*ক্ষীর মুড়ালি Kheer murali *জামাই পিঠা/চিপস পিঠা Jamai pitha/Chips pitha (lit. “husband Pitha”) is a batter which is moulded into a shape of a flour, sundried and fried. Taste like papad or

chips ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...

. Often different in colors. This Pitha originated in

. *ফুলঝুড়ি পিঠা /ফুলকুচি পিঠা Fuljhuri pitha or Fulkuchi pitha is a rosette like fried dough. Always made with rice flour. There are thousands of different pithas in every region of

, these are just a few examples.

In Bhojpuri Region

There is a tradition of preparing Pitha on the occasion of Godhan in

Bhojpuri region The Bhojpuri region or Bhojpur is an area encompassing parts of the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, and the Madhesh, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces of Nepal, where the Bhojpuri language is spoken as a mother tongue. His ...

. It is prepared with soaked and then ground rice and pulses.

Gallery

Image:Bangladeshi taal-pitha.jpg Image:Pitha for Wedding- Pakan, Patishapta, Bharandash.jpg Image:Pitha-1.jpg Image:Pitha-2.jpg Image:Pitha-3.jpg Image:Pitha-4.jpg Image:Pitha-5.jpg Image:Pitha-6.jpg Image:Pitha-7.jpg Image:Pitha-8.jpg Image:Pitha-9.jpg Image:Pitha-10.jpg Image:Pitha-11.jpg Image:Pitha-12.jpg Image:Pitha-13.jpg Image:Pitha-15.jpg File:Choi pitha.jpg, Choi pitha File:Til pitha - Assamese Rice Cake.jpg File:Pithas in Howrah District in West Bengal, January 2022.jpg

References

External links

Traditional Pitha Recipes from OdishaVarieties of Pitha Recipes
{{Bread Assamese cuisine Bengali cuisine Odia cuisine Indian desserts Indian breads Bangladeshi cuisine Bangladeshi desserts