Description
Artful Bengali cookies, these Nakshi Pitha are crispy, sweet, and perfect for celebrations. Intricate designs make them stunning!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cups (237 ml) moong dal
- 1.5 cups (355 ml) water
- 1 cups (237 ml) rice flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon ghee/butter
- Oil
- 2 cups (473 ml) sugar
- 2 cups (473 ml) water
- 2 cardamom
- 2 cinnamon pieces (1inch each)
Instructions
- Roast moong dal on low heat until fragrant and crisp.
- Grind the roasted dal into a powder using a food processor.
- Boil water with salt and ghee.
- When the water is boiling, slowly add the rice and dal flour. Reduce heat to medium-low and mix with a wooden spoon, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Remove the dough from the heat after 3-4 minutes, when the water dries.
- Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Knead the dough well on a lightly rice-flour dusted surface until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 4 balls and knead again until soft and smooth.
- Roll out each ball to ½ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Brush some oil over the dough and cut out pitha using cookie cutters.
- Use toothpicks to make designs on each pitha.
- Air dry all pitha for 1-2 hours.
- Make syrup by combining sugar and water. Set aside.
- Heat oil for deep frying. Once hot, fry each pitha on medium heat until light golden brown.
- Remove the pitha from the oil and place in the syrup for about a minute.
- Remove pitha from syrup and serve.
Notes
- For extra-crisp pitha, ensure the dough is completely dry before rolling and cutting.
- If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a knife to cut the dough into desired shapes.
- Store cooled Nakshi Pitha in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; they will soften slightly.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Deep-Frying
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pitha
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 10