Xutuli Pitha or Sutuli Pitha an quintessential and Assamese dessert

  It has been a week since we celebrated Magh Bihu, yet I am still relishing Xutuli Pitha or Sutuli Pitha, and so is my family. Last week, I posted my Magh Bihu food memory, and most of my readers have never heard of or known the food I shared in my blog. Today, I will share the most quintessential dessert we make during Magh Bihu, or for that matter, any Bihu. Pillowy, sticky, crunchy, half-moon-shaped dessert inspired by an Assamese musical instrument. 

If you closely look into Assamese cuisine, especially festive cooking, Bora Saul or Sticky rice is widely used. Since Bora Saul is indigenous rice in Assam, if you live outside Assam or India, you can use Japanese sweet rice or sticky rice.

 Let's get to the ingredients...

Ingredients

1. 2 cups Japanese sweet rice or sticky rice
2. 1 cup sesame seeds (Teel) and save 5 tablespoons for decoration (optional)
3. 1 cup jaggery or gur
4. Oil for frying
   
   

Process 

1. Wash and soak the rice for 2 to 3 hours, or until you can feel the softness when you touch it. Strain the rice and spread it out on a muslin cloth. Let it dry for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Now, wash and soak the sesame seeds for 1 hour, then strain the water. Spread the seeds out on a muslin cloth or parchment paper. Let it dry. 
3. Roast the sesame seeds until they start popping, or you can smell the aroma. 
4. Now, grind the rice into a fine powder and sieve it well so that no grainy texture remains.
5. Now grind the Sesame seeds, leave them coarse, not powdery. It is important not to make it powdery, otherwise it will end the nutty texture. 
6. Now mix the sesame with gur or jaggery.
7. In a cup, add two spoons of jaggery and 4 to 5 spoons of water, then start mixing.
8. In a wide bowl, add the rice powder and slowly pour in the jaggery, mixing it with water to form a dough. Be careful not to add all the water at once, as this will make it challenging to make the dough; check if you require more water later. Make the dough soft. 
9. Take a small amount of dough in your palm, form a ball, and then flatten it.
10. Spread 1 or 2 teaspoons of the Jaggery and sesame filling on the flattened dough. 
11. Fold it into a half-moon shape and seal it well so that the contents won't spill out. 
12. This step is optional; we can rub the xutuli pitha shape on the extra sesame seeds, which always gives an extra crunch on the outer layer. This is optional, and you can skip it if you prefer.
13. Now, place the pan on a medium flame and pour the oil once it has heated. Start frying the pithas until they get golden brown.
14. Serve hot with a cup of tea or milk, or your favorite beverage, or enjoy it on its own.