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Chunga pitha with black rice and coconut

Chunga pitha with black rice and coconut

Desserts

A traditional Bengali dessert, made by cooking rice cakes in bamboo tubes over a fire, and filled with sticky rice, coconut, and palm sugar. It’s a festiv…

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Recipe from MD Abu Siyam, adapted by Recette de cuisine ·

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A traditional pitha, cooked in bamboo over a straw fire, which is enjoyed during village festivals and gatherings.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time1 hr
  • Cook time1 hr
  • Total2 hr
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodCooking over an open fire in bamboo tubes
  • Estimated cost$5.26 $0.88 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

6 people
  • $1.16
  • $0.76
  • $0.16
  • $3.14
  • $0.04

Prices from US supermarkets for 3 of 5 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Soak the rice in water for at least 3 hours, then drain it thoroughly. You can also lightly grill the rice and then grind it, but the soaked version is the most common.
  2. Mix the rice with coconut, palm sugar, or regular sugar, a pinch of salt, and condensed milk. The mixture should not be too watery. ≈ 4 min
  3. Briefly blanch the banana leaves in boiling water to soften them. Wrap the rice mixture in the leaves, then place them in the bamboo tubes. ≈ 3 min
  4. Close the opening with another piece of banana leaf, then seal it tightly with straw or soil to prevent steam from escaping.
  5. Place the tubes on a small platform made of bricks or stones. Light a fire of straw or wood underneath and above them. ≈ 3 min
  6. Turn the tubes over every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. After 45 minutes to an hour, the pitha is ready when a sweet aroma begins to emanate from the tubes.

The bill

Chunga pitha with black rice and coconut

  • 400 g of black sticky rice (binni), soaked for 3-4 hours$1.16
  • 100 g of shredded coconut$0.76
  • 200 g of palm sugar or granulated sugar$0.16
  • 240 ml of sweetened condensed milk (optional)$3.14
  • A pinch of salt$0.04

Total$5.26

that's $0.88 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 400 g of black sticky rice (binni), soaked for 3-4 hours
  • 100 g of shredded coconut
  • 200 g of palm sugar or granulated sugar
  • 240 ml of sweetened condensed milk (optional)
  • A pinch of salt
  • Banana leaves, as needed, for wrapping.
  • 5 to 6 lengths of Dholubash bamboo, prepared
  • Straw or wood, for the fire.

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