Putharo

Name: Putharo
Prep time: 8 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 8 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Khasi
Ingredients: 300 g Rice; 50 g Cooked rice; 150 ml Water; 0.5 tsp Salt; 4 pieces banana leaf; 3 tbsp Jaggery; 2 stalks spring onion; 2 tbsp coriander leaves

Soft, slightly tangy fermented rice pancakes steamed in banana leaf, a beloved Khasi breakfast served with jaggery or savoury sides.

🇮🇳India· Meghalaya

Prep: 480 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 500 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g Rice — soaked 4-6 hours
50 g Cooked rice — for fermentation starter
150 ml Water — for grinding
½ tsp Salt
4 pieces banana leaf — cleaned and softened over flame
3 tbsp Jaggery — melted, for serving
2 stalks spring onion — chopped
2 tbsp coriander leaves — finely chopped

Equipment

•Steamer
•Blender
•Banana leaf

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 0.5 g
carbs: 46 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Drain the soaked rice. Grind it with the cooked rice and water into a smooth, slightly thick batter.
2
Cover the batter and leave it at room temperature overnight to ferment lightly.
3
The next morning, stir the batter. Add salt if you are using it.
4
Cut the banana leaves into squares. Pass them briefly over a flame until soft and bendy.
5
Spoon some batter onto each banana leaf square. Fold the leaf closed to make a parcel.
6
Arrange the parcels in a steamer basket placed over boiling water.
7
Steam for 15–20 minutes until the batter sets firm.
8
Carefully unwrap the parcels. Serve warm with melted jaggery (unrefined sugar) or a savoury side dish.

Chef's tips

Do not let the batter ferment too long, as it should taste mildly tangy rather than sour. Banana leaves add a gentle aroma that baking paper cannot match.