If you look up pitha on the internet, the words that come up to describe them are fritters, pancake, pastry, dumpling etc. But Assamese til pithas fall into none of these categories. Til pithas are closer to cookies and the two major ingredients are rice flour and black sesame seeds. Yes, a heavenly treat for folks who are gluten intolerant. With a few exceptions, the majority of Assamese confections and sweets are based on rice flour. You won’t have to miss any of the Assamese sweets and treats if you are gluten free.
Til pitha is a household favorite in Assam. The combination of a soft chewy outer shell and the sweet sticky sesame filling makes it a perfect goodie that can be very addictive. They are usually made during Bihu, the Assamese festival. But you don’t have to wait for Bihu to make these delectable Assamese rice cookies. With just three simple ingredients you can make them year round and indulge in these delicious cookies. Preparation is quite simple, the key being the right technique and more importantly the right temperature of the pan. Once you perfect those, I am sure you would want to make them again and again, just as I do.
Traditionally, a type of rice called “Bora saul” is used to make til pitha. It is a type of glutinous rice eaten on its own or used to make a wide variety of pithas. I could not find such an indigenous product in the USA, where I live now. So I improvised and used Japanese sweet rice instead. Not quite the same as “Bora saul”, but it did deliver and the glutinous capacity in Japanese sweet rice helped in forming the pithas. The til pithas made of Japanese sweet rice had a slight variation in taste and texture than its original counterpart, nevertheless they are still til pithas, with a crisp, chewy shell and a sticky sesame filling. And they are equally satisfying and delicious just as the ones back home.
Recipe
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | 2 Kilograms (about 4 ½ pounds) Glutinous rice (Bora rice, Japanese sweet rice, or whatever glutinous rice is available in your local area) |
| ½ Kilograms (about 1 pound) Black sesame seeds (Til) |
| 1 kilograms (about 2 pounds) Jaggery (Gur) |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Wash and soak rice for an hour. Strain rice and spread it out on a parchment paper or newspaper and let it semi-dry |
| Grind rice to a very fine powder and then sieve it in a container. Press the rice in the container to make it airtight and cover it with a wet cloth. This step is important so that you are successful in making the outer shell of the Pitha |
| For the filling, wash and strain black sesame seeds, and let it dry. Roast the sesame seeds in a pan or wok until it gives out a nutty fragrance. Coarse grind the sesame seeds. Melt jaggery and add it to the ground sesame seeds. Filling for the pithas is ready |
| Heat a cast iron pan (tawa) to the required temperature. A popular and effective way of checking the temperature of the pan is hold the palm of your hand about 6 inches above the pan. If your palm can feel the warmth of the pan without having to remove it immediately, then you know your pan is ready for the pithas. |
| Scoop out some prepared rice flour. Spread the rice flour on the pan and press it gently with your fingers. Let the flour set. Put some sesame filling. Take care not to overfill. Roll up the pithas to your desired shape and gently push it to the edge of the pan and let it finish cooking while you continue making the next pitha. It is as easy as that, the hard part is try not to eat the pithas right out of the pan. Enjoy!!! |
If you make this Til Pitha, an Assamese Emotion, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! And if you do make this recipe, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or your favorite social media platform! I would love to see pictures of your creations.
Inspiration: Celebrating my roots
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