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Koraishutir Pithe

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Duration: 45 mins

Serves: 10

In Bengal, the blend of seasons and festivals create a multi-coloured melange, that throb with the life pulse. One such season is ‘Poush’ – the first month of winter. There is usually an influx of visitors to Shantiniketan in Bengal – the land of folk art and culture – for the Poush Mela (a cultural fair) dating back to 1894. 

However growing up, I would identify Poush with one of the following (blame the foodie me!):

1. My Thamma (paternal grandmother) visiting us with boxes of ‘Joynagarer Moa’ (seasonal Bengali sweet) and ‘Patali Gur’ (date palm jaggery).
2. My Didu making all the traditional delicacies – pithes, patishaptas and malpuas.
 
I try to make these sweets at home every year during the winter and it warms up my old soul. It is my attempt to get a whiff of nostalgia. This year I tried my hands at making a savoury version. Try it out and let me know if you liked it.

     Ingredients

  • 200g peas 
  • 4 potatoes
  • 2-3 tbsp rice flour
  • 2 tbsp mustard oil + for frying
  • 1-2 green chillies
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cloves
  • 1/2″ cinnamon stick
  • 3 green cardamoms
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorn
  • A pinch of asafoetida
  • Salt to taste

 

Method

  • Make a smooth paste of peas and green chillies.
  • Heat a pan with the mustard oil.
  • Add a pinch of asafoetida along with the peas paste. Keep stirring until it is bit dry and then add salt. Continue to cook.
  • In the meantime, take a separate pan and dry roast rest of the spices and grind them to a fine powder.
  • Once the peas have been cooked well, throw in the freshly ground spices. Mix well and keep it aside.
  • Boil the potatoes and mash them well. 
  • Add rice flour and salt to the mash, mix them well to form a dough.
  • Take a little potato dough, flatten it out and stuff it with the cooked peas mixture. Seal it well and roll it in little rice flour, to avoid breaking during frying.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining dough to make the pithes.
  • Heat mustard oil in a pan.
  • Fry all the pithes until golden, one at a time.
  • Enjoy them hot with tamarind or coriander chutney.