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Til pitha
তিল পিঠা · sticky rice-flour rolls filled with black sesame and jaggery, for Magh Bihu
Til pitha is the essential sweet of Magh Bihu, the January harvest festival, when Assamese homes stay up late around the fire, frying and toasting. Fresh flour of soaked bora (sticky) rice is spread thin on a hot pan into a round, filled with roasted black sesame and jaggery and rolled into a cigar while still soft; it crisps as it cools. Tins of til pitha are carried to every house visited during Bihu. Chef's tip: the flour must be freshly ground from soaked sticky rice and still slightly damp; dry shop rice flour won't fuse into a sheet.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the rice flour
For the filling
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 10 ½ oz glutinous (sticky) rice (bora saul) and spread on a cloth for 30 minutes until only slightly damp. Grind in short bursts to a fine flour that holds together when squeezed. Sieve, add 1 pinch salt and keep covered so it doesn't dry out.
40 minStep 2: Dry-roast 3 ½ oz black sesame seeds in a pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes until it pops and smells nutty. Cool, then pound or pulse coarsely with 4 oz jaggery and ¼ tsp ground cardamom if using.
4 minStep 3: Heat a flat non-stick or cast-iron pan over a medium-low heat; no oil. Sprinkle 3 tbsp flour into a 15 cm circle and pat it level with the back of a spoon.
Step 4: Within 30 seconds the flour fuses into a white sheet. Spoon 1½ tbsp filling down the middle, then roll it up with a spatula while it is still soft. Common mistake: waiting for it to colour; it becomes brittle and cracks when rolled. Til pitha should stay white.
1 minStep 5: Lift onto a plate and repeat. Cool completely; the rolls crisp up. Store in an airtight tin for up to a week.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does til pitha take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 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 black sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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