Rice on water,anyone? It might sound obnoxious but it tastes amazing. Potibhaat or panta bhaat is rice-based dish prepared by soaking rice, generally leftover, in water overnight. Traditionally served with salt, onion and chili. It is mostly consumed in Bangladesh and eastern India. The word ‘panta’ means soaked in water and ‘bhaat’ means rice. Along with traditional value, panta bhaat is high in nutritional value and helps strengthen body immunity and remove iron deficiency. In my early teen years, my mom used to soak leftover cooked rice in water overnight during Pohela Boishakh(bengali new year) and we used to have it for breakfast the next morning. Panta bhaat can be consumed by itself but most people prefer to eat it with fried hilsa fish (popular fish in South Asia), aloo bhorta(mashed potatoes with chili) and different kinds of vegetable curries. Living abroad made me value the things that I thought weren’t very important. Although making panta bhaat is not that hard, it will still never  be as good as the one my mom used to  make for me along with the delicious side dishes.  The tradition of panta bhaat has been passed down from generation to generation.  Panta bhaat represents my cultural identity because  it is widely eaten by bengali people. Panta bhaat will always be my comfort food. 
 

– Natasha Priya Quddus

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