Tekeli Mukhot Diya Pitha

Best to serve as Breakfast

This Pitha is a popular snack of the people of the North Eastern region of India, a favourite of the Assamese. It is quite easy to make, healthy as well as a filling pitha.

To make 7 to 8 pithas you need only three ingredients:

These pictures above and below show the smaller size of Pithas, for which half a kilo of  rice will make 12 Pithas on the lid of a small kettle.

Few Assamese terminologies :

1.Pitha : A snack, rice powder is the main ingredient. Pithas are of quite a few variety, both sweet and savory.
2.Joha Saol : A variety of tiny grained rice with a delicious aroma.
3.Tekeli : Pitcher
4.Mukhot Diya : To put on the mouth or to place on the mouth.
5.Goor : Jaggery
6.Teel : Sesame seed
7.Saolor guri : Rice powder

Joha saol

To make 7 to 8 pithas you need only three ingredients:
1.Freshly ground powder of 850gm Joha Saol. Before grinding, wash rice, soak for an hour and keep for an hour taking out of water so that  the water drains out.

Any other variety of rice can also be used, but I love the aroma and the taste of Joha rice best for this Pitha.

 2.Teel 2 cups. 

3.Goor 1/2 cup or to taste.

"Tekeli mukhot diya pitha" meaning of this is, to make the pitha by placing or steaming it on the mouth of a tekeli i. e. a pitcher or a kettle. Apart from the tekeli, you also need a small bowl to shape the pitha, the size of which should be that of the mouth of the tekeli and 2 soft damp napkins.

                                    Method:

Rinse teel thoroughly ...

 ...rub with hand while wet and let dry ...most of the skin will fall off....

Grind teel, but not fine. Mix goor with teel. Both the ingredients can be used separately layering the pitha.

Boil water in the pitcher

The most important part of making this pitha is to prepare the Saol guri. Add little water and knead well, too much water will spoil the pitha by making it sticky. It should remain powdery but some amount of water must be fed to the Saolor guri. Sieve it through a steel strainer so that no lumps remain.

Place a damp napkin on the bowl, spread saoolor guri-teel-goor in layers, top layer being saolor guri. Press with your hand. The pitha will take the shape of the small bowl.

Wrap this with the napkin, hold both edges and lift up from the bowl.

Place it on the mouth of the tekeli.....

...and put on the lid. The pitha will be cooked by the steam of the boiling water in the tekeli. Steam only for 3 to 4 minutes.

Delicious Pitha is ready. Serve piping hot.