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Kakara pitha
Fried semolina coconut cakes
କାକରା ପିଠା: fried semolina cakes filled with coconut, jaggery and black pepper
IndianIn Odisha no festival plate is complete without kakara pitha, and during Durga Puja (and on Prathamastami and Dussehra) Odia homes fry them by the dozen to offer and share. A soft semolina dough cooked in sweetened milk-water is wrapped around a filling of fresh coconut, jaggery, cardamom and a surprising pinch of crushed black pepper, flattened into discs and fried in ghee until golden. They are crisp outside, soft and chewy within, with a gently spicy sweet centre. Common mistake: letting the jaggery filling stay wet, which makes it leak and burst in the hot fat; cook it until it gathers into a ball that leaves the pan clean. Chef's tip: knead the cooked semolina while it is still warm with a little ghee on your palms; it turns smooth and pliable and will not crack as you shape the pitha.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz fresh grated coconut
- 3 ½ oz jaggerygrated
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp black peppercoarsely crushed
For the dough
- 7 oz fine semolina (suji)
- ¾ cup milk
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp ghee
For frying
- 1 ¾ cups ghee or oilfor shallow-frying
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Cook 5 ½ oz fresh grated coconut and 3 ½ oz jaggery in a pan over a medium-low heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the jaggery melts, then thickens and the mixture gathers into a sticky ball. Stir in ½ tsp ground green cardamom and ½ tsp black pepper and cool.
10 minStep 2: Bring ¾ cup milk, ¾ cup water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 pinch salt and 1 tbsp ghee to the boil. Lower the heat and pour in 7 oz fine semolina (suji) in a stream, stirring hard, and cook for 3–4 minutes until it forms a stiff mass. Cover and leave for 5 minutes.
10 minStep 3: While still warm, knead the semolina on a greased plate for 2–3 minutes until smooth. Divide into 12 balls.
5 minStep 4: Flatten a ball into a cup in your palm, put in a teaspoon of filling, close it up and press gently into a 6 cm disc. Repeat with the rest.
15 minStep 5: Heat 1 ¾ cups ghee or oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the pitha 4 at a time for 3–4 minutes a side until deep golden and crisp. Drain and serve warm or at room temperature.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kakara pitha take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 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.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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Perfect for:Navratri & Durga Puja