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Chushi pitha
Rice flour strands in milk
চুষি পিঠা: hand-rolled rice-flour strands simmered in milk with new date-palm jaggery
When the new rice is in and the date palms start giving their winter sap, Bangladeshi families make pitha for Nabanna and through the cold months, and chushi pitha is the one grandmothers roll by hand, an evening of small grain-shaped strands rubbed out between the palms. The strands are cooked in reduced milk with bay leaf and cardamom, then sweetened with fresh khejur gur, giving a pale caramel pudding with soft, slightly chewy pieces. The common mistake is adding the jaggery while the milk is still boiling: it can curdle it, so take the pan off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes first. The strands are done when they float, turn translucent at the edges and are soft right through. Chef's tip: let the rolled strands dry on a tray for 15 minutes before cooking; they hold their shape instead of dissolving into the milk.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chushi
- ¾ cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp ghee
- 5 ½ oz fine rice flourplus a little for dusting
For the milk
- 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 green cardamom podslightly crushed
- 4 oz date-palm jaggery (khejur gur)crumbled, or dark jaggery
- 1 tbsp sugar (optional)to taste
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring ¾ cup water, 1 pinch salt and 1 tsp ghee to the boil in a pan. Turn off the heat, add 5 ½ oz fine rice flour all at once and stir into a lumpy dough. Cover and leave for 5 minutes.
7 minStep 2: Knead the warm dough on a plate for 3–4 minutes until smooth and soft, with no cracks. Keep it covered with a damp cloth.
4 minStep 3: Pinch off pea-sized pieces and roll each between your palms into a strand about 3 cm long, thicker in the middle and tapered at both ends. Lay them on a floured tray.
25 minStep 4: Leave the strands to dry for 15 minutes, uncovered. Meanwhile, bring 4 ¼ cups full-fat milk, 1 bay leaf and 3 green cardamom pods to the boil in a heavy pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring, until reduced by about a quarter.
15 minStep 5: Drop the strands into the simmering milk a handful at a time, stirring gently. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until they float, turn translucent and are soft when bitten, and the milk has thickened.
12 minStep 6: Take off the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Stir in 4 oz date-palm jaggery (khejur gur) until dissolved; taste and add 1 tbsp sugar if needed. Serve warm or chilled; it thickens as it stands.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chushi pitha take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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