Poila Baisakh: Chef Rana Dominic Gomes Shares Patishapta Recipe
Image Credit: Patishapta cream cheese pitha, Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd

For any Bengali across the world, a festival that comes closest to the enthusiasm of Durga Pujo is Poila Baisakh. It rings in the Bengali New Year; however, the festive cheer starts permeating the air almost a month in advance. As anyone can guess, no grand Bengali festivity is complete, minus a lavish spread of decadent indigenous delicacies. The menu gets decided beforehand, and all the necessary shopping is done to avoid any last-minute fiasco. Though Poila Baisakh is a matter of 24 hours of celebration, the preparation doesn’t witness any compromise. While a few choose to stick to an elaborate vegetarian spread featuring alu posto, cholar dal, Basanti pulao, dhokar dalna, potoler dolma, chhanar dalna, and so on, a few others go gaga over the nonvegetarian dishes of this region.

Nevertheless, what remains a common inclusion in all kinds of platters, is something sweet. ‘Mishti mukhe shuru karo’ or begin on a sweet note, is something I have heard in my family on the occasion of Poila Baisakh. Having said that, deciding on a special dessert can be puzzling too. Rana Dominic Gomes, Area Chef South, Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd, has a unique solution for this.

Sweets are a way of expressing gratitude and celebrating life's special moments. It is no wonder that sweets continue to be an essential aspect of Bengali culture and tradition.

“We all know about the Bengalis’ love for patishapta. Thus, keeping it in mind, I have created a recipe with a slight tweaking for Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year). The original version is a simple, traditional dish prepared for decades. My recipe is presented differently,” shares Chef Rana. 

Cream Cheese Patishapta Pitha

Patishapta Pitha for Pohela Boishakh is a popular dessert for households. A modern-day twist has been given to the recipe, wherein instead of the coconut and jaggery filling, it is replaced with cream cheese.

Cream cheese Patishapta, Image By: Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd

Ingredients

For batter

  • Semolina 75 gm
  • Rice flour 75 gm
  • Plain flour 150 gm
  • Coconut milk 400 ml
  • Milk 50 ml
  • Salt pinch
  • Sugar 20 gm
  • For Filling
  • Cinnamon Powder 1 teaspoon
  • Cardamom powder ½ teaspoon
  • Cream cheese 200g Ghee 1 tsp
  • Date molasses 225g 4 tbsp. of oil, to brush the pan

Method:

  • Mix the semolina, rice flour, refined flour, milk, water, salt and sugar in a bowl and thoroughly mix all the ingredients.
  • Cover and leave it to rest for at least one hour. Meanwhile, make the filling. 
  • In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, cinnamon, cardamom powder, and date molasses and mix well, ensuring consistency in piping.
  •  Heat a flat non-stick pan over a low heat and brush lightly with oil. 
  • Take a small ladle, take out one portion from the batter into the pan, pour it on the pan and spread it to make a thin crêpe. 
  • Cook for 1–1 ½ minutes until golden on the underside and place roughly 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling across the centre in a thick vertical line or log shape 
  • Flip the crepe over with a spatula so that one side covers the filling, and then repeat with the other. 
  • Repeat the process with the remaining batter, and grease the pan between each Patishapta. Take it out of the pan and keep it warm while you cook the remaining.

Garnish the patishapta pithas with finely crushed pistachios, almond and serve.