Pithas vary considerably across the regions of the eastern
Indian subcontinent.
In Odisha In Odisha,
pitha are a group of festive preparations, usually prepared on ritual days as part of an Osa or Brata. Pithas are part of the
Mahaprasada and are prepared every day by the Mahasuaras in the Rosasala of the
Jagannatha Temple, Puri. They have been prepared in the same method for several millennia in the temple kitchen. Several pithas owe their origin to the state. Some common pithas are: •
Enduri pitha (ଏଣ୍ଡୁରି ପିଠା) : Prepared on
Prathamastami with sweetened jaggery and coconut stuffing using turmeric leaves. •
Poda pitha (ପୋଡ଼ପିଠା) : Semi-burnt rice-based pitha with coconut that is sweet to taste, offered to Jagannatha in
Ratha Jatra. •
Kakara pitha (କାକରା ପିଠା) : Prepared during most festivals, it consists of deep-fried
suji stuffed with rich coconut stuffing. •
Arisa pitha (ଆରିସା ପିଠା) : Rice-based pitha topped with sesame seeds, ritually prepared in the month of Margasira during
Manabasa Gurubara (Lakhmi Puja). Long ago, two merchants from Odisha named Tapassu and Bhallika devised this dish and offered it to the
Buddha himself as a token of respect from their land. •
Manda pitha (ମଣ୍ଡା ପିଠା) : Steamed pitha stuffed with coconut and jaggery mix, prepared for most festivals, including
Manabasa Gurubara and
Kumara Purnima. • Sarsatia pitha (ସରସତିଆ ପିଠା) : Crispy sweet pitha made using arua and resin from twigs of the Ganjer tree. Popular in Western Odisha. •
Chakuli pitha (ଚକୁଳି ପିଠା) : Flat rice pitha resembling pancake, one of the few non-sweet pithas of Odisha • Chitau pitha (ଚିତଉ ପିଠା) : Resembling chakuli, but with different texture and thickness. Prepared on Chitalagi Amabasya. •
Chandrakanti pitha (ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରକାନ୍ତି ପିଠା) : Deep-fried pitha made of green gram and rice flour. Prepared on
Dipabali. • Gaintha pitha (ଗଇଁଠା ବା ଗଇଣ୍ଠା ପିଠା) : Rice flour dough balls soaked in thickened cardamom flavoured milk. Prepared on Bakula Amabasya. File:Turmeric leaf wrapped cake.jpg|Enduri pitha, made on Prathamastami. File:Khira gaintha Odia Pitha.jpg|Gaintha pitha, made on Bakula Amabasya. File:Kakara Peetha-Puri-Odisha-IMG 0689.jpg|Kakara pitha File:Arisa Pitha.jpg|Arisa pitha File:Chuda poda pitha.jpg|Poda pitha, offered to Lord Jagannatha during Ratha Jatra. File:Mugakanti,Chandrakanti.jpg|Chandrakanti or Mugakanti pitha File:Chuda chakuli pitha.jpg|Chakuli pitha File:Chitau pitha.jpg|Chitau pitha, made on Chitalagi Amabasya
In Assam In Assam,
pitha is a special class of rice preparation generally made only on special occasions like
Bihu. Assamese pithas are often made from
bora saul, a special kind of
glutinous rice, or
xaali saul, sun-dried rice. Some pithas commonly found in Assam include the following: • কাঁচি পিঠা
Kachi pitha (): a pan-baked pancake made from bora saul and filled with
sesame seeds, ground
coconut, dried orange rind, and
jaggery. The
sickle is known as " Kachi" in
Assamese, hence the name. • ঘিলা পিঠা
Ghila pitha (): a fried pitha made from bora saul and jaggery. Salt can also be used instead of jaggery for a savory variant. • চুঙা পিঠা
Sunga pitha: a special pitha made with both xaali saul and bora saul, which are mixed with water and jaggery and churned thoroughly before being placed in a young
bamboo tube corked with banana leaf and fire-roasted. The resulting tube-shaped cake is then cut into pieces and served with hot milk. • টেকেলি পিঠা
Tekeli pitha (): a special pitha made with both xaali saul and bora saul, mixed with coconut, sugar, and
powdered milk. Ground
cardamom and dried orange rind can also be added. The pitha is steamed in an
earthenware pot or a
kettle set on a
hearth. • উহোৱা পিঠা Uhuwa pitha: Rice flour of xaali saul and bora saul is mixed with jaggery or salt and water and churned thoroughly. The paste is rolled into small balls and flattened and then boiled in water. It is served with tea and also can be eaten with milk. • কেটলি পিঠা Ketli pitha: The method of preparation, as well as the substance, is as same as tekeli pitha, but a
kettle is used here instead of earthenware, hence the name (
ketli means 'kettle' in Assamese). It usually takes less time to be baked than tekeli pitha. • তিল পিঠা Til pitha: This is made with
sesame and rice. The rice flour is spread in a circle on a cast-iron pan and heated. The roasted sesame seeds are placed in the circle along with sugar or jaggery and rolled. These are cylinder-shaped, more like a cigar. • তেল পিঠা
Tel pitha is fried in oil. • নাৰিকল দিয়া পিঠা বা নাৰিকলৰ পিঠা Narikol diya pitha • সুতুলি পিঠা Xutuli pitha • ধূপ পিঠা
Dhup pitha, also known as
bhapa pitha • ভাপতদিয়া পিঠা Bhapotdiya pitha • লখিমী পিঠা Lakhimi pitha • তৰা পিঠা Tora pitha • মুঠিয়া পিঠা Muthiya pitha • খোলাচাপৰি পিঠা Kholasapori pitha • লস্কৰা Laskara • আঙুলি পিঠা Anguli pitha: In Assamese,
anguli means 'finger', and these pithas are shaped like fingers.
In Bangladesh, West Bengal, Tripura It is also called
pitha (; ). While some pitha can be made at any time of the year in
Bengal (
Bangladesh and the
Indian state of
West Bengal), there are special pitha strongly associated with
harvest festivals such as
Nabanna (
nôbanno, literally "new rice" or "new food") and the
Poush parbon or
Makar Sankranti, celebrated on 14 January every year. During the autumn and winter seasons, festivals dedicated to pitha called
pitha mela or
pitha utshob are held locally all over
Bangladesh. Some common ingredients in pitha are
rice flour, milk,
coconut and
jaggery. It is often served with sweet syrups such as
date tree
molasses ( khejurer guṛ). A few of the most common pitha found in
Bengal include the following: • তেলের পিঠা
Teler piṭha (), also known as
Guror Handesh or simply as
Handesh is a Pitha which originates in
Sylhet, Bangladesh. • খোলা চিতই khola chitoi is a
crêpe made with rice flour and eggs and originates from
Noakhali • নুনের পিঠা
Nuner pitha () is generally a mixture of water, onions,
gingers,
turmeric powder, salt,
coriander leaves,
chili pepper and
rice flour; after adding the rice flour the mixture will turn into
dough after which it is smashed down and cut into circles. Nuner pitha originates from
Sylhet. • দুধ চিতই Dudh Chitoi • সিঙ্গারা
Shingara is a Bangladeshi version of a
samosa. Some consider this as pitha. • মোহনবাঁশি Mohon bashi • পাকন পিঠা Pakan piṭha is a small piece of special dough with the artistic symbols of generally a leaf or a flour fried and soaked with shira (sauger water with cardamom) • পুলি পিঠা Puli piṭha: a
dumpling like dish with brads in the end and stuffed with a coconut mixture or
kheer. Fried or Steamed. • বেনি পিঠা Beni piṭha () • দুধের পিঠা Dudher piṭha () or ভিজা পিঠা bhija piṭha () • চন্দ্র পুলি Chôndropuli • চন্দনপাতা Chondonpata • মাছ পিঠা Mach Pitha is fish shape
samosa stuffed with fish mince • মুগের পুলি Muger puli • বিস্কুট পিঠা Biscuit pitha is a deep fried cookies. Generally in different shape and colors. • দুধ পুলি Dudh puli •
Nakshi Pitha () is a piece of special
dough sculpted into art via a
bamboo stick or a small metal plate moulded into a v shape. This Pitha is a beautiful piece of art originating from the rural part of
Bangladesh. • পাটিসাপটা পিঠা
Paṭi shapta or Patibola পাটিবলা (thin crepes stuffed with
jaggery and coconut or
kheer) • ভাপা পিঠা/ধুপি পিঠা
Bhapa pitha/Dhupi pitha is a steamed
ricecake • তালের পিঠা Taler pitha () is a Pitha that can be made in many ways, it can be fried, steamed, made with batter and more but it always has to be made with
Asian palmyra palm fruits. Taler Pitha has many varieties and each originating from a different place in
Bengal such as the batter version of Taler Pitha and Taler Bibi khan Pitha which originates from
Bangladesh and some other versions which originates from other
West Bengal and neighbouring regions such as
Tripura,
Assam,
Mizoram,
Nagaland,
Meghalaya,
Manipur,
Orissa,
Jharkhand and
Bihar. • তালের বিবি খান পিঠা Taler Bibi khan Pitha is a type of Bibi khan Pitha and a type of Taler pitha. • তালের ভাপা পিঠা Taler Vapa Pitha () is a type of Taler Pitha and
Bhapa piṭha. • গোলাপ পিঠা Golap Pitha is a rose shaped deep fried crispy pitha • মুগ পাকন Mug pakon is a Pitha that has artistic symbols moulded on top and bottom of it and it is soft since it is soaked with shira ( sugar water with
cardamom mixed with it). • গোকুল পিঠা Gokul Pitha Is a special dough fried and then soaked with a special type of shira. • Chui Pitha or Chutki Pitha (Traditional
Old Dhaka Pitha) • চিতই পিঠা/আস্কে পিঠা Aske Pitha/
Chitoi Pitha is a
pancake like dish made with batter, to make a Chitoi Pitha you need to have a special Chitoi Pitha pan where the batter is generally dropped for he mould to form. Chitoi Pitha Is generally eaten with kacha morich
bhorta and other spicy
bhortas. • পাতা পিঠা Pata pitha () is a type of
leaf shaped Nokshi pitha. • শামুক পিঠা Shamuk pitha is a snail shaped Nokshi Pitha • মেরা পিঠা/দইল্যা পিঠা Mera pitha/doila Pitha are steamed dumpling made with rice flour, ginger and spice such
turmeric,
Jaggery • লবঙ্গ লতিকা
Lonbongo Lotika () • বিবি খান পিঠা Bibi khan Pitha is a steamed Pitha That looks like a cake. Bibi khan Pitha originates in the
Bikrampur district,
Dhaka, Bangladesh • ক্ষীর মুড়ালি Kheer murali • জামাই পিঠা/চিপস পিঠা Jamai pitha/Chips pitha () is a batter which is moulded into a shape of a flour, sundried and fried. Tastes like
papad or
chips. Often different in colors. This Pitha originates in
Bangladesh. • ফুলঝুড়ি পিঠা /ফুলকুচি পিঠা Fuljhuri pitha or Fulkuchi pitha is a
rosette like fried dough. Always made with rice flour. There are thousands of different pithas in every region of
Bengal, these are just a few examples.
In Bhojpuri region There is a tradition of preparing Pitha on the occasion of Godhan in
Bhojpuri region. It is prepared with soaked and then ground rice and pulses. Some pithas commonly found in Bhojpuri region include: • Goja Pitha (also known as Phara) •
Dal Pitha • Doodh Pitha ==Gallery==