RAJA SPECIAL PODA PITHA / PODA PITHA RECIPE/ ODISHA SPECIAL PODA PITHA RECIPE/BLACK GRAM AND RICE CAKE RECIPE

Poda pitha/raja special poda pitha/ black gram and rice cake:

poda pitha

        PODA PITHA OR BLACK GRAM AND RICE CAKE is an authentic odia recipe which is made with rice, lentils, grated coconut and jaggery or sugar. This recipe is generally made at the time of Raja festival that is a three days-long festival celebrated in Odisha. Various pithas are made during this festival among them poda pitha is the main. 

                   PODA PITHA is a slow cooked pitha. It is made by slowly baking fermented rice and black gram with sugar and coconut. There are many versions of poda pitha like, lau poda pitha, kheera poda pitha, chaula poda pitha or rice poda pitha, janta poda pitha. Preaparation style also varies. It can be made in cooker or inside kadai or we can bake it in oven.

                  PODA PITHA is a lightly sweetend pitha so, it goes well with ghuguni (yellow matar curry), potato curry with gravy or any curry with gravy. It is also served with mutton or chicken curry. Its crust is slightly brunt and hard, while the inside is soft and white.

Ingredients for making poda pitha:

 

·        Black gram or urad dal( biri) – 1 cup

·        Rice – 2 cups

·        Grated coconut – 1 cup

·        Thinly sliced coconut – ¼ cup

·        Cashew – 2 tbsp

·        Raisin- 4 tbsp

·        Crumbled Paneer – 1 cup

·        Sugar- 1 ½ cups

·        Ghee- 2 tbsp

·        Salt- ½ tsp

·        Grated ginger – ½ tsp

 

 

 

Preparations for poda pitha:

 

1. Wash and soak rice and urad dal separately for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.

2. Grind rice and urad dal into fine paste.

3. Mix very well and keep the batter for 5 to 6 hour for fermentation.

4. After 5 hours, give the batter a good mix and keep aside.

5. For making stuffing in a pan, take grated coconut and sugar. Then add paneer, one tbsp raisin and one tbsp cashew in it. Fry the mixture until it becomes dry completely.

6. Heat ghee in a pan and fry rest of the cashew and thinly sliced coconut. When it becomes golden brown, transfer it to a plate and keep aside.

How to make poda pitha:

 

1. Grease a baking dish in which you will bake the poda pitha. ( you can make this poda pitha in pressure cooker or kadai or pan. But here, I have baked it in oven.)

2. Add sugar, a pinch of salt, grated coconut, grated ginger and raisin in fermented batter and mix well.

3. Now spread half of the batter in greased baking tray and spread the paneer –coconut stuffing on it.

4. Spread another half over the stuffing. 

5. Decorate the cake with fried sliced coconut  and cashew.

6. Bake the pitha in preheat oven at 180 degree for 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Before de-mould it let it cool completely.

7. Cut it into pieces and enjoy it.