Village food is amazing in taste, and each village food has a story associated with its origin. Food from the villages of Bihar also has many stories. The best thing about village originated food is that it is full of nutrients if prepared in its authentic way.
1. Parwal Mithai
Every year in the season of parwal/potol (pointed gourd) you will find a green colored sweet in almost all sweet shops of Bihar. This sweet delicacy is made with fresh pointe gourd and has a filling of condensed milk and dry fruits known as “parwal ki mithai.” So next time on your visit to Bihar, try having some of these sweets.
2. Kachori and Aloo Sabzi
Kachori and aloo sabzi is a regular breakfast in the households of Bihar. The aloo sabzi varies according to the season and kachori varies according to the place. The thick potato curry is sometime made with adding different vegetables also. Kachori is like poori but crispier than poori and is made of whole wheat flour. Not only for breakfast, people have it in lunch and dinner also.
3. Pitha
Pitha is made to celebrate new harvest of rice crops. In every area of Bihar, pitha is made but in different ways. Some people make it sweet and some salty. But both are healthy and super tasty. The filling they use in making, becomes the name of the pitha like pitha made with dal filling will be called as dal pitha. Similarly sweet pitha isthere like coconut pitha and jaggery pitha. It is served with potato curry or green chutney.
4. Dahi Chura
Dahi Chura has also an occasion for itself but it is eaten inbreakfast also. Dahi is curd and Chura is raw rice flaxes. These two ingredients are mixed together with some sugar or jaggery powder and it is ready to eat. This is the main dish of Makar Sankranti Festival, served with some sesame sweet and vegetable curry. This wholesome dish can be made healthy by adding some fresh fruits as a sweetener to it in place of sugar like banana, mango, apple, and pomegranate.
5. Malpua
Malpua is a sweet dish made during the Holi festival in Bihar. A dish made up of whole wheat flour, semolina, dry fruits, milk, carom seeds, and sugar syrup tastes amazing. People generally serve it with spicy vegetable curry to balance the flavors. You can try making these at your home, and you will love it. You can also try adding some rabri over malpua before serving.
6. Pedikiya
Pedikiya is similar to what we call gujiya in North India. The crunchy and salty outer layer with a filling of a sweet mixture of dry fruits, khoya, and semolina give you a blast of flavor in your mouth. Some people make it and dip in sugar syrup before serving. We can store the dry pedikiya in an air tight container for about two weeks.
7. Oalor Jimikand
Oal is a vegetable grown locally in the villages and also known as jimikand in other parts of India. This dish turns out very tasty, but it is prepared with lots of care as it causes itching on the parts of body which comes in contact with raw oal. So people chop this vegetable very carefully, and they make lots of dishes using this vegetable. Curry, pickles, chutney, and cutlets can be made using this vegetable.
8. Balushahi
Balushahi is a sweet dish made with wheat flour and dipped into sugar syrup. This dish is popular in the winter season and during Durga Puja in Bihar. Even the sweet shop in a remote village make this sweet.
9. Khaja
Khaja is also a sweet dish. On occasions like wedding functions and jitiya festival it is a must have sweet dish in Bihar. Khaja is a crispy sweet dish made with wheat flour and sugar or jaggery syrup. During some occasion, people order for khaja made with pure clarified butter. This is a dry sweet and so can be stored in an air tight container for more than two weeks.
10. Samosa Chaat
You must have heard about different types of chaat, but samosa chaat is different from them. For making this chaat, potato filled samosa is used along with chickepea or black gram chole and all the other ingredients of the chaat. At almost every chaat corner you will find this, and during the festivals of Bihar, you will easily find the stall of samosa chaat.
11. Laai
Laai is made during winters and are sweet in taste. During Makar Sankranti festival, people make lots of different varieties of laai. It can be made using puffed rice, sesame, and fried rice flaxes along with sugar or jaggery syrup. These can be easily available to you even in markets during winter season. Don’t forget to take some of these for your family in your next winter visit to Bihar.
12. Bariki Sabzi
Bari was made earlier as an early preparation to use during drought conditions in Bihar. But now it is made to celebrate the first day of sowing rice in the field. Bari making is a time taking process. Bari is made with the batter of rice and dal and is allowed to sun dry. A curry made with bari tastes great with plain rice.
13. Litti Chokha
Almost all North India have at least heard the name of litti chokha as the famous food of Bihar. People of Bihar love litti chokha. Litthi is made with whole wheat flour with a spicy filling of sattu and chokha is made with roasted potatoes, eggplant, and tomatoes mashed together with oil, salt, and spices. Litti is baked or fried according to the choice. Baked litti is dipped into pure clarified butter before serving. The combination of litti and chokha tastes amazing. You can also find this in stalls along-side of road.
14. Sattu Sharbat
Sattu has lots of healthy nutrients and fiber present in it. Sattu sharbat is served during breakfast and it has cooling properties also. One glass of sattu sharbat can be enough to keep you going till lunch time. You can make this drink sweet or salty according to your choice but in Bihar people prefer a salty sharbat of sattu. You can also add some freshly chopped onions, coriander leaves, and cucumber to it.
15. Anarsa
Anarsa is a sweet dish, made of rice flour and poppy seeds. This snack is popular in the Muslim community. You can easily find this snack in the market. Anarsa tastes very yummy. Even outside the railway stations, you can find people selling this snack.
16. Pitthi
Pitthi is a healthy option for breakfast as well as lunch, prepared in almost every house of Bihar. Pitthi can be made sweet or salty. It is made using whole wheat flour batter, clarified butter, milk, and pulses. Pitthi made with milk is sweet in taste and the one made using pulses is salty in taste. There are lot of ways of making pitthi which varies from place to place. Some people use sun-dried cooked chapatti in making pitthi.
17. Rasiya
Rasia is made to welcome the harvest of sugarcane in almost every family of farmers. It is made up of rice which is cooked in sugarcane juice, and it is served with warm milk. You can add dry fruits according to your choice. Every year people make this dish and enjoy it like sugarcane harvest is a festival for them.
18. Longlatta
Longlatta is a sweet dish in a pocket like structure, made up of khoya and dry fruits as a filling of sheets which is deep fried and then kept in sugar syrup. People usually combine longlatta with spicy samosa or something salty. You will find it in every sweet shop. Longlatta can be eaten hot or chilled; in both ways, it tastes amazing.
19. Thekua
Thekua is a traditional sweet dish of Bihar which is made during the Chhat Puja festival. Thekua can be made in many ways and it can be stored in an air tight container for almost one month. People going for long journey usually carry thekua as their food for the journey. Thekua is made up ofwhole wheat flour, clarified butter, carom seeds, nuts, and jaggery. The amount of water used in making thekua is very little and so it can be kept for longer period of time. In place of jaggery as a sweetener many people uses sugar also but the tradition way of preparation includes jaggery only.
20. Chana Ghugni
Sunday menu is fixed for chana ghugni where whole family sit together and enjoy this delicious dish. This dish is made up of black gram and can be eaten with parantha, poori, or puffed rice. Chana ghugni has a thick gravy and some people add potato and tomatoes also to enhance the taste. You will also find stalls by the side of road selling chana ghugni chaat. It is served with freshly squeezed lemon and chopped onions.
