Prathamastami or the festival of the ‘first born.’ A unique Odia festival that felicitates the eldest child and grooms him/her for continuing the family name and shouldering the responsibilities that come bundled with it. Folklore points to the sibling rivalry between Lord Jagannath and his elder brother, Lord Balabhadra, behind the origin of this festival. Whether it is true or not is rather debatable, but Odisha’s folklore is replete with fables (and miracles) about the celestial siblings. This day is synonymous with the unique aroma of the turmeric leaves as steaming ‘Haladi Patra pitha’ or ‘Enduri pithas’ are doled out in every household. In the olden days, a new earthen pot called ‘Athara’ would be brought out and lined with twigs from various aromatic and medicinal plants to make a bed for steaming the ‘Enduri.’ Most Brahmin families would continue to make and eat the pitha for seven days and finally, on the eighth day, a special ‘Amuhan’ pitha would be prepared and submerged in the river along with the ‘Athara.’ The repetition was the accepted way to maximize the anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of the turmeric leaf.
While Odia households all over the state make the pitha using turmeric leaves, a variation is observed in some tracts nearby Angul where Gaja Pippali or Hasti Pippali, commonly known as Scindapus Officinalis is used. Given that ayurveda prescribes the fruit as a remedy for a number of ailments like joint pains, fever, cough, intestinal worms and other cold-related ailments, it makes sense to incorporate it into a festival to ensure that it finds a way into our plates. The Gajapimpali enduri is a beautiful example of Odisha’s underexplored micro cuisines, a testimony of the diversity that exists within the state.
The day is also considered as ‘Nua’ for the newly harvested black lentil which is also an important crop. Both the rice, lentil and in some cases, the other ingredients are sent from the child’s maternal family on this occasion.
From the section on “Margasira” [November-December] Sweta Biswal, Beyond Dalma: A holistic foray into Odia Food. Notion Press, 2023.
Enduri Pitha
Ingredients
- 1 cup Black gram. skinned
- 2 cups aromatic raw rice (rice flour can also be used)
- 1 coconut, freshly grated
- ½ cup jaggery
- 1-2 finely powdered green cardamoms
- ¼ tsp freshly crushed peppercorns
- 10 nos. turmeric leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ghee
Instructions
- Soak the rice and black gram for 5-6 hours. Drain the water and grind it into a fine paste.
- Allow this to ferment overnight or 8-10 hours.
- Grate the coconut or cut it into big pieces and grind it into a coarse paste in a grinder.
- Heat a kadhai or frying pan. Add the jaggery along with a scant few spoons of water.
- Once the jaggery melts and starts bubbling, add the grated coconut and spices. Stir gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the flame and keep aside to cool.
- Heat water in a steamer/ or pressure cooker. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Wash the turmeric leaves and wipe them dry. Take a little ghee on your fingers and smear it all over each leaf. Take a blob of the batter and spread it evenly on the leaf.
- Spread 2-3 tbsp of the coconut mixture over the batter. Fold the leaf carefully and place it on the steamer stand. If using a pressure cooker, please remember to remove the weight.
- Repeat the process for the remaining batter/leaves. The leaves can be stacked one over the other for 2-3 layers.
- Close the lid and steam for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the stove, and allow to rest for a few minutes.
- Serve the Enduri pitha (the leaves should be peeled off) with ghee and sugar or dalma/ghuguni. Enduri made without the sweet stuffing is very popular with a thin gravy mutton curry.
- The above recipe makes 8-10 pithas.
