Stuffed Kakara Pitha
Kakara Pitha is a delicious blend of textures and flavors, representing the rich culinary heritage of Odisha. Which is loved for its simplicity and the comfort it brings.., evoking nostalgia and a sense of home for those who are familiar with their regional food.
Ingredients
- For the Coconut Stuffing:
- Grated Coconut - 1 bowl freshly grated or scraped
- Jaggery Gud/Guda - 3/4 cup (if using dry jaggery, use 1-2 tbsp water; no water is needed if using watery jaggery)
- Green Cardamom Powder - 2 pinches
- For the Dough:
- Raw Semolina Sooji/Suji - 2 cups (or 250g)
- Sugar - 2 tbsp for outer layer of Pitha
- Fennel Seeds Saunf - 1 tbsp
- Salt - 1 pinch
- Water - 4 cups or double the quantity of semolina
- For Frying:
- Oil for deep frying - sufficient quantity (oil should be medium hot)
Instructions
- Prepare the Coconut Stuffing:
- Apply a layer of water on the coconut to help break it evenly.
- Remove the coconut flesh carefully. You can either grate it using a coconut scraper or cut it into small chunks for easy grinding.
- Grind well for a few seconds to get finely grated coconut.
- Cook the Coconut with Jaggery:
- In a pan, add jaggery and 1-2 tbsp of water (if using dry jaggery). If using watery jaggery, no water is needed.
- Stir frequently on low-medium flame until foam starts to form.
- Add the grated coconut to the
- pan and mix on a low flame.
- This helps remove excess moisture from the coconut.
- Cook until the mixture has a slight moisture left and is well combined.
- Add 2 pinches of cardamom powder and mix on low for a minute.
- Let the mixture cool down completely.
- Prepare the Semolina Dough:
- Boil Water and Prepare Dough:
- In a pot, pour 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
- Add 2 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of fennel seeds, and a pinch of salt to the boiling water. Let the sugar dissolve completely.
- Gradually add raw semolina while mixing quickly on low flame to prevent lumps from forming.
- Cook for a few minutes until it forms a soft dough. The dough should be soft and should start leaving the base of the kadai.
- Knead the Dough:
- Transfer the dough onto an oil- greased platter. It should be warm or touchable to the hand to prevent it from hardening.
- Quickly but carefully knead the dough very well with greased hands until smooth and lump- free.
- Make small balls of dough, ensuring they are crack-free.
- Assemble the Kakara Pitha:
- Stuff the Dough Balls:
- Take a dough ball and flatten it to form a bowl shape.
- Fill with 1 tbsp of the prepared coconut stuffing.
- Do not overfill; otherwise, the Pitha may break while frying.
- Carefully collect the edges and seal them well. Smooth out any cracks.
- Fry the Kakara Pitha:
- Heat sufficient oil in a kadai to medium heat.
- Carefully place the Pithas in the hot oil. Do not flip them immediately; wait for about 2 minutes until they float to the top.
- Gently flip them with a spatula and fry both sides on low- medium flame until they turn golden brown and puffed.
- Remove the fried Pithas from the oil and drain them on a platter lined with paper towels.
- Serve:
- Serve the delicious, soft, and puffy Stuffed Kakara Pitha with Ghugni (Peas Curry), Dalma, any side dish or you can take it as it is.