Dudh Kheer Shapta Pithe: Recipe with Step-by-Step Pictures

Happy New Year

For us Bengalis, a big part of winter memories of childhood revolves around the joy and excitement of making and eating various kinds of pithes. The very word “pithe” evokes a sensory explosion in me, bringing back thousands of memories. Huddling around the fire, warming myself by the clay oven’s heat (specially made for this pithe season), I stared at my mother in awe while she meticulously and skillfully transformed simple ingredients into a plethora of shapes, sizes and flavors. I sat on a small tool beside her, and while my tiny hands could not master the intricate art of shaping and filling pithes, my presence was integral. After all, I was her favorite taste tester. The whole house was filled with the earthy scent of home-ground rice flour mingled with the irresistible sweet fragrance of nolen gur and the subtle aromatic scent of cardamom. The soft thud of rice flour being kneaded, the rhythmic clanking of utensils, the gentle hiss of the pancake hitting the hot pan – these were my favorite sounds of a wintery evening.

Another thing that makes Poush Parbon my favorite, actually lies beyond the culinary delight, it was a time of profound togetherness. The entire family, from the eldest to the youngest, would congregate around the kitchen, sharing stories, laughter, and of course, the freshly prepared pithe. There was this overwhelming sense of contentment, a sense of peacefulness that used to come with being and nestling amongst people very close to us. Every memory, from the feel of the sticky dough on my fingers to the sight of the clean patisaptas rolling out of the pan, from the satisfaction upon biting the first taste of the jhola gur dipped pithe to the competition to see who would gorge on the most pithes which resulted in overflowing bellies, everything became etched into my memory. These messy, joyful moments are perhaps the most cherished fragments of my Poush Parbon memories.

So when I sat down today to write my first post of the year, I couldn’t find a better topic. And not only today but throughout the month, we will try to cover recipes of as many pithes as possible in our Poush Parbon section.

Today’s recipe is a brainchild of my grandma-in-law. Dudh Kheer Shapta Pithe, as she would call it, where soft Shapta Pithes swim in the sweet milky goodness creating a delightful contrast in textures and flavors, yet perfectly complementing each other.
So without wasting any further time, let's delve into the delightful world of Dudh Kheer Shapta Pithe.

 

INGREDIENTS:

Milk (preferably full-fat)
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 cup Rice Flour
½ cup Sooji
Sugar
Khoya Kheer/Grated Coconut (For filling)
Gur

 

RECIPE:

In a bowl, mix flour, rice flour, sooji, and sugar. 

Gradually add 1:1 milk and water (you can avoid water and add only milk) to form a smooth, lump-free batter. The batter should have a pouring consistency. Let it rest for around 60 minutes or atleast till the sugar melts completely.

In the meantime prepare the filling of the patisapta. You can either use Khoya kheer or coconut jaggery filling. I used homemade kheer this time. If using coconut filling, then just take a pan and melt the jaggery/sugar in low heat. Make sure not to burn it. Add grated coconut, stir and cook till the mixture thickens and comes together. Set aside to cool. Keep checking in between to see that the mixture doesn’t turn hard.

Add jiggery to warm milk. If using jaggery chunks, wait for them to melt completely.

Now heat a tawa or non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the pan with either mustard oil or ghee. While we Bengalis use a stem of brinjal to apply oil on the pan, you can use a silicon brush. Pour a ladleful of batter onto the hot pan and spread it in a circular motion (like you do with an omelet) to make a thin paper or crepe. Resist the temptation to flip and wait for the bubbles to appear. Place a spoonful of your desired filling on the center of the paper and gently fold taking the crepe from one end to the other. You can do it like this or can also fold it like the usual patishaptas. Remove from the pan. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.

Finally, pour the jaggery milk into the pan and dunk it into the shapta pithes. Bring it to boil and you are done. You can thicken the milk as per your taste and preference, we like it runny almost resembling the texture of whole milk.

 

That’s it. The ingredient list is simple and it is even simpler to make. Do try and let us know. 

Also, let us know about your favorite pithe. Do you have any fun moments associated with Poush Parbon?