BASI PAKHAL "ବାସି ପଖାଳ" (Panta Bhat - পান্তা ভাত)

In rural Odisha people usually don’t take break-fast in the morning. Early morning when they wake-up, they eat basi-pakhal, before leaving for their farm lands. Basi pakhal is the staple food of the mass round the year, let it be summer, rain or winter. In the 70’s and ‘80s of the last century basi pakhal used to be a luxury for the poor of the Odisha. But now the scenario has been completely changed. With the mass literacy and the economic growth the per capita income has grown. As a consequence of which, the living standard of the common man has improved. But yet basi pakhal rules their palate. There is no need to trace back to its origin. This recipe likely to be as old as the mankind started consuming boiled rice.

                            

Now you would be eager to know how this recipe is made-of. Fresh rice is cooked and fermented in water for 12 to 24 hours to get it sour. The longer it is allowed to ferment the better it will taste. Basi pakhal if made with usna chawal, it tastes good as compared to arua chawal. You are suggested to ferment it in an earthen-pot instead of a metal container. Every kitchen in Odisha is stocked with an earthen vessel, locally called as  handi. The fermentation process is accelerated in an earthen vessel. If it is allowed to ferment for too long it turns rancid.

                                                      

A pinch of salt is added to basi pakhal and taken along with raw onion, green chilli and tomato.  Dry curries like allu-bhaja, baigan-bhaja, baddi-bhaja or kardi-bhaja (bamboo sprouts) are the best choice as green vegetables get scarce in the summer. A cup of curd when added to Basi pakhal it enhances the taste. Of-course there is always an addendum for the non-vegetarians too. Basi pakhal become sumptuous when taken along with either with jhuri(small fish) or  sukhua(dry fish) curry.

In West Bengal this recipe is called as panta bhat. 

Since it is in a semi-liquid state, it can only be served in an oval shaped bell-metal vessel called khuri. More to it, one need to seat on the floor to savour basi pakhal when served in a khuri.  Oriayas have got the habbit of slurping while eating  basi pakhal. They relish it by making loud noises which sounds like  “oooh oooh …….”.

The liquid content of bassi pakhal is called  thir or taruani. Strain out the  liquid into a tumbler, add a pinch of salt, few drops of lemon juice and some crushed mint leafs(pudina). In the hot summer noon if this organic liquid is consumed it will   quench your thirst. It is healthier while compared to the modern day’s aerated bottled soft drinks. But by every likely hood, when you quaff this thir  you would  feel drowsy and will take a afternoon siesta for couple of hours altogether under a mango tree. Don’t  blame this writer for such possibility!

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