Panta Bhaat (Fermented Rice - Bengali Style)

Name: Panta Bhaat (Fermented Rice - Bengali Style)
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked rice; to taste salt; 1-2 green chilies; 1-2 roasted / burnt red chilies; 1 tbsp. coriander leaves; 1 slice lime; potato fry / potato bharta (mashed potato) to serve

Bethica Das @kitchen_flavours

Sharjah (UAE)

Panta Bhaat or fermented rice is very popular in Bangladesh and the North Eastern part of india, especially, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. It is basically leftover cooked rice soaked in water and left overnight to ferment.

This is then relished next morning as breakfast along with various side dishes like potato fry or any other curry, green chilies, onion, burnt / roasted red chilies, lime, fish fry, papad or pickle. It is considered a staple breakfast diet in the rural areas and is also very popular during Bengali New Year.

I have a very vague memory of having this simple dish during my childhood. It is a very comforting food that is just divine. I like to have Panta Bhaat with just a dash of lime, burnt chilies and potato fry. Sometimes I relish it with pickle and papad. The water in which the rice is soaked also tastes just heavenly. It is very sad to know that the present generation is not aware of this recipe.

Bethica Das @kitchen_flavours

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Ingredients

1 cupcooked rice
to tastesalt
1-2green chilies
1-2roasted / burnt red chilies
1 tbsp.coriander leaves
1 slicelime
potato fry / potato bharta (mashed potato) to serve

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Steps

1

In a bowl, take the leftover cooked rice and add water to it. It should cover the rice. Set aside overnight to ferment.
2

Next day garnish it with coriander leaves and serve along with salt to taste, green chilies, burnt red chilies, potato curry and lime.
3

You can also relish it with pickles, fish fry, papad or any other side dish.