Breakfast

Pittha

Name: Pittha
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 400 g rice flour; 200 ml boiling water; 400 g chana dal, soaked 3–4 hours and drained; 1.5 tsp garlic paste; 3 green chillies, finely chopped; 2 dried red chillies, crushed; 0.25 tsp turmeric powder; 15 g fresh coriander, finely chopped; a pinch of asafoetida (hing); 8 g fine sea salt (for the dough and filling), plus more to taste

Pittha are the quiet pride of Bihar — rice flour dumplings shaped by hand, stuffed with a coarsely ground chana dal mixture spiked with garlic, coriander and green chilli, then boiled until they float. They are humble, filling and deeply satisfying, especially with a sharp coriander chutney alongside.

1 hrServes 4 mild–medium

Method

Combine the rice flour with salt in a deep bowl. Pour in the boiling water, stir well and cover with a lid for 10 minutes .
Make the filling: blend the drained chana dal to a coarse paste without any added water — it should be granular, not smooth. Tip into a bowl and mix in the garlic paste, crushed red chilli, green chillies, asafoetida, coriander, turmeric and salt. If the paste seems too wet, cook it in a non-stick pan over low heat until it dries out and is easy to handle.
Stir the rice dough with a spatula while warm, then knead by hand once it is cool enough to touch. Add a little water if needed and work into a soft, smooth dough.
Half-fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
Pinch off small balls of rice dough. Flatten each one in your palm, place a spoonful of dal filling in the centre, fold the dough around it and pinch into a half-moon (or any shape you like). Seal the edges firmly.
Drop the dumplings into the boiling water and cook for about 15 minutes — they are ready when they float to the surface and the wrapper looks glossy and set.
Scoop out with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to a bowl of room-temperature water to stop them sticking together. Drain before serving.
Serve hot with coriander chutney and potato sabji.

Cook's note. The dal paste must be completely dry before stuffing — if it is watery it will steam inside the wrapper and push through the seams.

The story

Pittha is a traditional breakfast and festive food from Bihar and Jharkhand, often made during the Chhath Puja festival in November. It is part of a wider family of steamed rice-flour dumplings found across South and Southeast Asia — from the momo of Nepal to the modak of Maharashtra — all sharing the logic of a bland, soft wrapper protecting a spiced interior.