Panta Bhat

Name: Panta Bhat
Total time: 30900 s
Yield: 2 serving
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1.5 cups cooked Parboiled Rice; 2 cups water for soaking; 1 fried dry red chilli; 1 green chilli; 1 onion sliced; As needed salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp Mustard Oil; To serve:; For Spiced Aloo Bhorta or Chokha (mashed potato); 2 medium potatoes boiled and peeled; 1 small onion finely chopped; 1 green chilli chopped finely; 1 dry red chilli fried; 3 cloves garlic minced and roasted; 1 tsp mustard oil; As per taste salt; 1 tsp coriander chopped finely; For Potato fry:; 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced; As per taste salt; 3 tbsp oil for frying potatoes; For frying fish:; 150 gms Mourola fish (Indian Carplet) or 2 pieces Hilsa or Rohu fish; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 2-3 tbsp mustard oil for frying fish

Kumkum Chatterjee @cook_12055532

#CA26 #Week11
Panta Bhat or Pakhala Bhat is a rice based centuries old recipe.At first starch is discarded from cooked rice. It is then prepared by soaking leftover cooked rice in water in Bengal while in Odisha dahi or curd is added after lightly fermenting overnight. This dish is traditionally served in the morning with salt, onion, green and roasted dry red chillies along with a drizzle of mustard oil, aloo makha / aloo pitika( mashed potato), fried potatoes and fried fish.It is consumed in the Eastern and North Eastern Indian states specially in West Bengal, Odisha ( Pakhala) ,Assam and Bangladesh. It is a seasonal food that suits hot and humid weather. The fermentation process in panta bhat creates beneficial bacteria making it an excellent natural probiotic and plenty of micronutrients that aid digestion.It is highly hydrating and replenishes electrolytes, helping the body to combat heat- related fatigue. Fermented rice has higher concentrations of minerals like iron, calcium and potassium compared to freshly cooked rice. The fermented rice water is usually consumed along with the rice , and not thrown away.

Kumkum Chatterjee @cook_12055532

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Ingredients

Soak: 8 hrs; Prep: 15 mins; Cook: 20 mins

2 serving

1.5 cupscooked Parboiled Rice
2 cupswater for soaking
1fried dry red chilli
1green chilli
1onion sliced
As neededsalt
1 tbsplemon juice
1 tbspMustard Oil
To serve:
For Spiced Aloo Bhorta or Chokha (mashed potato)
2medium potatoes boiled and peeled
1small onion finely chopped
1green chilli chopped finely
1dry red chilli fried
3 clovesgarlic minced and roasted
1 tspmustard oil
As per tastesalt
1 tspcoriander chopped finely
For Potato fry:
2medium potatoes peeled and diced
As per tastesalt
3 tbspoil for frying potatoes
For frying fish:
150 gmsMourola fish (Indian Carplet) or 2 pieces Hilsa or Rohu fish
1/4 tspturmeric powder
1/4 tspsalt
2-3 tbspmustard oil for frying fish

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Steps

Soak: 8 hrs; Prep: 15 mins; Cook: 20 mins

1

Take the cooked and cooled rice in a bowl but preferably in an earthen pot.Add cold water to it.The water should be at least an inch above the rice.Cover it with a lid or plate and leave it overnight to ferment.
2

To make aloo bhorta (spiced mashed potatoes): Pressure cook the potatoes with 1/2 cup water upto 3 whistles. Open lid after pressure releases naturally. The potatoes should be fork tender.Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and fry the dry red chillies.Next fry the minced garlic till crispy brown.Mash the potatoes.Add salt to taste.Then crush 1 fried dry red chilli, fried garlic, 1 small chopped green chilli, chopped onion and coriander leaves. Mash and mix well.Set aside.
3

To make potato fry : Dice 2 potatoes into rounds.Wash and smear salt.Fry in low to medium flame till soft but crispy outside.Set aside.Next smear fish with salt and turmeric powder. Heat mustard oil and fry the fish till crispy brown.Set aside.
4

To assemble: Take out the fermented rice from water.Serve in deep flat bowls with raised sides.Add some soaked rice water.Add salt and lemon juice. Mix well with a spoon.Now drizzle mustard oil,salt, sliced onion, chopped coriander, green and dry red chillies.Serve the accompaniments in a plate along with some salt and lemon on the side.The meal is so soothing that with the right kind of accompaniments people will fall in love with a traditional Bengali Lost and Found recipe.

Tips

Use store bought parboiled rice and boil it till soft.Discard starch water.Add fresh cooled water to soak the rice.While serving lightly mash the rice, add lemon juice and salt.Mix well then add some soaked fermented rice water to it.Adding raw mustard oil and sliced raw onions enhances the taste of panta bhat.Accompaniments vary to one's own liking.

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