Chitoi Pitha (Bangladeshi Steamed Rice Flour Cakes)
Local name: চিতই পিঠা
In short: Small, soft rice flour cakes with a pitted, spongy surface, steamed under a lid and served with date palm molasses or spicy mashed vegetables. It takes about 40 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Resting
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 240 kcal
Chitoi pitha are small, round rice flour cakes with a pitted, spongy surface, a winter morning treat in Bangladesh. The thin batter is poured into a hot clay mold, covered with a lid and steamed until set. The cakes are eaten with date palm molasses for sweetness or with spicy mashed vegetables for a savory breakfast. They are naturally gluten-free and need only rice flour and water. A mini pancake pan or a small lidded skillet works at home.
Instructions
- Whisk the rice flour, salt and lukewarm water into a smooth batter slightly thinner than pancake batter. Rest it for 20 minutes, then whisk again.
- Heat a small nonstick skillet or a mini pancake pan over medium heat and brush it lightly with oil.
- Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter to make a small, thick pancake about 7 cm (3 in) wide. Cover the pan at once with a lid.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the surface is set, dry and covered in tiny holes. Do not flip it.
- Lift each pitha out with a spatula and keep it warm under a cloth. Stir the batter before pouring each new one, because the flour settles.
- Serve warm with the date palm molasses, or with spicy mashed vegetables such as begun bhorta.
Tips
- A traditional chitoi pitha pan has small round holes. If you do not have one, a lidded nonstick skillet or a mini pancake pan works well.
- Use very fine rice flour, the kind sold for making sweets and pithas. Coarse rice flour gives gritty cakes that do not hold together.
Questions and answers
Are chitoi pithas gluten-free?
Yes. They are made only from rice flour, salt and water, so they are naturally gluten-free and vegan, as long as your flour is processed in a gluten-free facility.
Can I make chitoi pitha ahead of time?
They are best fresh, but you can keep them wrapped for a day and re-steam them for 2 minutes over simmering water until soft.
What do you eat with chitoi pitha?
Sweet date palm molasses, a spiced chutney, or a bhorta of eggplant, tomato or potato. In winter many families serve them with hot tea.
How long does it take to make Chitoi Pitha (Bangladeshi Steamed Rice Flour Cakes)?
About 40 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Chitoi Pitha (Bangladeshi Steamed Rice Flour Cakes)?
About 240 kcal per serving, with 3 g of protein, 54 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 240 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54 g |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Sodium | 290 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
