Til Pitha

Wash the sticky rice thoroughly until water runs clear. Soak the rice in enough water for 4–6 hours. Drain using a sieve and let it drain for about 30 minutes. This softens the grains and readies them for grinding.

Grind the soaked rice in a blender or grinder to a fine, smooth batter. Add about 1 cup water (adjust as needed) to get a spreadable, dosa-like consistency. Keep the batter covered until use.

Dry roast the sesame seeds on a medium flame until they start to become fragrant and light golden. Be careful — sesame seeds burn quickly. Pour into a plate and let them cool.

Once cooled, roughly crush or grind the sesame seeds to a coarse powder. In a bowl, combine this sesame powder with grated jaggery (and cardamom powder, if using). Mix well so jaggery and sesame blend evenly — this will be your filling.

Heat a non-stick skillet or tava on low heat. Stir the rice batter well before each pitha to avoid settling at the bottom. Pour a large spoonful on the hot tava and gently spread it in a circular shape (as thin as a thick crepe).

When the rice layer starts to set but is still soft on top, place a small line or mound of sesame-jaggery filling in the centre (a bit more filling in middle and less toward ends).

Fold the edges over the filling and carefully roll the pitha into a cylinder using a spatula or your fingers (be careful — tava is hot). Then gently press a little and let it cook on low heat for another 20–30 seconds so it firms up.

Remove the pitha from the tava and place on a plate. Repeat the process for the remaining batter and filling. Let the pithas cool for a few minutes — they crisp up slightly as they cool.

Serve warm with chai or milk. Store cooled pithas in an air-tight container; they stay good for 2–3 days.