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Bohag Bihu Recipe 2025: Celebrate Rongali Bihu with the traditional Til Pitha recipe. Follow the step-by-step guide and enjoy this dish symbolising prosperity.
Til Pitha is a traditional Assamese rice cake filled with sesame seeds and jaggery, symbolising prosperity and enjoyed during the Bohag Bihu festival.
Rongali Bihu Recipe: Bihu is one of the most important festivals in Assam and is celebrated with much joy and enthusiasm. It marks the arrival of the Assamese New Year and is a festival of harvest, nature, and fertility. Bihu is celebrated thrice a year, but Rongali Bihu, also known as Bohag Bihu, holds special significance as it welcomes the spring season and is a time of rejuvenation and new beginnings. The festival is celebrated with traditional dances, music, and feasts, and it’s a time for families to come together and celebrate their agricultural roots.
This year, Bohag Bihu will begin on April 14 and continue for about a week, concluding on April 20.
During this time, people celebrate the harvest of crops, offer prayers to their ancestors, and enjoy moments of bonding with loved ones. The festival also symbolises the vibrant culture and rich traditions of Assam.
TRADITIONAL DISHES OF BIHU
One of the highlights of Rongali Bihu is the food! Assamese cuisine takes centre stage during the festival, and special dishes like Pithas (traditional rice cakes) are an essential part of the celebration.
ALSO READ: Bohag Bihu 2025: Date, Time, Rituals, History, Significance And Celebration Of Assam New Year
Among them, Til Pitha is a favourite, filled with the goodness of black sesame seeds and jaggery, symbolising prosperity and good health.
The Rongali Bihu-Special Til Pitha recipe shared here is a beloved dish that is made to celebrate the new harvest. With its combination of glutinous rice, jaggery, and sesame, it’s a delicious and meaningful treat that brings families together during this auspicious festival. Enjoy making this traditional dish and share the spirit of Bihu with your loved ones.
RONGALI BIHU-SPECIAL TIL PITHA RECIPE
Ingredients
- 3 cups glutinous rice
- 1½ cups black sesame seeds
- 1½ cups jaggery
Step-By-Step Guide To Make Til Pitha
- Wash the rice until it runs clear; soak it in enough water for 4 hours. Drain the water and leave the rice on a sieve for another 3-4 hours. (P.S. we need the excess water to drain, but we do not want the rice to be completely dry.)
- Grind the rice in small amounts. Do not let the grinder become hot as it will affect the stickiness of the rice.
- Keep the ground rice in a clean, dry bowl and gently press it down. This prevents drying it out. Do not wait to do this until you have ground all the rice. So grind one batch, pat down in the bowl, grind another batch, pat down on top of previous batch and so on.
- Cover the bowl of ground rice and refrigerate for 5-6 hours or overnight. Do not make the pitha immediately.
- In a small pan, add the sesame seeds and roast over low heat till it leaves an aroma and the seeds start to crackle. Transfer to a food processor and grind coarsely.
- Add the ground sesame seeds and jaggery to a kadhai, and mix well. Keep aside and make sure the mixture has cooled before making the pithas.
- Place a heavy, thick bottomed iron pan over low heat. The thicker the pan, the better as it will prevent the pitha from browning.
- From one side of the bowl, take a ladleful of the ground rice and spread it over the pan in a circular shape. Gently press with fingertips.
- After a couple of seconds, add a few teaspoonfuls of the sesame and jaggery filling across the middle.
- When the pitha starts to leave the pan, quickly make a roll from one of the longer ends. You can use a spoon or your fingers.
- After making the roll, push it to the edge of the pan to crisp up and get ready to make the next one. Do keep an eye on it; we don’t it to brown.
- After shifting the pitha towards the edge of the pan use a tea towel to wipe away the remnants of the previous pitha and discard. Now repeat the process to make more pithas. It tastes best with tea.
- Location :
Assam, India, India
