Try These Bengali Pithe To Sweeten Your Winter

With winter's arrival, everyone looks forward to the traditional Chitoi Pitha. One of the most well-liked rice cakes in West Bengal and Bangladesh is also known as Ashke Pithe, Dhaka Pithe, Chikui Pithe, and Sora Pithe. It is prepared during the Bengali celebration of Poush Sankranti with seasonal Nolen Gur and newly harvested rice.

A typical wintertime sweet dish from Bengal is called Gokul pithe. It is an integral part of Makarsankranti. This pithe is fried and coated in sugar or jaggery syrup, unlike the steamed puli. Khoya and grated coconut are used to make these tasty tiny dumplings which are sweetened with jaggery in traditional recipes. 

Puli is a steamed sweet prepared using rice flour with a jaggery, and coconut filling on the interior. Steamed puli can be eaten either plain or dunked in sweetened thickened milk and served as Dudh puli. While some use sugar to add sweetness to the milk and filling, the original dudh puli recipe calls for new jaggery.

One of the classic Bengali sweet recipes is rosh bora, a winter treat. Most Bengali homes prepare it during the Poush Parbon festive season. Rosh is sugar or jaggery syrup, while bora is fried fritters in Bengali. Urad dal is the main ingredient, and some recipes also use sweet potatoes.

Patishapta, a thin crepe made of rice flour and semolina, is one of the most well-known winter pithe in Bengal. The stuffing, which is a delectable caramelised mixture prepared with jaggery and grated coconut, is where its real taste rests. Some fillings include khoya as well.