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Manda pitha
Steamed rice dumplings with coconut
ମଣ୍ଡା ପିଠା: Odia steamed rice-flour dumplings stuffed with coconut, jaggery and chhena
Manda pitha is the soft white dumpling of Odisha's Raja festival in mid-June, when girls swing on rope swings, wear new clothes and eat pitha for three days; it is also made for Prathamastami and other family feasts. A smooth dough of rice flour cooked in water is wrapped around a filling of coconut, jaggery, chhena, black pepper and cardamom, then steamed. The common mistake is mixing raw rice flour with cold water: the dough must be cooked with boiling water and kneaded hot, or it cracks when shaped. Chef's tip: grease your palms with a drop of ghee while shaping so the dough stays silky and the edges seal cleanly.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz grated fresh coconut
- 3 ½ oz jaggerygrated
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
For the dough
- 7 oz fine rice flour
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp ghee
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cook 5 ½ oz grated fresh coconut and 3 ½ oz jaggery in a pan over low heat for 6–7 minutes until the jaggery melts and the mix is sticky. Add 3 ½ oz fresh chhena or crumbled paneer, ¼ tsp ground black pepper and ½ tsp ground cardamom, cook 2 minutes and cool.
12 minStep 2: Bring 1 ¼ cups water, 1 pinch salt and 1 tsp ghee to the boil, take off the heat and stir in 7 oz fine rice flour with a spoon. Cover for 5 minutes.
8 minStep 3: While still warm, knead the dough for 3–4 minutes with damp hands until smooth and crack-free.
4 minStep 4: Flatten a lime-sized ball into a cup, fill with 1 tbsp filling, close it and shape into a half-moon or round dumpling.
15 minStep 5: Steam the dumplings on a greased plate over boiling water for 12–15 minutes, until they look glossy and no longer stick to a dry finger.
15 minStep 6: Rest 5 minutes before serving warm.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does manda pitha take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 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 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 grated fresh coconut?
- Desiccated coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, about three quarters of the weight.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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