Panta bhat

Panta bhat ( _bn. পান্তা ভাত; "Pàntà bhàt") is a lightly fermented rice-based dish consumed in Bangladesh and West Bengal. "Panta" means "soaked in water" and "bhat" means "boiled rice". This dish of leftover rice soaked in water to prevent spoiling, is generally served with salt, onion and chili.

It is especially popular in rural areas [cite web| title=Culinary Art| publisher=The Bangladesh Rice Foundation| year=2007| url=http://www.ricefoundation-bd.org/Ricedata/search_socio.php| accessdate=2007-12-11] [cite news| url=http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/031109/dmag13.htm| work=Dawn Magazine| date=2003-11-09| title=The Tiger of Bengal| accessdate=2007-12-11] served as a breakfast. [Enamul Haq, [http://banglapedia.org/ht/F_0137.HTM Food habits] , Banglapedia] A similar dish consumed in the Indian state of Orissa, Assam and Chattisgarh is known as Pakhal, "Pokhalo" or "Pakhal Bhat".

Among Hindu Bengalis, it is consumed during the Ranna-Puja (Bengali cooking festival). In Bangladesh, it is a part of the Pohela Boishakh (Bengali new year festival) festivities. On that day it is consumed as breakfast by urban people. [Sambaru Chandra Mohanta, [http://banglapedia.org/HT/P_0023.HTM Pahela Baishakh] , Banglapedia] [Tanvir Hafiz, [http://www.thedailystar.net/rising/2006/04/02/index.htm Out with the Old] , Daily Star (Bangladesh)] Panta is also served at high-end eateries, like "The Stadel", in Bangladesh and West Bengal. [ [http://thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?date=2008-04-14&usrsess=1&clid=26&id=226198 Bong Connection] , The Telegraph (Kolkata)]

Composition

According to a study (Henry "et al".), panta bhat is often contaminated, with almost 90% of the samples containing fecal coliforms with a median count of 3.9 log cfu/ml. The contamination was more in the rainy season. Numbers of faecal coliforms increased 10-fold when there was a delay of more than 4 hours between preparation and consumption; 90% of the samples were eaten more than 12 hours after preparation. [Brian J. B. Wood , "Microbiology of Fermented Foods", page 796, Springer, 1997, ISBN 0751402168] According to another study (ILSI 1998), fermentation improves the bioavailability of minerals such as iron and zinc as a result of phytic acid hydrolysis, and increases the content of riboflavin and vitamin B. [Marie T. Ruel, [http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/fpreview/fpreview05.pdf Can Food-Based Strategies Help Reduce Vitamin A and Iron Deficiencies?] , International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C., December 2001] Panta bhat contains a small amount of alcohol as a result of fermentation. [Dr. Syed Nasrullah, [http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/08/15/d30815110374.htm Liberalising alcohol policy] , Daily Star (Bangladesh), 2003-08-15]

Recipe

There are many variations of the dish but a common one is made by soaking cooked rice in water overnight. Care must be taken to cover the dish during the long soaking to avoid contamination. [cite web| title=Microbiology of Fermented Foods| publisher=Springer| first=Brian J.B.| last=Wood| year=1985| url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Aw8FZJ_XXfYC&pg=PA796&lpg=PA796&dq=%22panta+bhat%22&source=web&ots=MGV51_XLif&sig=511YwJfZc8IbZ07YXHF6u7364hI| accessdate=2007-12-11] In the morning, the soaked rice is usually eaten with salt, lime and chili. [Akhter Hameed Khan, "The Works of Akhter Hameed Khan", page 288, Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development, 1983] Other curries or fish preparations may also be consumed along with panta bhat. Curd is also often consumed with the dish. Pokhalo often differs from panta bhat in that seasonings and yoghurt are sometimes added prior to the fermentation process.

References