Do remember to get my khejur knata, Grandma reminds Bapi as he takes the last sip of tea from the bone-china cup with its inviting red roses and prepares to head to the baajaar.
It’s a mellow winter morning. The lazy infant sun is yet to make his august appearance, an enigmatic shroud of fog hangs low above the canopy of trees, a sitar ensemble plays on the radio in the living room and a pair of doves coo at a distance.
Maa dries my wet hair with a gamchha that has long lived it’s age, I shall now have my customary rice – dal – aloo bhaja – maach bhaja meal before heading off to school.
Dada sulks in a corner, silently fidgeting with a torch, something I have observed he’s been doing for the last couple of days. Maa reminds him yet again to have his shower, annoyance starting to show in her voice. He finally relents.
The day flies by. I am back from school. The garrulous parrots make a ruckus high up in the gnarled guava tree. I leave my satchel on the table in the daalaan and tiptoe in.
I now spot Grandma in our grime-stained kitchen, seated on her pnire, busy at work. Her nimble hands move deftly as the khejur knata (that Bapi must have got this morning) works divine magic on a rounded of rice flour dough. The precision is incredible, that of an experienced surgeon yielding her scalpel. Maa and Didi sit on the floor, humble disciples of the maestro, watching with rapt attention, as the the tiny petals begin to appear. Followed by elaborate ones. Adorned with intricate details that only a master of the craft can conjure. And finally emerges the sunflower. In all its sublime grandeur.
You are a magician Grandma, I cannot help but remark. It’s beyond the comprehension of a ten year old how Grandma, despite her fading eyesight and frail, at time tremulous, hands, crisscrossed by blue veins, still manages to create such a masterpiece.
Don’t strain your eyes, Maa advises Grandma, still admiring the nokshi pitha, let me try my hand now.
And she proceeds to craft a dainty paisley, embellished with ornate adornments.
And then a pair of fishes, each scale conspicuous, etched with rigorous perfection on the dough.
Beautiful, Grandma encourages as she takes a sip of tea.
Maa smiles as she adds alert eyes to the fish. A smile, laced with pride and satisfaction, of a student under the tutelage of an exacting teacher.
The afternoon progresses. Twilight sets the heavens on fire. More designs take proud form. Gorgeous lotuses. Vines of forest flowers. Leaves and buds. And my favourite – a pompous peacock plume with mesmerising details.
A crescent of a silver moon makes an appearance. Conches blow. A gaggle of geese return to their nests. Manikkaka switches on the lights in the daalaan.
Maa leaves the kitchen for her shondhe ritual.
Didi proceeds to fry the nokshi pitha under the supervision of Grandma. Patiently. Over a subdued flame.
A pot of jaggery syrup waits silently in anticipation. For the nokshi pitha to be plunged in it.
Cut to the present.
Tears of bittersweet nostalgia well up in my eyes as I use toothpicks to etch designs on the rice dough. Memories of Maa and Grandma crafting nokshi pitha in the ancient kitchen of our Karimganj home a day before Sankranti come fleeting back.
Years before whipping up perfect pretty plates in Michelin star restaurants became the trend, our mothers and grandmothers, unsung and unheralded, were etching meticulous designs on their Nokshi Pitha or leaving their incredibly detailed Goyna Bori under the sun to dry. Pouring all their love onto the plates of food they served.
Its time we celebrated them and their magnificent creations, isnt it ?
Nokshi Pitha
Equipment
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Nokshi pitha
- 2 cups rice flour
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the jaggery syrup
- 1 cup khejur patali or date palm jaggery
- 1 cup water
Instructions
For Nokshi Pitha
- Take 2 cups of water in a pan, add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil.
- Add the rice flour, give it a gentle yet quick mix. Switch off the flame.
- Cover the dough quickly, keep it aside on the hot switched off burner for 10 minutes. (Please do not open the lid during this time.)
- Carefully place the dough on a flat surface. We need to start kneading right away. Yes, the dough shall still be quite hot, so do handle with utmost care while kneading. But we cannot allow the dough to cool down completely before kneading, that shall make the dough difficult to work with.
- Start to knead the dough now. The dough shall be a little sticky in the beginning. Don't worry, it shall become softer as we knead it. If needed you can add 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp of extra flour, no more than that please.
- Continue to knead for 10-15 minutes till the dough becomes soft and smooth.
- Divide the dough into 5 or 6 portions - do note though that depending on the design you choose, the portion sizes may vary. Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth.
- Take one portion of the dough, roll it gently on an oiled surface to an uniform round disc of ~1/2” thickness.
- Lightly smear the roundel with oil, let creativity take over, carefully and patiently etch the designs of your choice with a tooth pick or khejur kata (if available). Just one point to remember, while etching the design, you have to insert the toothpick till at least halfway into the dough. Trim the edges of the roundel with a knife if needed.
- Transfer the pitha gently onto a butter paper, keep covered with a damp cloth.
- Heat enough oil in a heavy bottomed pan for deep frying.
- Deep fry the pitha one by one on a medium low flame till golden and crisp. Take care to not overheat the oil . If the oil is too hot, the inside of the pitha shall remain under-cooked while the outside shall brown quickly. (Just for reference, it took me about of 15-20 min for me to fry one pitha.)
- Once gorgeous golden and crisp, remove from oil and place over an oil absorbent paper.
For the jaggery syrup
- In a pan take the water and jaggery, give it a mix. Bring to a simmer and keep cooking over a medium flame till you have to make one string jaggery syrup.
- Dip the fried pitha gently in the jaggery syrup while the syrup is still warm. Leave for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the syrup and serve.
If you are as much a fan of pithe-puli as I am, check the compilation of Pithe recipes on my blog. You’ll love them for sure !!
so beautiful
Is there a possibility to have video for designing part. At least to see how it’s done.
Thank you