Ingredients

1kg rice flour

1 cup spinach paste

2 tbsp ginger paste

4-5 green chillies, chopped

½ cup cauliflower, chopped  

½ cup potato, chopped

½ cup carrot, chopped

Water, as needed

Salt, to taste

Coriander chutney or achar.

Utensils

A small, deep round bowl or mould to shape pitha

Special pitha steamer, or saucepan and aluminium foil

2 pieces of white muslin cloth, the size of a standard napkin

Preparation

If you do not have a pitha steamer, use a saucepan. Fill half the pan with water and cover it with double layers of aluminium foil. Using a fork, make a few holes in the middle of the foil cover so steam cannot escape when you place the bowl or mould on top.

Directions

Sift the flour. Add salt, and chilli and spinach pastes. Sprinkle small amount of water at a time to just dampen the flour. The flour mixture should not be like a dough or batter, but just resemble moist crumbs. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. Boil all the vegetables with ginger and salt.

In a bowl, soak the pieces of muslin cloth in water. Set aside. Sift the moist flour again through a sieve using your palm.

Boil some water in the steamer or saucepan with the lid on. Proceed to making the pithas as steam appears through the holes.

To make pithas

Depending on the size of the mould or bowl, put in some flour mixture to cover only half of it. Spread some boiled vegetables on top. Cover the rest of the mould with more flour mixture. Take out one of the muslin cloths from water, squeeze and spread the wet cloth on top of the mould. Gather the corners of the cloth with the mould or bowl inside and carefully flip it onto the holes of the steamer or the foil cover. The bowl should now be upside down on the holes. Carefully lift the bowl, and gather the corners of the cloth on top of the bowl-shaped pitha. Steam for 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully unwrap the cloth from the cooked pitha and place it on a plate with a spatula or spoon. Serve with coriander chutney, pickles or other spicy condiments.  

Put the hot cloth back in the water bowl to soak. Using the second piece of soaked cloth, repeat the steps for the next pitha, till all the mixture is used up. n