Breakfast
Panta bhat
Panta Bhat or Poita Bhat consists of cooked rice soaked and fermented in water. The liquid part is known as Toraṇi. It is a rice-based dish prepared by soaking rice, generally leftover, in water overnight. Traditionally served in the morning with salt, onion, chili and mashed potatoes or "Alu Makha" (simple boiled potatoes mashed and salted without adding any cream or cheese). It is consumed in eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha (Pakhala), Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tripura and in the country of Bangladesh. Panta Bhat with Ilish (Hilsha) is the National Dish of Bangladesh. It is a popular dish on the day of Pahela Baishakh or Bengali new year. It has been described in documents from 17th century. Panta bhat has more micronutrients than fresh rice. It is traditionally considered as beneficial in conditions.
Anthropologist Tapan Kumar Sanyal, argues that proto-Australoid people in parts of South Asia resorted to eating the panta bhat because they cooked once a day, in the evening. Fray Sebastien Manrique reported from his visit of Bengal in 17th century that the people of all communities, according to Manrique, were contented then with the daily meal of rice, often panta bhat, salt and green vegetable (shak). The better-off elements of the society consumed ghee, butter, milk and various lacteous preparations and sweetmeats.
Rice researcher Mahabub Hossain of International Rice Research Institute explains that in the past, people engaged in farm work preferred bold and brown rice which is more suited for watered rice, and also provides more nutrition. But, as more people shifted to urban centers the demand for farm work, brown rice and watered rice decreased. In these times of polished rice, the popularity of rice varieties like Lal Swarna and White Swarna is often driven by their suitability for panta bhat.
