Assamese cuisine has a variety of pancakes called pitha. It is usually a sweet dish stuffed with coconut and jaggery or sesame seeds, but there are numerous savory versions too. Assamese pithas are often made from bora saul, a special kind of glutinous rice, or xaali saul, or sun-dried rice. The rice is specifically used for these recipes because of their high glutinous content, this allows the pancake to hold together and give the dish a specific texture that is delightful. These pithas are savory and quite easy to make. Unlike the paper-thin dosas, they require very little technique to make them. The addition of egg makes them quite filling, so these are a great start for breakfast. The pancakes are crisp and beautifully spiced. The bora saul rice gives the pancake a lovely chewy texture and the spices and chillies add the the flavour you need. This is a lovely and nutritious dish to start the day with.
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Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 1/2 cups water
Salt, to taste
1 onion, finely minced
2-3 green chillies, minced, or to taste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspon chilli powder, or to taste
2 eggs, whisked
3 tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
Mix the rice flour, water and salt and allow to sit for 45 minutes for the rice to soak in the liquids.
Mix all the other ingredients in and whip well to get a light foamy liquid.
Heat a frying pan till a drop of water sizzles vigorously. Add a ladle of the mix and twist the pan around to get a smooth pancake that touches the edges of the pan. The pancake will be quite thick, unlike the thin dosas. Cover and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee or butter and fry on medium-high heat. The bottom of the pancake should get a nice brown colour.
Serve immediately.