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Bihar has the essence of the earthly flavors of our country and it offers a platter of unique cusines. From hot and spicy litti-chokha to mouth watering sweet launglata, versatility in the taste of Bihari Cuisines are its specialty. Use of Dahi and other dairy products in our everyday meal can be predominantly observed. People from Bihar use to blow their food with panchforan as their tadka, essentially using 5 seeds, namely saunf, sarson, methi, ajwain and Mangraila. Every district of Bihar has their own style of preparing the similar cuisine; here, people love to add their special touch and flavor to the food.
1. LITTI-CHOKHA
This is the dish which has been able to place “Bihari Cusines” somewhere on the global food map.The flavour of ‘litti and chokha’ revives on the tongue as soon as someone talks about bihari cusines. Litti , along with chokha, is a complete meal originated from the Indian Subcontinent and popular in Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand as well as some parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is a dough ball made up of wheat flour and stuffed with Sattu(gram flour), and then roasted over coal, low fire, cow dung cakes and wood.Although there is no hard and fast way to cook this dish because some prefer to fry it with oil where as some like baked litti. Similarly , chokha can be made using variety of vegetables such as potato, brinjal or tomato. Sattu, the key ingredient is mixed with chopped garlic, ginger, green chilly,kings cumin (ajwain) and species of pickle to give a tangy flavour. These ingredients make this dish very healthy and balancing to have it in winter season. Here people often invite friends and family members for a special litti treat, and “आज आइये शाम में, लिट्टी लगाएंगे |” becomes the special invitation.
People in rural Bihar usually roast litti on burning coal or wood and enjoy gossiping with the family in winters. This moment has a seperate fanbase among Biharis all over the world.
2. DAL-PITHA
Dal-Pitha is a popular rice flour dumplings in the list of Bihari Cuisines. Pithas are either stuffed with sweet or spicy filling including smashed fry potato or flax seeds(tisi) or boiled fried pulses. Bihari Dal- Pitha is prepared using fresh rice flour and verities of spices. The speciality of this dish is that it is vegan, gluten free and steamed. High in protein and carbs ,this is an anytime snack, and is loved by people of all age groups. Pithas served along with Hari Dhaniya ki Chutney, Tomato Chutney or Mint Chutney can be a delightful starter or a specialty in dinner options. apart from this ,people love to eat Pithas along with dum-aalo.The dish is not only pack of energy, but can also satisfy the taste buds when we pop a whole dumpling in your mouth and dig into the yummy spicy or sweet fillings. Now, there has been some innovation in this dish and the pithas are being cut into pieces and are deep fried in oil which makes it crispy.
3. MAKHANA KHEER
Makhana kheer is a dessert that is often made during Navratari festival,specially for those who fast. It is rich in protein and calcium. Makhana and Fox-Nut combines beautifully with milk to make a creamy and delicious Kheer. Makhana is also a choice for weight-watchers as it is low in fat. A lacing of almond-cashew pieces and saffron lends an outstanding touch to this cusine ,making this a dessert that lingers on our taste buds.
4. THEKUA
Thekua or Tikdi is one of the most loved sweet snack in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, specially made during festive occasions of Chhath Puja.It has been used as a sweet snack for centuries in these places. The main ingredients of Thekua are wheat flour and chasni(melted sugar), ghee,and dry fruits like kishmish and kaju. Jaggery can be used as an alternative to sugar. Dough is deep fried in ghee or vegetable oil till it becomes reddish brown. The warm fragnance of fried Thekua can be smelled outside of every house of Bihar during Chath. It is soft when hot but hardens after it cools. It needs no preservatives and it can be preserved for several days for eating. People often ask their Bihari friend to bring Thekua for them once they return after celebrating Chath.
5. KADHI BADI
Kadhi Badi is a traditional blend of yogurt in spice masala to make a creamy kadhi which is served along with crispy chickpea flour Badi. People normally like to have this with rice or roti and pakoda. It is one of the most loved dish in Bihar after litti-chokha. Any auspicious occasion in Bihar specially in Magadh, is incomplete without feasting on Kadhi Badi. It is a soothing sour curd base recipe with chickpea flour dumplings called badi made of Besan in it.
6. KHAJA
Khaja is sweet dish introduced in India by Mughals. This area presently corresponds to eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh and Western districts of Bihar and is also popular in the neighboring states of West Bengal and Odisha. Khajas from Silao and Rajgir in Bihar are almost entirely similar to Baklava whereas the ones from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are made with thicker pastry sheets, and are generally hard. Salty Khaja of Rajgir are very famous in centeral India. The batter is prepared from wheat flour, mawa and oil. It is then deep fried until crisp.This sweet isone of the necessary item in marriage function in Bihar. These are shared by the families of Bride and groom with a colorful packaging.
7. KHURMA
Khurma is a delicious sweet recipe made with flour and sugar. It is a simple snacks, crunchy and very delicious to eat. We can’t think of any Indian fairs without sweet Khurma. It is a piece of fried flour which is coated with powdered sugarIn a way it’s exactly similar to Namakpara without salt and spices. In fact, it’s almost same as the popular shakarpara.
8. CHANA GHUGNI
Ghugni is made up with dried gram. Ghugni can also be made with black chickpeas, dried green peas or even black eyed beans. It has a medley of spices with great flavors put together. It can be served with almost everything, puri, parathas, rotis, or just as it is plain ghugni. The combination of fried Chura – Ghughni is also prefered as evening snacks in the state. Most important part of ghugni is the garnishing it with coriander leaves after cooking it. Traditionally, there are always some fine chopped onions, green chilies, lime juice and some even add grated coconut, raw or roasted ones. Kale Chane Ki Ghugni Recipe is a delicious spicy curry made with black chickpeas. Serve Bihari Kale Chane Ki Ghugni with Whole Wheat Lachha Paratha or Puri.Assam, Bengal, Odisha and Bihar have their own variation of ghugni.
9. DAL PURI
Dal Puri is a traditional Bihari recipes and is served with kheer and sabji. To prepare Dal Puris, one can also add moong dal instead of chana dal. It is again an option when it comes to mashing the dal, though it can be mashed fully to get a creamy texture. Bihari Chana Dal Puri can be served with any Indian curry of your choice or with kheer. You must try these tasty Bihari Chana Dal Puri Recipe where cooked spicy chana dal is stuffed in wheat flour dough and made into a Puri. It is usually served along with kheer and is a part of almost all festive celebration meals in.
10. LAUNGLATA
Laung-lata is a traditional dessert of Bihar, prepared during festivals. The pungent taste of the clove along with sweet stuffing dipped in sugar-syrup melts in the mouth. It is similar to other stuffed foods. Laung lata’s Clove in the centre of the crisp crust makes it stand apart from the others and special in its texture. A shop near Patna museum is very famous for this sweet. The complex amalgam of tastes altogether makes Laung Lata exclusive to Bihar. This dish is perfect for winters.
The cuisines of Bihar are much inclined to vegetarian foods and are often influenced by North and East Indian cuisines. One can observe mostly light frying and usage of smoked chillies to spice up their dishes which are famous part of Bihari menu. So we urge you to visit Bihar to taste some amazing verities of delicacy.
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