andrejthechef
BangladeshDessertDessert

Bhapa Pitha

Steamed rice-flour cakes filled with coconut and date-palm jaggery, melting inside as they cook.

prep
25 min
cook
10 min
total
35 min
serves
6
level
medium
Bhapa Pitha, a dish from Winter food traditions

Bhapa pitha is a winter staple across Bangladesh, a steamed rice-flour cake built around a pocket of coconut and date-palm jaggery that turns soft and syrupy as the cake steams.

Nolen gur, fresh date-palm jaggery harvested in winter, is the traditional filling and the whole reason this pitha is a cold-weather dish rather than a year-round one.

Part of our 20 best Bangladeshi recipes list.

method

  1. Mix the rice flour with a pinch of salt and just enough water, a little at a time, to form a crumbly, slightly moist texture that holds together when pressed but isn't wet.

  2. Sift or sieve the moistened flour to break up any clumps, keeping it light and fluffy.

  3. Mix the grated coconut with the jaggery to make the filling.

  4. Take a steamer mold or a small bowl lined with cloth, and add a layer of the rice flour, pressing down lightly.

  5. Add a spoonful of the coconut-jaggery filling in the center, then cover with another layer of rice flour, pressing gently to seal without compacting too hard.

  6. Carefully invert the mold onto a piece of muslin cloth, and steam over boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cake is set and cooked through.

  7. Let cool slightly before unwrapping, and serve warm, with the jaggery filling soft and partially melted inside.

chef's tips

  • The flour should never be wet; it's pressed into shape rather than poured, closer to the texture used for sandcastles, which is what keeps the cake light and fluffy rather than dense.
  • A cloth-lined mold makes unmolding the steamed cake far easier than trying to do it with bare metal or plastic.