The Humble Bangla Dish Panta Bhat Won Over MasterChef Judges & Here’s How To Prepare It!

by Tania Tarafdar
The Humble Bangla Dish Panta Bhat Won Over MasterChef Judges & Here’s How To Prepare It!

The humble Bengali Dish Panta Bhat has been making headlines of late. Recently, Bangladeshi-origin contestant Kishwar Chowdhury whipped up ‘Smoked Rice Water’ for the judges on the grand finale of Masterchef Australia 13. Viewers from the subcontinent were apalled as they recognised the dish as a version of the panta bhat, or cooked rice soaked overnight in water. The rice is then fermented and eaten with a dash mustard oil, green chillies, onions and a variety of condiments such as dried fish or pickles. 

Panta Bhat Is Popular All Over India

In India, this rustic dish is known by different names in different states. It is called pakhala in Odisha, poita bhat in Assam, pazham kanji in Kerala, and the panta bhat in West Bengal and pazhaya saadham in Tamil Nadu, As Kishwar served ‘Smoked Rice Water’ with alu bhorta and some fried sardines, the internet exploded with reactions. While some were angry over the fact that a simple dish like this was chosen as a finale dish, others felt proud about their regional cuisine. 

Also read: After Bengali Phuchka, Kerala’s Famous Prawn Moilee Makes It To MasterChef Australia

Panta Bhat Has A Rich History

Many others thanked Kishwar for putting the dish on the world map. But panta bhat might be having a moment under the spotlight, the dish has an interesting history. Many believe that Panta Bhat existed as a summer cooling food for farmers and became an integral part of Bengal’s economy slowly started to break. In Bangladesh, the dish is associated with a cultural awakening and is served during Pohela Boishakh celebrations. 

Also read: ‘Dhoka’ Is A Delicious Bengali Dish That You Can’t Stop Eating Till You Burp

How To Make Panta Bhat

INGREDIENTS :

  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 onions (finely sliced)
  • 1 lemon preferably gondhoraj
  • 1 tbsp mustard oil
  • Salt as required

METHOD:

  • Take the cooked rice in a bowl and cover it with cold water. The water should be at least a cm above the rice. Cover it with a plate and leave it overnight.
  • Finely slice onions and lemon wedges. Serve the panta bhat with sliced lemon wedges, sliced onions, mustard oil and salt.
  • Don’t throw the water.  Crush everything together in the plate or a bowl with the water and eat it.
  • If you want, o fry a fish alongside and have with panta bhat.  Some even have it with tamarind instead of lemon wedges

Also read: The Bengali Daab Chingri Is Kolkata’s Best-Selling Dish & Here’s Where To Try It

So go ahead and experiment and try various flavours.