Panta bhat

Panta bhat

Panta Ilish - a traditional platter of Panta bhat with fried Ilish slice, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), dal, green chillies and onion - is a popular serving for the Pohela Boishakh festival.
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Bangladesh, India
Region or state	Assam West Bengal
Main ingredients	Rice, water
Variations	Pakhal, Poitabhat

Poitabhat or panta bhat (Assamese: পঁইতা ভাত; Bengali: পান্তা ভাত; Pàntà bhàt) is rice-based dish. It is prepared by soaking rice, generally leftover, in water overnight. Traditionally served in the morning with salt, onion and chili. It is consumed in Bangladesh and the eastern Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. It is a popular dish on the day of Bengali new year. It has been described in documents from 17th century. Panta bhat has more micronutrients than fresh rice. It is traditionally considered as beneficial in feverish conditions.

Light syrupy water for use in sweetmeats like pantua is called pani chasani or pani ras in Hindi, which may be boiled into jalao chasani or thick syrupy water used to make sweetmeats like Jilapi. Pantua and Jilapi took their names from the thickness of their chasani or ras (syrupy water). The lightly watered rice came to be called panta bhat.

During the Mughal Era, members of socio-cultural organizations performed open air concerts, the audience listening to the concert and eating traditional food, particularly panta bhat. Friar Sebastian Manrique reported from his visit of Bengal in 17th century that the people of all communities, according to Manrique, were contented then with the daily meal of rice, often panta bhat, salt and green vegetable (shak). The better-off elements of the society consumed ghee, butter, milk and various lacteous preparations and sweetmeats.

There are many variations of the dish but a common one is made by soaking cooked rice in water overnight. Rice is boiled the usual way. Then fen or starch is strained away. Rice is cooled in air temperature for 3–4 hours. Then cool water is added in a way that about an inch of water rises above the rice. Rice is generally covered with a light piece of fabric. 12–24 hours later panta bhat is ready. Care must be taken to cover the dish during the long soaking to avoid contamination. The soaked rice is usually eaten in the morning with salt, lime, chili (either raw or roasted) and onions (sliced or whole) mostly for flavor. Water is discarded before consumption. Sometimes edible oils may be added.