My special panta bhat dinner for today

Panta bhat? What is the meaning of panta bhat? Is it a food? Somebody can think about all these things? But if you are from Eastern & North Eastern Indian states then you definitely know about this food. This food is very popular in Indian states (West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand) and our neighboring country Bangladesh. Panta bhat is partially fermented rice. It is often consumed with fried fish, aloo seddho (mashed boiled potato), fried potato, dal pakoda etc. It is mostly eaten in the morning but during summer I love to have special panta bhat dinner. It helps you to maintain body temperature, keeps you hydrated and also helps you to sleep well at night. So it is a multi-beneficial dinner.

Bangladeshi people celebrate Bengali new year (pohela Boisakh) with Mongol Shobhajatra, singing, dancing, eating out and ofcourse, they start the day by eating panta bhat in the morning along with fried ilish (hilsa fish), mashed boiled potato and various fried vegetables.

Benefits of panta bhat

In case you are thinking it has no significant benefits then you are wrong. Actually, till a few years ago, it used to be said that panta bhaat has no nutritional benefits rather it is harmful and it is food for poor people. But nowadays many scientists said that it is beneficial for our health if it is prepared the proper way.

• Panta bhaat has more minerals than normal cooked rice
• It has more vitamins (B12 & B16)
• It improves digestion power
• Panta bhat helps to improve immunity power
• This food maintains our body temperature
• It helps us to feel refreshed and maintain a good mood
• This food can cure various types of ulcers
• Surprisingly it is said that it can improve bone & muscle strength

All these beneficial factors are claimed by many scientists & researchers. But as a food lover what I feel is that it helps me to feel energetic, improves in my sleeping and most importantly it is very delicious and anybody can eat more than his normal diet during the summer season, haha.

How to make panta bhat?

So how will you make panta bhat (recipe).

1. In case you are making for it for dinner then you just need to cook rice in the morning and then strain starchy water from cooked rice and leave it to reach room temperature.
2. It will take around 2 hours. Then pour enough water so that all cooked rice will get immersed.
3. Now cover to the container with a lid properly so that no dust or other particles can get entered into that container.
4. Now leave it this way for 8-10 hours. Allow it to be slightly fermented. Now at night, your panta bhaat will be ready.

Panta bhat dinner recipe

Now add fried red chillies, lemon juice, salt & kasundi – Bengali mustard sauce (optional) to panta bhat and mix all with your hand.

Serve this panta bhat with raw onion, green chilli, dal pakoda and fried potato & pumpkin.

*You can take fried fish, mashed boiled potato etc too.

 

So is this panta bhat recipe not very simple? What is your opinion? Did you ever try his kind of slightly fermented rice?

Okay, you have done things for the day. Now SLEEP WELL