Do you remember Chef Kishwar? A Bengali home cook for years and a contestant of Masterchef Australia, and how she won the hearts of all the judges by cooking Panta Bhat which she called ‘Steamed Rice in Smoky Cold Water’. Well, nobody knew about this food before apart from the eastern part of India and Bangladesh. It’s her credit that she didn’t fright to come up with such a native dish on a stage like Masterchef Australia Grand Finale. And with her efforts, now the world knows about it.
Well done!
Origin of Panta Bhat:
Panta Bhat is a fabulous dish if made properly. It originated in the Eastern Part of undivided India, precisely Bengal Province which now belongs to West Bengal and Bangladesh. As it’s extremely hot and humid in summer, common people love to have this in the morning. But eating Panta Bhat at noon or evening is also not so uncommon.
Nutritional Value of Panta Bhat:
You get carbohydrates from rice which is a natural source of calories.
As the method allows, you get a good source of probiotics in this food.
You get minerals like potassium and manganese from the fermentation of the rice.
Panta Bhat is a good source of vitamins as these are offered with green chili and onions.
Health Benefits:
Panta Bhat offers quite low calories in respect to normal boiled rice as the fermentation changes its internal structure. So you don’t gain weight.
It helps in maintaining a balanced gut health.
It’s extremely trustworthy for washing acidity reflux.
It keeps your stomach cool. It was invented from a need for a cooling effect in the topical region.
You get plenty of minerals and vitamins which let you have a stronger and healthier body.
How is it served:
Panta Bhat is often served with Aloo Chokha (Mashed potatoes with onion and Whole red chili), lentil fritters, onion, green chili, lemon, lemon leaves, salt, and a dash of mustard oil.
Not stretching much let’s jump to the recipe.
Panta Bhat Recipe
Ingredients:
Boiled Rice – 1 cup
Fresh normal water – Adequate amount
Procedure:
Take a moderately big bowl. Add boiled rice. Make sure the rice is completely cool to its natural temperature. Add water. Let it submerge in water. The water level should be at least 1 cm higher than the rice. Cover it with a lid. And keep it in a hot place, preferably in the kitchen, for the rest of the night. An overnight fermentation makes a perfect panta bhat. A 12-hour long procedure produces good bacteria which works as a probiotic.
Serve it with water.
Things to remember:
Never add water to hot rice as this is prone to producing bad bacteria causing stomach trouble.
Never over-ferment the rice.
Fried Fish Recipe (To be served with Panta Bhat)
Ingredients:
Fish of your choice – 2 pieces
Salt – To taste
Turmeric – ½ Teaspoon
Red Chili Powder – ½ Teaspoon
All-purpose flour – 1 Teaspoon
Oil – For frying
Procedure:
Marinate the fish pieces with Salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour and loosely coat the fish with it.
Now, heat oil in a wok. Deep fry the fish. Let both sides become golden brown.
Lentil Fritters Recipe (To be served with Panta Bhat)
Ingredients:
Lentil – ½ cup (washed)
Green Chili – 1 or 2 nos.
Onion – 1 (roughly chopped)
All-purpose Flour – 1 Teaspoon
Salt – To Taste
Oil – For frying
Procedure:
Soak the lentil for 2 hours in normal water. Now make a paste of it with 1 / 2 green chili. Don’t make a smooth paste, A coarse paste will taste better. Add Onion and all-purpose flour.
Now, heat oil in a wok. Take a small portion from this batter with the help of a spoon, or you may try this with your hands when you become an expert, and dip it into the hot oil. Fry until these become golden brown.
Conclusion
You will become its fan if you try it once. I am from India and the heat is unbearable during summer. Sometimes I really like to skip my meals because of the heat. That’s the time I opted for Panta Bhat. It’s a full-course meal which gives me enough energy for the day.