Vapa pithe (bhapa pitha) or puli pithe is the simplest and basic form of pithe made by Bengalis during Poush Parbon or Poush Sankranti festival. Vapa means steamed. Vapa Pithe (vapa pitha) is a kind of dumpling with the outer shell being made from rice flour and stuffing being prepared with grated coconut. There can be several varieties of stuffing for Pitha. Though the following recipe shows pitha stuffed with coconut and dates jaggery mixture, you can prepare stuffing with sugar and coconut mixture. If you do not like sweets too much or want some variety as neutralizer, Vapa Pithe can be stuffed with different vegetables also (eg. potato and cauliflower mix). These are called vegetable pitha.
