Chitau pitha is a special variety of rice pancake which is being offered to Lord Jagannath on the Chitalagi Amavasya day, also known as Chitau Amabasya. On this day the chita which was removed from the head of the deities on the day of Snana Purnima is again put and is celebrated throughout the State in every Odia household. . Chitau pitha is made with soaked rice and coconut which are ground together to make this soft and fluffy coconut pancakes.T he same Chitau Pitha is cooked in Western part of Odisha without coconut using par boiled rice.
But what is fascinating about this festival is the Offering of Chitau Pitha that is made with short grain rice and coconut 🥥, salt and ghee not only to the God but it also celebrates the agrarian tradition of appeasing evil powers through worship; whether they are animals, serpents, inspects or plants.
My grandmother( Aaai ) would send my mother with the chitaupitha sprinkled with Pancha Sashya ( Five grains that is Jaba dhana(Paddy), Gahama(Wheat or Barley),Sorisa(mustard), Muga ( Green Moong) /Black Gram ,Black Sesame seed which represents hope, well being , happiness and fertility to the paddy fields and put on a colocasia leaf and offer this to the snails and insects that breed enormously in the paddy fields and ponds during the rainy season .The farmers who work bare-foot in the paddy fields , their feet often gets cut by the sharp edge of their shells. A prayer is done to these insects and snails to spare the farmer.
Another interesting fact about Chitau Pitha is that it is never flipped and thats why it is not fed to the bride before being sent off to her husband’s home as they felt if it is fed to her she will not come
back home after marriage as the pitha symbolises a single direction journey.
Pithas are an integral part of Odia cooking and they’re normally made out of rice flour, wheat flour, Urad daal, Moong daal etc. Pithas can be fried or steamed and have sweet stuffing. Chitau pitha are really healthy and can be made at home with very little oil or ghee.I prefer to eat Chitau pitha for breakfast with Milk. These Chitau pitha bear a resemblance to appams of Southern India.
Ingredients :
- Rice – 1 cup or 250 gms
- Grated Coconut – 1/4th cup or 1/2 coconut
- Salt to taste
- Sugar – 1 tbsp
- Water – 1/4 cup
- Oil/ghee – 2 tbsp
Method:
- Wash the rice & soak it over night. Grate the coconut. Grind the soaked rice, coconut to a smooth paste.Let it ferment for 4-5 hours.
- Take the required batter in a separate bowl and add salt and water. Whisk for 5 minutes and check the consistency and keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat a kadai. Smear oil. Add a ladle of batter. Cover with lid and dip a cloth in water and place around the lid and cook for 40 seconds on medium to high flame .
- The Pitha gets cooked with the steam.The Chitau pitha is not flipped and cooked in one side only.
- Then remove the cloth and open the lid & take out the Chitau pitha . Similarly prepare Pithas from rest of the batter. Serve hot with Milk or Dalma.
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