Khejur Gur Pithe Sesame Rice Pancake

Ingredients

• For the pithe:
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup semolina (rava)
• a pinch of salt
• warm water — about 1/2 cup to make batter
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• oil for cooking (just a few drops per pancake)
• For the jaggery syrup:
• 1/2 cup nolen gur (date palm jaggery) or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Method

1. Make the rice flour batter: In a bowl combine 1 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup semolina and a pinch of salt. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add warm water gradually — about 1/2 cup — stirring constantly to form a smooth, lump-free batter. The batter should be thin enough to spread easily on a griddle but not watery. It should flow slowly when you tilt the bowl. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
2. Toast the sesame seeds: In a dry pan on low heat, add 1 tbsp sesame seeds. Toast stirring constantly for 2 minutes until they turn golden and some pop. Remove immediately — they burn fast. Keep aside.
3. Make the jaggery syrup: In a small pan combine 1/2 cup nolen gur (or dark brown sugar) with 1/4 cup water. Heat on medium, stirring, until the jaggery dissolves completely. Bring to a brief boil then reduce to low heat. Cook for 3 minutes until the syrup thickens slightly. Keep warm on the lowest heat.
4. Heat the griddle: Place a flat non-stick pan or well-seasoned iron griddle on medium heat. Let it heat for 2 minutes. Add just 1 to 2 drops of oil and spread with a paper towel — barely a film of oil.
5. Pour the batter: Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter onto the centre of the warm griddle. Using the back of a spoon, spread it outward in a circular motion to form a thin round about 12 to 14 cm in diameter. The pithe should be noticeably thinner than a dosa — more like a crepe.
6. Sprinkle sesame seeds: Immediately scatter a small pinch of toasted sesame seeds over the surface of the wet batter. They will embed as the batter sets.
7. Cook until edges lift: Cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes without touching. The edges will begin to lift away from the pan and the surface will lose its wet look and become dry. Small brown spots will form on the bottom.
8. Flip gently: Using a thin flat spatula, gently lift one edge to check the colour — it should be light golden with brown spots. Flip carefully. Cook the sesame-seed side for 1 minute. The pithe does not need much cooking on the second side.
9. Remove and stack: Remove the pithe to a plate. Stack them as you make them — they will not stick to each other.
10. Serve with jaggery syrup: Fold or roll each pithe and drizzle the warm nolen gur syrup generously over the top. The dark, fragrant jaggery syrup soaking into the light crispy pithe is the defining taste of Poush Sankranti.
11. Note: Pithe is the generic term for rice-flour preparations made during the harvest festival Poush Sankranti (mid-January) in West Bengal. The arrival of fresh nolen gur at this festival is the signal for weeks of pithe-making across Bengal. This particular style with sesame seeds is called til pithe (til = sesame). Every Bengali family has its own pithe recipes passed from grandmother to mother to daughter.