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Ghila pitha
Fried rice and jaggery cakes
ঘিলা পিঠা: knee-cap shaped fried cakes of rice flour and jaggery from the Magh Bihu table in Assam
Magh Bihu in January closes the harvest in Assam with bonfires, feasts and plates full of pitha. Ghila pitha takes its name from ghila, the kneecap, because the little cakes are pressed into rounded discs that puff in the middle as they fry. Sticky bora or plain rice is soaked, dried and ground to a damp flour, then kneaded with melted jaggery and fried in mustard or vegetable oil. Outside they are dark brown and crisp; inside chewy and soft like a doughnut, with the deep flavour of jaggery. They keep a few days, so they are stacked in steel tins for visitors and eaten with black tea or with doi and jolpan. Some cooks add a pinch of fennel or sesame. The common mistake is oil that is too hot: jaggery darkens and burns long before the inside is cooked, so fry slowly. Chef's tip: let the dough rest for 30 minutes after kneading; the rice flour drinks up the syrup and the cakes hold together.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz jaggerygrated
- ½ cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ tsp fennel seeds (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Warm 5 ½ oz jaggery with ½ cup water in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until fully melted. Strain to remove any grit and let it cool until just warm.
5 minStep 2: Mix 9 oz fine rice flour (from bora or sticky rice, or ready rice flour), 1 pinch salt and ½ tsp fennel seeds in a bowl. Pour in the jaggery syrup gradually and knead to a soft, smooth dough that does not stick to your hands. Add a spoon of flour or water to adjust.
5 minStep 3: Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 4: Divide into 18 balls. Flatten each between damp palms into a 5–6 cm disc, about 1 cm thick and slightly thinner at the centre.
10 minStep 5: Heat 2 cups mustard or vegetable oil for frying in a kadhai over a medium heat (if using mustard oil, heat it until it smokes, then cool slightly). Lower to medium-low.
5 minStep 6: Fry 4–5 at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep brown, puffed and crisp. Drain on paper.
20 minStep 7: Cool before storing in an airtight tin; they keep 4–5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ghila pitha take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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