Nothing else can beat the flavour of any local cuisine prepared in a traditional and rustic way. I recently came across one such unique recipe for a savoury pitha, which is an authentic item of the Santali tribe of Assam. This deceptively simple Chicken Pitha just blew my mind, and I couldn’t wait to share this exotic delicacy with you all. Treat it as an appetizer or main course meal; this mouthwatering and crusty Chicken Pitha is a perfect cocktail fare for a hungry crowd. Check this out!

Ingredients:
Chicken breast pieces: 2 (cut into small pieces)
Rice: 1 cup
Onion: 1 chopped
Ginger: Half inch
Garlic: 5-6 cloves
Green chilli: 1-2
Dry spices: 1 tablespoon
(A mixture of cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder, and chicken masala)
Coriander leaves
Salt
Mustard oil

Serves: 2-3 persons

For wrapping and grilling: Small plates of Sal leaf or banana leaf or aluminium foil.

Step 1: Soak rice overnight, wash and drain the water and let it dry. Blend the rice in a mixer to make rice flour. To save time you can also make a paste of the soaked rice adding a little water into it, what I did for this recipe. Keep it aside.

Step 2: Heat mustard oil in a kadhai and add chopped onion. Fry the onion until it turns light brown and add chicken pieces. Fry the chicken for about 2 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste (about 1 tablespoon) and chopped green chillies. Stir it for a minute and add the dry spice mix and salt as per taste. Stir it in medium flame for a few more minutes and add 1 cup of water. Cover it and let the chicken cook for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Once the chicken is done, add rice flour/ paste and mix it properly. Keep the gas on low flame to avoid burning. Add a cup of water and continue stirring for about 4-5 minutes to make a dough. Toss the chopped coriander leaves over it and mix well with the dough.

Step 4: Once the dough is ready, it’s time for grilling. I used aluminium foils for wrapping the pithas. Cut the foil into equal sizes (about 6-7 inches on each side) and grease them with oil. Now take a mould and put the dough inside it to make a patty of (approx. 10-15 mm thick). You can make the patty simply using your hands as well. Wrap the patties properly coving all sides.

Step 5: Heat a heavy bottom tawa or a pan (preferably cast iron) and add the patties. Keep the gas on low flame and cover the pan. Let it cook for about 10 minutes on each side until you see a golden brown crust outside the patties.

Serve it hot along with a spicy green chutney or yellow mustard sauce and enjoy.