Taler Bibikhana Pitha, a renowned Bangladeshi delicacy, is a cake made with a delightful blend of sugar palm pulp and a handful of other natural ingredients. This sweet treat, a cherished part of the country's culinary heritage, showcases the versatility of the sugar palm, a staple in the region's cuisine.
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- Regular update, Tal season, etc
- Sugar Palm Cake from Bangladesh
- Taler Bibikhana Pitha
- Ingredients
- Recipe Card
- Other Sugar Palm or Tal Recipe apart from Taler Bibikhana Pitha Debjanir Rannaghar
- Bengali Dessert Recipes
- Have you tried the Bengali Taler Pithe recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Perfect Bengali Taler Bibikhana Pitha Recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board!
Regular update, Tal season, etc
Last week, I was diagnosed with gallstones and underwent an operation. As a result, I'm currently on "house rest" and have little to do. While I'm healing and not allowed to eat much, I've decided to create a few recipe posts. Although I can't indulge in the food myself, I can still feel the joy of cooking through the process of researching and preparing the recipes, especially with the help of my wise friend, Tal. Tal, or the sugar palm, is a seasonal fruit that is immensely popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. The recipe I'm about to share is a traditional Bangladeshi delicacy called Taler Bibikhana Pitha (Pithe).
Sugar Palm Cake from Bangladesh
Pitha (as they call it in Bangladesh) or Pithe (the West Bengal version) is essentially a type of dumpling however, Bibikhana Pitha or Taler Bibikhana Pitha is a type of cake. Traditionally, Bibikhana Pitha is prepared by steaming the batter using a banana leaf as a covering. However, I have used my OTG to make the Taler Bibikhana Pitha. The result is a moist, flavorful Pithe prepared with Tal!
In my earlier blog post, I talked about my roots which lie in West Bengal, yet I hold a deep appreciation for Bangladeshi cuisine. While I was raised on the delightful Pithe, I've been exposed to the diverse array of these delicacies during my time with my in-laws, who are Bengali Muslims with lineage tracing back to West Bengal. I've had the privilege of witnessing my mother-in-law skillfully prepare both the sweet and savory varieties of Pitha, which are beloved staples across Bangladesh as well.
Taler Bibikhana Pitha
A Facebook friend shared a picture of Taler Bibikhana Pitha with me a few days back. He told me that her mother makes it every year whenever Tal is available. His mother follows the traditional way of steaming to make the Pithe. I found the details he was sharing (he was calling it Taler Pitha, though) interesting and ended up doing a bit of research. I found several Bangladeshi recipes of the Bibikhana Pitha online and ended up making the same.
Ingredients
To make Bibikhana Pitha, you need some basic ingredients that are readily available and commonly used in Bengali cooking. This Pitha, though, looks like a typical sponge cake, but taste-wise the Bibikhana Pitha is something unique.
- Tal / Sugar Palm
- Coconut
- Milk
- Egg
- Gur/ Jaggery
- Vegetable Oil
- Ghee
- Rice Flour / Chaaler Atta
- Raisin
- Cashewnut
- Pistachios
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon Powder
Recipe Card
Taler Bibikhana Pitha | Taler Pithe | Sugar Palm Cake
Ingredients
- 1 Tal / Sugar Palm to extract at least 150 ml juice
- 1 Coconut
- 150 ml Milk 1 cup
- 2 Egg
- 150 g Gur/ Jaggery
- 100 ml Vegetable Oil
- 50 g Ghee
- 50 g Rice Flour / Chaaler Atta
- 100 g All-Purpose Flour/ Maida
- 20 Raisin
- 20 Cashewnut
- 20 Pistachios
- ½ Tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp. Cinnamon Powder
Instructions
- Remove the skin of the sugar Palm or Tal and sprinkle some water on the fruit.
- Separate the carnels and grate the carnels using a grater to extract the juice from the Sugar Palm.
- Around 150 ml Sugar Palm extract is required to make the Bibikhana Pitha.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C for 15 minutes and make the batter in between.
- Now Scrap the coconut.
- Take the juice of Sugar Palm in a wok and start boiling on low flame for around 5-7 minutes until the juice thickens and emits a nutty aroma.
- Take the juice in a bowl and add 150 ml Milk and using a whisk mix roperly.
- Add Oil followed by Ghee and mix.
- Now heat the gur in the microwave for 2 minutes and add the liquid gur to the mixture and whisk.
- Add Two Eggs at room temperature and using the whisk mix thoroughly.
- Now add Rice Flour and All-Purpose Flour along with the baking powder and lightly fold the flour into the mixture.
- Add Raisin, Cashew Nut, and Pistachios and lightly fold.
- Take a baking mold and grease the same with vegetable oil.
- Pour the mixture into the mold.
- Bake the Taler Bibikhana Pitha in a Pre-heated oven for 25 minutes at 180 degrees C.
- The Pitha will not rise much, however, do check after 20 minutes of baking by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the Pitha to check the doneness.
- It took me 25 minutes to bake the Pitha.
- Take the Pitha out of the Oven and cool it on a wire rack.
- I have given the Pitha a rest of 1 day before serving it.
- You can store the Taler Bibikhana Putha in the fridge for 10 days or so if using an airtight container.
Nutrition
Other Sugar Palm or Tal Recipe apart from Taler Bibikhana Pitha Debjanir Rannaghar
- Taler Patishapta Pitha
- Taler Bora | Sugar Palm Fritters: A Traditional Bengali Sweet fritter aka Pakoda!
Bengali Dessert Recipes
Have you tried the Bengali Taler Pithe recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
I would love to see a picture if you are making it following my recipe. You can share here at dolonchttrj@gmail.com. You can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar and share it through Instagram as well. and in addition, you can tag me at @foodofdebjani.
Here's the Perfect Bengali Taler Bibikhana Pitha Recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board!
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
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