May 27, 2021 Mar 30, 2023 by [Archana Potdar] · This post may contain affiliate links · 30 Comments

Odia Chakuli Pitha Recipe

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Breakfast on Split Black Gram Lentil And Rice Pancake, Ghuguni, Aloo Bhaja from Odisha.

Easy vegan and Gluten-free Odia Chakuli Pitha Recipe is savoury pancake — Chakuli Pitha

Like me do you wonder how to make breakfast interesting? Make something new that will be enjoyed by all. Then you are in the right place as today's breakfast is delicious and easy vegan and gluten-free too.

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I have very fond memories of Odisha as my maternal uncle was posted to Bhubaneswar as a teen I spent my holidays there. One day we visited the stalls and ate Chaat. That is the first time I ate Ghoogni and I wish I can eat it again, visit the Nandankanan Zoological Park and the Sun Temple, the Jagannath Temple. Lol, my order of priority is perfect getting my hubby to come to the temple will take some working on.

Pithas in Odisha:

Pithas are part and parcel of Odia cuisine. No festival is complete without a pitha of some kind. We start with Arasi pitha, Manda Pitha, Poda Pitha to name a few.

I chose Chakuli Pitha a vegan and gluten-free Odia breakfast option not only on a regular day but also during festivals and celebrations. I made The pancakes, the Ghughni and Aloo Bhaja and will link to Ghughni and Aloo Bhaja separately. You can also enjoy these Eggless Ragi Pancakes.

One of my favourite desserts will be Sakar Bhat.

Why am I talking about Pithas?

As a part of the group Shhhhh Secretly cooking we take turns to suggest themes. This time Sasmita is our hostess and she suggested we make Odisha Pithas. Now, anything new I sign up.

I have been paired with Renu, do check Renu's Sun-Dried Potato Chips and Kesar Badam Kulfi they are amazing and yum. I want to grab some off the screen.

For the theme, I requested Renu to give me secret ingredients for a savoury pitha. Now Renu too wanted ingredients for a savoury pitha. So we decide to take the same ingredients and make our pitha. Did I pray that we both do not end up making the same dish?? yes and luckily she made . So you will find how versatile the 2 ingredients and Rice and Black Gram lentil are.

I already had a Pitha from Sasmita's blog under the crosshairs. But then we had lockdown and I was designated The Cook, The Maid and The General. I decided that I did not want to experiment too much and stuck to the easiest of the Pithas, Chakuli Pitha. I used this recipe as my guide.

Is Pitha different from Dosa?

Mind you most Odia sites say that it is different from the south Indian dosa let us see how different and similar they are

Both South Indian dosa batter and Odia dosa batter use black gram lentil and rice.
- While for dosa the proportion is lentil to rice 1:3 the ratio for Chakuli Pitha lentil to rice ratio is 1:1 or 1:¾.
Your dosa can be crisp or soft, you can also make them thick or thin.
- Chakuli Pitha is neither too thin nor too thick.
Not all dosas have a filling, think Saada Dosa. Even Chakuli Pitha there is no filling added.
The only difference I see is that Chakuli Pitha you use mustard oil, but dosa has no preferences. You can also use a ghee and oil mixture to make a dosa. Try it tastes amazing!
Then unlike dosa, you can use the batter made for Chakuli Pitha after resting it for just half an hour.

Serve breakfast of Chakuli Pitha, Ghuguni and Aloo Bhaja — Breakfast of Chakuli Pitha, Ghuguni and Aloo Bhaja

Ingredients for Chakuli Pitha:

With that let us see what you need to make the Chakuli Pitha.

Black gram Lentil or urid dal
Rice
Mustard oil
Salt

Substitutes and alternatives:

Use homemade ghee in place of oil to make Chakuli Pitha.

Method of making Chakuli Pitha:

Soak the black gram lentil and rice in the proportion 1:1 or 1:¾ (the choice is yours) overnight. Now you can use both the lentil with skin or the skinned kind.
- The skinned kind may give you a darker shade of Chakuli Pitha if you do not sit and remove all the skin after it soaks.
I have already mentioned that there are variations in fermenting time. There are recipes that omit the fermentation but I will prefer to ferment for 6-8 hours.
To grease the skillet traditionally mustard oil is used. In case you plan on using a cast iron skillet you will need to grease it. But if like me you get lazy and use the non-stick one you need not grease but drizzle a little oil on top. It tastes good!
Now to serve you can make curries like in Odisha you can serve with Dalma but I am serving with Ghuguni and Aloo Bhaja. But traditionally sweet chutney or jaggery are accompaniments.

Pro-tips for making Chakuli Pitha:

The proportion of 1:1 or 1:¾ of lentil to rice will give you the perfect Chakuli Pitha. Do not play with it.
The consistency of the batter is what matters check the video I have included.

Storage of Chakuli Pitha:

Make as many as you need as these Pithas taste best when hot. The batter can kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for upto 3 days. After that it tastes sour.
If you need to save the ready Chakuli Pithas? I have not tried it in case you try please let me know.

Some delicious pancakes we enjoy:

Recipe Card: