Panta bhat, or poita bhat, is cooked rice, generally leftover, soaked and fermented overnight in water, with the resulting liquid known as toroni in Odia; it is traditionally served in the morning with salt, onion, chili, and mashed potato. Panta bhat with ilish, or hilsa fish, is the national dish of Bangladesh, and the dish is eaten across Bangladesh and the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, where a related dish called pakhala is documented as far back as the tenth century, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Tripura.
Facts
Partially Attested
Origin RegionEarliest documentation is from the 17th century in Bengal and the related Odisha dish pakhala is documented to the 10th century; no exact origin period is given Origin Period, From (Year) FAQs
How is panta bhat made?
Cooked rice is soaked in water for 12 to 24 hours.
According to Wikipedia, the rice is boiled the usual way and the starch is strained away. It is then cooled in the open air for 3 to 4 hours, and cool water is added so that about an inch of water rises above the rice. The rice is generally covered with a light piece of fabric, and the panta bhat is ready 12 to 24 hours later. It is said to keep its taste for two to three days.
Connections
Expresses Tradition
Source Panta bhat, Wikipedia
In Cuisine
Source Panta bhat, Wikipedia
Uses Ingredient
Source Panta Bhat (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Panta bhat, Wikipedia
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Panta Bhat (Wikidata)
P31 (instance of): Main course
Main course
- Uses Ingredient: Water, Infobox main_ingredient field: Rice, water
View the Source2. Panta bhat (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia 'Panta bhat' 2026-09-27: the dish 'was included in the recipe of Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri circa 10th century.'View the Source 3. Panta bhat, Wikipedia
History
It has been described in documents from 17th century, while the dish Pakhala from Odisha documents back to 10th century CE, and is known as the origin of this dish.
Expresses Tradition: Fermentation, lead paragraph
Panta bhat or poita bhat (Bengali: পান্তা ভাত pàntà bhàt; Assamese: পঁইতা ভাত poĩta bhat or পন্তা ভাত ponta bhat) consists of cooked rice soaked and fermented in water.
In Cuisine: Bengali Cuisine, Infobox: national_cuisine
Bengali cuisine Assamese cuisine
View the SourceWikidata: Panta Bhat
Wikidata Q3350783, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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