A Bengali-style Crepe Soru Chakli Pithe aka Soru Chakuli Pitha is a winter delight that you can make within no time! You can savor it with a sweet or savory side. Check this blog post to know the process and a few interesting facts!
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note - Soru Chakli Pithe
- Pithe, a winter delicacy
- Soru Chakli Pithe, easy to make?
- Soru Chakuli Pitha
- How to make Soru Chakli Pithe / Shoru Chakuli Pitha recipe steps with pictures
- Tips for making perfect Soru Chakli
- Here's how I cook Soru Chakli Pithe at Debjanir Rannaghar
- Recipe Card
- Serving Suggestion
- Let's connect over the Soru Chakli Pithe Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Soru Chakuli Recipe Pin
Debjani's Note - Soru Chakli Pithe
"Maa, here is your Soru Chakli!" Those six words were all it took to make me happy.
Growing up, I was often spoiled by everyone in my family and even the house-helps who had become family members over time. I still fondly recall those wonderful days, often ending with me asking, "Koruna, I want another one."
Winter mornings were perfect with a serving of Bengali-style Gobindobhog rice and Kolai Daal Crêpes, or Soru Chakli as we called them, made with love. I would sneak into the large kitchen to watch them being made. I loved observing her carefully prepare each one. The earthy stove, the scent of coal, and the freshly made, buttery-soft crêpes were pure joy.
In our North Calcutta home, we had a helper who worked for us for over 35 years. Everyone in the household called her "Karuna Mashi," but not me. She happily called me "Maa," and to me, she was always "Koruna." During the winter, Karuna would make incredibly soft, roti-like crêpes, the Soru Chakli. Almost every single day, our dining table had a casserole filled with them!
Pithe, a winter delicacy
My mother and aunts would always set aside Gobindobhog rice and Kolai Daal (Urad daal) for Koruna to make her fluffy Soru Chakli. I loved Koruna's soft Soru Chakli, especially when served with a spicy potato side dish. My cousin, Chordada, on the other hand, preferred it with Nolen Gur.
Soru Chakli Pithe, easy to make?
A few years ago, Karuna moved from Kolkata to her village. Around the same time, I also left Kolkata for further studies and, in turn, stopped eating Soru Chakli. It wasn't until 2011 that I had Soru Chakli again, though this time it wasn't made by Koruna! Mehebub and I were newly married and living in Gurgaon when, one day, our landlady brought us a plate of something that looked very much like Koruna's Soru Chakli. What's more, she served it with Mangshor Jhol! She told me that in Odisha, they call it Soru Chakuli Pitha, and I realized the recipe was exactly the same as our Soru Chakli.
Soru Chakuli Pitha
Soru Chakli Pithe, also known as Soru Chakuli Pitha, is a well-loved crêpe made from rice and lentils, a true winter delight in Eastern India. While quite similar to a homemade dosa, it also has its own distinct qualities. Although it wasn't a special dish for Makar Sankranti in my family, it was always a favorite winter breakfast. Lately, I've been making it often because both Pasta and Mehebub really enjoy it.
How to make Soru Chakli Pithe / Shoru Chakuli Pitha recipe steps with pictures
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Soak Kolai dal (also known as Urad Dal) in water overnight. Separately, soak rice for about 30 minutes. Next, combine the soaked rice and dal.
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Now add 3-4 tablespoons of water and blend until you have a smooth paste, similar in thickness to dosa batter. -
Stir in salt.
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Now add fennel seeds, then let the mixture sit for an hour to ferment slightly before you start making the Soru Chakli.
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Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with ghee using a silicone brush or even the top part of an eggplant.
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Pour a medium-sized ladle of batter onto the ghee.
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Spread the batter into a disk about half an inch thick.
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The crêpe will begin to form within a minute.
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Cover the crêpe with a lid and cook on low heat for another minute.
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Drizzle a little more ghee on top, then use a spatula to flip it and cook the other side.
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Be careful not to overcook the Soru Chakli, as it won't become as crispy as a dosa. Shallow fry until it turns golden brown, then remove it from the pan and continue making the remaining crêpes.
Tips for making perfect Soru Chakli
The recipe is simple, and as mentioned, rice and lentils are the two main ingredients. In my area, people commonly use Gobindobhog rice for this dish, as it gives the crêpe a wonderful flavor. If you can't find Gobindobhog rice, regular basmati rice will work too. I prefer to shallow-fry Soru Chakli in ghee, though you can certainly use oil instead. However, ghee provides a unique aroma that oil-fried versions simply can't match.
I remember Koruna would cleverly use an eggplant stem to spread ghee evenly over our old iron pan, a truly creative solution.
I use ghee to make the Pithe, and I also use a good quality non-stick pan instead of an iron one. This Bengali-style crepe, called Soru Chakli Pithe or Soru Chakuli Pitha, is a delightful winter treat that's quick to prepare! You can enjoy it with either a sweet or a savory accompaniment. For the full recipe and some interesting facts, please read this blog post.
Here's how I cook Soru Chakli Pithe at Debjanir Rannaghar
Recipe Card
Bengali Soru Chakli Pithe | Soru Chakuli Pitha
Soru Chakli Pitha is a famous Bengali Crêpe-like Pithe prepared with Rice and Dal
Ingredients
- 2 cup Gobindobhog Rice
- 1 cup Kolai Dal / Urad Dal / Black Gram / Vigna mungo without skin / dhuli
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seed / Mouri
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
Instructions
- First, soak one cup of Kolai dal, also known as Urad Dal, in water overnight.
- In a separate bowl, soak two cups of rice for about 30 minutes.
- Afterward, combine the soaked rice and dal.
- Next, add three to four tablespoons of water and blend the mixture until it becomes a smooth paste, similar in thickness to dosa batter.
- Stir in a quarter teaspoon of salt.
- Then, add one teaspoon of fennel seeds and let the mixture sit for an hour to ferment slightly before you begin making the Soru Chakli.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Lightly brush the pan with ghee using a silicone brush or even the top part of an eggplant.
- Pour a medium-sized ladle of batter onto the ghee. Spread the batter into a disk about half an inch thick.
- The crêpe will begin to form within a minute.
- Cover the crêpe with a lid and cook on low heat for another minute.
- Drizzle a little more ghee on top, then use a spatula to flip it and cook the other side.
- Be careful not to overcook the Soru Chakli, as it won't become as crispy as a dosa.
- Shallow fry until it turns golden brown, then remove it from the pan and continue making the remaining crêpes.
- Enjoy hot Chakuli Pitha with Nolen Gur, a potato dish, or Mangshor Jhol.
Notes
- You can replace Ghee with Oil for a lower-calorie option.
- Gobindobhog Rice can be replaced with Basmati rice.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestion
Soru Chakuli Pitha, as I already mentioned, is a fluffy Crêpe. It goes amazingly with both sweet and sour sides. You can serve it with any of the dishes mentioned below:
- Sada Aloo Chorchori
- Kumror Chakka
- Panch Mishali Tarkari, a Bongo-fied Mix-veg! Panch Mishali Torkari Recipe
- Khejur Gurer Rosogolla | Patali Gurer Roshogolla
- Nolen Gur
Let's connect over the Soru Chakli Pithe Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
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Soru Chakuli Recipe Pin
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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