Arsa Pitha
Veg
Vegan
Crispy, deep-fried Jharkhand festival sweets made from coarse rice flour mixed with jaggery and black sesame seeds — shaped into rounds and fried in mustard oil until golden-brown and crackled on the outside, slightly dense and chewy within. Made for Chhath puja, weddings, and harvest festivals, arsa pitha can be stored for days and is exchanged as a gift between tribal households.
Cuisines
Chhattisgarhi
Bengali
Bihari
Jharkhand
Odia
Best for
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 50 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | rice |
| 1 cup | jaggery |
| 1 cup | water |
| 1 cup | rice flour |
| 1 cup | oil for frying |
| 1 teaspoon | fennel seeds |
| — | pinch of salt |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 3-4 hours.
- 2 Drain the water and spread the rice on a clean cloth to dry for about an hour.
- 3 Grind the dried rice into a fine powder to make rice flour.
- 4 In a pan, add jaggery and water, and heat until the jaggery melts completely.
- 5 Strain the jaggery syrup to remove any impurities.
- 6 In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, jaggery syrup, fennel seeds, and a pinch of salt to form a thick batter.
- 7 Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
- 8 Once the oil is hot, pour a ladleful of batter into the oil to form a small disc.
- 9 Fry the pitha until it turns golden brown on both sides.
- 10 Remove the arsa pitha and drain excess oil on a paper towel.
- 11 Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Tips
Ensure the oil is at the right temperature; too hot will burn the pitha, too cool will make it oily.