BIHAR
Bihari cuisine is scrumptious and is eaten majorly in the many eastern as in the places where people originating from the state of Bihar have settled. Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and even west Bengal. You will find here foods in different ranges from watermelon and wood apple to make sharbat to dry foods consisting of variety of seeds such as sesame seeds or poppy grains. Famous dishes from Bihar include Bihari kebabs, litti chokha, Bihari chicken masala, sattu paratha etc.
- Litti Chokha
The famed taste of Litti Chokha, savored by one and all, must be familiar to all. It is a grand welcome to the authentic food of Bihar, in all its ghee-dripping glory. It consists of wheat and sattu with spices, kneaded into round spicy balls, dipped in ghee. The texture of Litti along with the crunchy crust makes it a foodie’s delight. Chokha is prepared by mashing boiled vegetables (most common being potatoes, brinjal, tomatoes), adding spices and chopped onion, garlic etc. and served with Litti as a complimentary delicacy.
- Chandrakala / Pedakiya: Similar to Gujia, Chandrakala is another heavenly dessert for those with a sweet tooth. Stuffed with sweetened khoya, coconut, cardamom powder and dry fruits in a crispy covering and dipped in sugar-syrup, Chandrakala is a dish from the the traditional food of Bihar that is enough to sweeten your senses!
- Chana Ghughni: Chana Ghughni is a spicy-tangy evening snack item from the food of Bihar and even prevalent in eastern India like West Bengal and Odisha. Extremely common yet equally delicious, this mouth-watering snack is prepared in almost every household of Bihar. Boiled chickpeas, fried with onion and spices along with “Chuda ka bhuja” (flattened rice) makes it a perfect complement to satisfy your hunger! Flattened and dried gram is also used to make other salty snacks.
- Mutton Kebabs and Reshmi Kebabs: Bihar is equally famous for its luscious non-vegetarian delicacies. Patna’s famous Mutton Kebabs have an equally rich and historical origin. The aroma from a small shop in Kadamkua attracts one like a magnet.
- Kesar Peda: Even though partitioned, Bihar and Jharkhand breathe and preserve the same culture. Pedas from Devghar, which is now in Jharkhand, is an essential part of the food of Bihar. These states are home to people with one united thread of culture and belief. Every person from Bihar holds Devghar very close to heart; the place holding deep religious affection. Situated outside the holy temple of Devghar, Gaurang Mishthan Bhandar is a 70 year old destination for worshippers to complete their fast. “Kesar Pedas” are exclusive specialty of this place.
- Laung Latika: Laung-latika is a traditional dessert of the food of Bihar, prepared during festivals. Although similar to other generic stuffed delicacies, Laung latika’s Clove in the canter of the crisp crust makes it unique and authentic to Bihar. The pungent taste of the clove along with sweet stuffing dipped in sugar-syrup melts in the mouth; the complex amalgam of tastes altogether makes Laung Latika exclusive to Bihar.
- Khajuria/Thekua : Khajuria is the most commonly prepared snack of Bihari food. The mixture of wheat flour and jaggery is deep fried and lo! This lip-smacking snack is ready to fulfill those hunger attacks! One can also use rice flour instead of wheat flour and sugar instead of jaggery to make different varieties.
- Kadhi Badi : This is another staple delicacy of Bihari food. The gravy (Kadhi)as well as the badi are prepared from besan (gram flour). The gravy also consists of yoghurt. It is usually complimented with rice and/or puris.
- Rasia : The special type of kheer is exclusive to the grand and traditional festival, and is an opulent affair of the food of Bihar. Rasia is famous for its festive touch and equally delicious taste. Another variant is made from popped fox nuts or makhana which is called makhaneki kheer and is only slightly sweet but quite rich.
- Khurma/Lakhto : Khurma also known as shakkarpara is another sweet snack from Bihar that is made of flour and salt, deep fried in oil and dipped in sugar syrup. The sugar syrup cools off and crystallizes to give a powdery outer texture. If you use rice flour dough and a thick jaggery syrup, you get another variant called Laktho. Both of them are a real delight to feast on.
- Tilkut : Tilkut a healthy dessert prepared from punched sesame seeds. It is cooked with a sugar base rolled into a ball filled with copious amounts of crushed sesame seeds. The tilkut gets tastier, softer and nebulous with a luxurious input of sesame seeds. Heated in an optimum temperature with the right proportions of jaggery and lint is then hammered where the hard work begins to beat them into biscuit like shapes. The best tilkuts are made in the town of Gaya. However, take care Tilkut is a seasonal dish and it is available only in winters (during Makar Sankranti time). The saying Winter is coming can be never be looked forward more optimistically except in the matter of Tilkuts.
- Sattu sharbat: Sattu ka sharbat is a popular drink in Bihar which is basically made of roasted gram flour. Packed with protein, this savory drink is a real energizer and a meal for many in breakfast as it is extremely healthy and known to clear digestive problems.
- Balushahi : A sweet, porous flour cup, enclosing a litany of flavors in the Khoya inside – that’s the Bihari food dish, the Balushahi for you. The sweet is filled with mildly sweetened khoya and spices like cardamom and cinnamon, sometimes even flavored with the opulent saffron for added taste and fragrance. The flour bowl is then closed and deep fried until perfection.
