Dudh Chitoi Recipe 

On my crusade to stop calling Pithas as Cakes, I bring forth my finest champion, Bhija Pitha or Dudh Chitoi. Google said cakes have soft textures, they can be spongy, they shouldn’t break. Well you all know how cakes are, and how they taste. And Pithas do not taste, look, or feel like that. So Pithas should not be called Cake and they deserve their rightful name “Pitha”. And my champion of today proves that.

Everything you know about cakes, throw it out of the window and you’ll find Dudh Chitoi (Milk Chitoi) or Vijano (soaked) Pitha. The name itself is the first to give away. This Pitha is soaked in milk over a long period. And there is no cake that is soaked in any liquid so point proven, now lo talk about Bhija Pitha.

Like the other big hitting Pithas of Bangladesh, Dudh Chitoi is not always under the spotlight. The cooking process of Bhapa Pitha feels like a family gathering, even before you eat it. Chitoi Pitha is a joyride of different tastes, and a most iconic street of winter in Bangladesh. Bhapa and Chitoi Pitha take direct advantage of Khejurer Gur (Date Palm Jaggery), another symbol of winter in Bangladesh.

Bhapa Pitha and Chitoi Pitha are sold by street vendors. This wide availability helped in the growth of both of their popularity. Then there’s also the making process, Bhapa Pitha is a bit complicated but as mentioned before, it’s a joyous occasion. And Chitoi Pitha is just finely grinded Atap rice mixed with water and salt. It does not get simpler than that.

But this does not mean Dudh Chitoi is a nobody in Bangladeshi cuisine. It has its own time to shine and it’s with the actual sun.

The life of Dudh Chitoi starts as a Chitoi, yes the Chitoi I have been gushing over till now. Bhija Pitha or Dudh Chitoi is just a pokemon evolution of Chitoi

Pitha. But I guess you saw this coming since I have been referring to it as Dudh Chitoi. The simplest way to describe it would be that it’s just Chitoi Pitha soaked in milk. The recipe below will tell you the proper instructions for making Dudh Chitoi.

I personally think Bhija Pitha being just a form of Chitoi takes some charm out of the Pitha. And as I said the Bhija Pitha isn’t a street food so it can’t accumulate street credits either.

But even after the odds stacked up so much against it, Bhija Pitha still shines. And shine it does with the morning sun. You see Chitoi Pitha is more of a snack, something you have in the afternoon or evening. But Bengali people always make an abundance of food. So what happens to the leftover Chitoi? They’re left to soak in milk and gur over the night. You could use sugar instead of Gur but if you’re having Pitha, why would you not use gur.

Chitoi Pitha is just made from that rice and water so there isn’t much taste to it. You need sides to enjoy the Chitoi. But when you give it an hour to take in milk and gur, it’s not the dry, chewy Pitha it was. It transforms into this soft, juicy Pitha. And it also turns into a Pitha that you cannot eat with your hands. Using spoons for Pitha isn’t particularly common and the only other Pitha I can think of is Dudh Puli.

The process of making Dudh Chitoi isn’t as glorified, letting the Pitha soak for hours isn’t a fun activity. But what fun is the anticipation of eating it. And the result of patience sure is sweet in this case. The sweetness isn’t just in the taste, it’s also in the smell that hits you even before you open your eyes. And like all pithas, eating it is a special family moment.