How To Make Bengali Style Panta Bhaat Or Fermented Rice Recipe?

Panta Bhaat, also known as fermented rice, is a traditional Bengali dish loved for its simplicity and cooling effect, especially during hot summers. It is often eaten for breakfast and is considered a comfort food in rural households. Let’s explore what this humble dish is and how you can make it at home, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian style.

What Is Panta Bhaat Or Fermented Rice?

Panta Bhaat is cooked rice that is soaked in water overnight and left to ferment naturally at room temperature. By morning, the rice becomes soft and slightly sour due to the fermentation. It is light on the stomach, rich in probiotics, and known for keeping the body cool. Traditionally, it is enjoyed with mustard oil, salt, green chillies, onions, and a few side dishes like mashed vegetables or fried fish.

It’s popular not only in Bengal but also in Assam, Odisha, and parts of Bihar, where it goes by different names and is often served during festivals or summer meals.

How To Make Panta Bhaat?

Here’s how you can make Bengali-style Panta Bhaat at home.

• Let the cooked rice cool completely.
• Place it in a bowl and pour water over it until the rice is fully submerged.
• Cover the bowl and let it sit overnight at room temperature (at least 8 hours).
• In the morning, mash the rice slightly with your hands or a spoon.
• Add salt, mustard oil, green chilli, and sliced onions.
• Mix and serve cold.

Vegetarian Side Options:

• Aloo Bharta (mashed potatoes with mustard oil, salt, and onion)
• Begun Bhaja (fried aubergine/brinjal slices)
• Shorshe Posto Bharta (mustard and poppy seed paste mixed with boiled vegetables)
• Gondhoraj Lebu (a squeeze of aromatic lime for flavour)

Non-Vegetarian Side Options:

• Ilish Bhaja (fried Hilsa fish)
• Shutki Bhuna (dry fermented fish curry)
• Dim Bharta (boiled egg mash with mustard oil and green chilli)
• Maachher Tel Bhuna (spicy fish oil sauté)

Panta Bhaat is more than just leftover rice it’s a cooling, nutritious, and nostalgic dish deeply rooted in Bengali tradition. Whether you enjoy it with fried fish or just a spoon of mashed potato and mustard oil, it’s a simple meal that brings both comfort and culture to your plate.

Image Credits: Freepik

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