Bohag Bihu marks the beginning of the Assamese new year, and it’s easily the most awaited time of the year. A significant time for harvest as well, Bohag Bihu also means digging into an assortment of pithas and larus that are intrinsic to Assam’s diverse culinary landscape and identical to the seasonal celebrations.
1. Til Pitha And Narikol Pitha
These two pithas are so popular that they are even sold in the market for those who do not have enough time and patience to prepare them at home. Rolling these pithas in the desired shape is an art that you can only perfect with practice and experience, but again they are sinfully tasty. So, the effort is worth it.
For Til Pitha, Bora Saul is used along with roasted black sesame seeds and jaggery as the filling, while grated coconut and sugar go into the Narikol Pitha.
Nothing tastes as divine as the pillowy Tekeli Pitha or Ketli Pitha. These aromatic, steamed rice cakes, filled with coconut and jaggery, are a do-not-miss delicacy in Assam during Bihu. All you need to prepare this pitha are rice flour, freshly-grated coconut, date palm jaggery and a bit of salt.
Popular for its taste and method of preparation, these are often referred to as tekeli mukhot diya pitha. After putting together the ingredients, these pithas are placed on a thin piece of cloth on top of a steaming tekeli (pitcher) or ketli (kettle), and the outcome is this delicious rice cake. True to the region’s redolent culinary styles, the pitha exudes an earthy and homely taste in every bite.
3. Ghila Pitha
A must-have during the Bihu season, Ghila Pithas are basically Assamese-style sweet rice fritters. It’s called ghila because of the shape in which it comes. In Assamese, the word translates to knee cap.
These delicious deep-fried pithas make for an ideal tea time snack. The sweet variant is more popular, but you can try it savoury too. Bora Saul, jaggery and cardamom powder is used for the batter of the soft, sweet fritters.
4. Sunga Pitha
It is often said that Bihu celebrations are incomplete without having a generous serving of Sunga Pitha. Prepared by stuffing sticky rice rolled in banana leaves into bamboo tubes, these pithas are loved for their rustic taste and flavour.
These rice cakes are usually served with curd/milk and jaggery. Like in the other varieties of rice cakes, Bora Saul and Xaali Saul are preferred to make the traditional Sunga Pitha.
5. Mohura Pitha
These sweet rice dumplings are to die for. To prepare the dough for Mohura Pitha, you need rice flour, salt and water, while the stuffing consists of freshly grated coconut, jaggery, cinnamon powder and black pepper powder.
Although there are still a lot of people who do not know about this pitha, it’s still lovingly prepared in traditional homes across Assam, particularly during the Bihu season.
6. Anguli Pitha
The word anguli translates to finger in English. These slender pithas are rolled in the shape of a finger, hence the name. A favourite tea time snack, Anguli Pitha is equally enjoyed as morning jolpan during bihu. Both the savoury and sweet versions of this soft rice cake are popular in Assamese households.
Rice flour, cooking oil, turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, jeera powder, tomato, onion and chilli, along with chopped vegetables of choice (carrot, beans etc) are used to make the savoury rolls. If you want to have it as a dessert, use milk, cardamom, bayleaf and sugar or jaggery.