Bhapa pitha
ভাপা পিঠা
Steamed rice cakes or dumplings layered with coconut and date-palm jaggery, strongly associated with winter.
About this dish
Steamed rice cakes or dumplings layered with coconut and date-palm jaggery, strongly associated with winter. The recipe here chooses one named variation from that wider tradition; household fillings, shapes and serving styles may differ.
Recipe
Bangladeshi bhapa pitha
- 250 g plain rice flour
- 90-130 ml water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 100 g fresh grated coconut
- 100 g date palm jaggery, finely chopped
- 1
Use 250 g plain rice flour; 90-130 ml water; 1/4 tsp salt and the listed remaining ingredients. Sprinkle salted water into rice flour gradually, rubbing with fingers until evenly damp and crumbly. A squeezed handful should hold briefly, then crumble; it must not become dough. Sprinkle starting salted water gradually and rub through flour. Stop at damp crumbs, not dough or wet clumps.
- 2
Rest covered 20 minutes and pass through a coarse sieve. Keep covered so moisture equalizes, then rub gently through the sieve.
- 3
Line small heatproof bowls with damp muslin. Layer damp flour, coconut and jaggery, then more flour. Press only lightly and cover with the cloth. Use shallow molds, divide filling evenly and keep it clear of edges. Pack lightly rather than compressing hard.
- 4
Steam over boiling water 10-12 minutes per batch until set and cooked through. Unmold carefully and serve warm. Time from steady steam. Cakes should lift whole without a loose dry center; unwrap cloth carefully and serve warm before they firm up.
Note
The crumbly flour is steamed into cakes, not kneaded into a wrapper. Water varies with flour dryness; stop before it becomes a paste.