Stuffed Rice flour balls with lentils ( Dal-pitha)

Dal pitha is a traditionally food of Bihar, India. This is something which we are eating from our childhood. There are always few memories which you never forget from your childhood. It's from

one of these wonderful memories.

I remember, my mom working in morning 3-4 hours continuously, to make this dish for afternoon. And then, she is tired, and will sleep after lunch for a hour. When she goes off to sleep, we siblings, act as a bunch of chicken, who are tied in a cage, and they are set free suddenly. We do all mischievous works in this 1 hour. And, when our mom is awake, we act as if we did nothing, except study.

So, one day, I was all set to go in the store, and was waiting for mom to sleep. After she went to her room, I tiptoed to the Kitchen, and straight went where the sugar containers are stored. I use to love eating sugar. Oh, I can never forget that moment, when I was looking at the open full container of sugar, and the door behind me got closed. Initially, I thought it is because of the wind, but then I realized," NO, all the outside doors are closed, so there is no wind inside the house". I tried opening the door, but couldn't. Imagine a situation, of a small 10 year old girl, whose mother has told her not to eat sugar, and she is locked inside a Kitchen, with the open container of sugar, which she even didn't know how to close. So, after few minutes, my mom opened the door. My mother didn't say a word to me that day, but I stopped eating only sugar from that day.

I never gave it a thought of how it is made, until I got married. Few things, which I got to know about Dal-Pitha is it is made in the peak winter season. In our household, 2 or 3 types of pithas are made at the same time. It takes about 2-3 hours to make. And when you make this Pitha, with more helping hands, the process of making Pitha becomes a fun.

Here, is the recipe of making the Pitha.

Ingredients -

1. Chana Dal (soaked for 30 minutes) - 2 handful
2. Cumin Seeds - 1tsp
3. Hing - 1pinch
4. Salt to taste
5. Ghee - 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric Powder  - 1tsp
7. Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Garam Masala- 1tsp
9. Rice Flour - 3 cups
10. Water as required

Directions -

• Boil Chana Dal as usual, with salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala.
• In a pan, add ghee, when heated add cumin seeds, hing and then boiled dal. Stir continuously, so that all water of Dal is dried up, leaving behind dry Dal powder.
• Now, in another Pan, fill 2 glasses of water.
• Boil the water, close the flame, and slowly add rice flour in the water, continously stirring.
• Transfer the flour in another bowl, and let it cool a bit for 5-7 minutes.
• Now, by adding little amount of cold water, make a dough not to tight nor to soft.
• Knead the dough for minimum 5 minutes, to get a right texture. (More you knead, more soft Pitha will be).
• Take dough equal to the size of peach, make an impression in center and convert it in a shape of small bowl. Fill the Dal Mixture, and close the mouth of dough, by pressing it with both hands.
• Apply 2 drops of Oil in both the palms, and press the dough ball from both sides, and give it a shape, you want for your Pitha. I like Oval Shape, so i made it in this form.
• Now, in another pan, fill enough water, so that all pithas can get dipped in it.
• Boil the water, add pithas in it, and let it get cooked for a while.
• When the Pithas, will be done, it will start floating on the top of the pan.
• Enjoy it hot with Alu-Dum.