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BIHAR

Popular Dishes of Bihar

Litti Chokha

Picture a symphony of flavors unfolding on your plate with Litti Chokha, a culinary embrace of Bihar's soul. Imagine sinking your teeth into a round wheat flour ball, its crust giving way to reveal a heart of roasted gram flour (sattu) and spices. As you savor the earthy goodness, the aroma of tradition fills the air. Now, turn your attention to the spiced mash of roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes – Chokha. It's like tasting the warmth of Bihar's fields and the depth of its cultures in each forkful. The union of Litti and Chokha is more than just a dish; it's an ode to the land's heritage, a reminder that the simplest ingredients can craft the most soul-stirring stories.

litti chokha.jpg

Ingredients 

For dough :

  • Wheat flour - 400 grams (2 cup)

  • Ajwain(carom seeds) - 1/2 tsp

  • Ghee - 2 tbsp

  • Curd - 3/4 cup

  • Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

  • Salt - 3/4 tsp

For stuffing(Pitthi)

  • Sattu - 200 grams (1 cup)

  • Ginger - 1 inch long piece

  • Green chilly - 2 to 4

  • Green coriander(dhaniya) - 1/2 cup(finely chopped)

  • Jeera(cumin seeds) - 1 tsp

  • Ajwain(carom seeds) - 1 tsp

  • Mustard oil - 1tsp

  • Pickle spices - 1 tbsp

  • Lemon - juice of 1 lemon (if you prefer)

  • Salt - add to taste ( 1/2 tsp)

For Chokha:

  • Brinjal(big) - 400 grams (1 or 2)

  • Tomatoes - 250 grams ( 4 medium sized)

  • Green chillies - 2 to 4 (finely chopped)

  • Ginger - 1 1/2 inch long piece ( finely chopped)

  • Green coriander - 2 tbsp ( finely chopped)

  • Salt - add to taste (1 tsp)

  • Mustard oil - 1 to 2 tsp

Steps To Follow:

Dough for Litti

  1. Filter the flour and keep it in a utensil, put Ghee, baking soda, Ajwain and salt in flour then mix well. Beat curd and put it in flour as well.

  2. Knead a soft dough using warm water. Cover the dough and keep aside for 30 minutes. Dough required to make Litti is ready.

How to make Stuffing for Litti

  1. Wash, peel and finely chop ginger(you can also grate it).

  2. Break the stems of the green chillies, wash then finely chop them.  

  3. Clean green coriander, wash then finely chop the leaves.

  4. Take out Sattu in a utensil put chopped ginger, green chillies, coriander, lemon juice, salt, Jeera, Ajwain, mustard oil and pickle spices in it.

  5. Mix all the ingredients properly, if the Pitthi seems dry then add 1-2 spoons of water to it, Sattu Pitthi is ready.

How to make Litti

  1. Break off medium sized pieces from the dough.

  2. With the help of your fingers expand the pieces 2-3 inches in diameter.

  3. Place 1- 1 1/2 tsp Pitthi on it, wrap up the dough piece and close from all sides.

  4. Press this stuffed pieces to flatten it a bit, Litti is ready for frying.

  5. Heat the Tandoor(furnace), place the stuffed pieces of dough in the Tandoor and cook it by turning sides regularly till they turn brown (traditionally Litti is cooked on a Upla).

How to make Chokha for Litti

  1. Wash brinjals and tomatoes then fry them. Allow them to cool, peel the skins, keep them in a bowl and mash with a spoon.

  2. Put the chopped spices, salt, oil and mix properly.  

If you prefer garlic and onion then peel 5-6 cloves of garlic then finely chop them. Peel 1 onion, chop it finely and mix these with brinjal.
Aloo ka Chokha

  1. Peel 4-5 boiled potatoes break them into small pieces, add chopped ginger, green chillies, green coriander, red chilly powder and salt to it then mix well. 

Serve

  1. Put Chokha in a bowl, dip hot Litti in melted Ghee, Litti can also be broken at the centre and then dipped. Serve with Chokha, green coriander chutney and eat.

Dal Pitha

Imagine delicate pockets of pleasure, lovingly crafted from rice or wheat flour, cradling a spiced lentil mixture within. Dal Pitha is more than a dumpling; it's a culinary art that reflects the heart of Bihar. As you take a bite, the softness of the outer layer merges with the savory goodness inside – a blend of lentils and spices that sing tales of tradition. The dumplings can be steamed or boiled, and when paired with chutney, the flavors form a harmonious chorus that echoes the vibrant diversity of Bihar's culinary landscape.

dal-pitha.jpg

Ingredients :

​

  • 500 gm Atta

  • 500 gm toor dal

  • 1/2 tsp Jeera

  • 1 Onions

  • 1 Tomato

  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

  • To taste Red chilli powder

  • 1 tsp Kasoori methi

  • as needed Oil

  • 1/2 tsp Dhaniya powder

  • Salt to taste 

Steps To Follow:

  1. Boiled the dal in a pan And add turmeric powder And salt to taste

  2. Make the dough of att And rest for 15 min And give them some shape

  3. Add the att shape in the dal and then cook property

  4. Another take a pan And add oil And then chopped onion And saute it to bring the golden brown

  5. And then add chopped tomatoes And cooked properly And then add red chilli powdernd cooked properly.

  6. And then add the dalpitha to the masala and the add chopped dhaniya served hot

Khaja

Dive into the symphony of textures and flavors with Khaja, a treat that carries the essence of Bihar's celebrations. Visualize golden discs crafted from wheat flour, kissed by the sweetness of jaggery and adorned with the delicate grace of grated coconut. As these discs sizzle in the depths of hot oil, they transform into crispy delights that evoke memories of festive gatherings. With each bite, a hint of nostalgia mingles with the crunch, inviting you to relish the sweetness that binds generations together.

khaja.jpg

Ingredients :

  • Ingredients For Layered Fritters

  • 4 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida), + 2 tablespoon

  • 2 Ghee , + 2 tablespoon, melted

  • 2 teaspoons Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)

  • 2 teaspoons Black pepper powder , freshly powdered (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder (Dalchini) , optional

  • Oil , to cook

  • Chilled water

  • Ingredients for Syrup

  • 2 cups Sugar

  • 1 cup Water

Steps To Follow:

  1. How to make Khaja Recipe (Layered Fritters Dunked In Sugar Syrup) 

  2. To prepare Khaja recipe, in a bowl, add the flour, melted ghee and mix well. Add cold water to make a smooth yet firm dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

  3. Make a paste mixing 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee) and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour to make a flour paste.

  4. Divide the dough into eight equal parts. Take a ball and roll into rectangular shape sheet. Roll another one similarly.

  5. Smear the prepared flour paste on one sheet and place another on top of it. Spread the flour paste on top of the second sheet and roll both the sheets together tightly to resemble a log.

  6. Cut this flour log into equal sized pieces of 1 inch each. Roll each piece vertically.

  7. Heat enough oil in Deep fry pan, fry them in batches, on a medium flame until they turn golden brown on both sides. Cool them completely.

  8. In the meantime, prepare sugar syrup adding 2 cups sugar in 1 cup water in a Saucepan.

  9. Bring to a boil and cook till it becomes sticky.

  10. Add cardamom powder, black pepper and cinnamon powders to it. This addition of spices is purely optional. Switch off flame.

  11. Grease a large plate with some butter or ghee.

  12. Dip the fried khaja into the syrup hence prepared, when the syrup is still warm. Immediately take the well-coated khajas onto the greased plate.

  13. Serve Khaja at room temperature. You could also serve them when still warm. This Khaja recipe can be stored in an air-tight container up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

Thekua

Indulge in the rustic charm of Thekua, a Bihari sweet that's a testament to the region's culinary ingenuity. Envision artisans of taste meticulously shaping wheat flour, jaggery, and grated coconut into flat discs. As these discs meet the bubbling caress of oil, they emerge as golden treasures that glisten with anticipation. With a single bite, you're transported to bustling marketplaces and village fairs, where the rich flavors and heartwarming memories blend to create a slice of Bihari heritage.

Thekua.jpg

Ingredients :

  • 500 gm wheat flour

  • 2 teaspoon ghee

  • 2 cup refined oil

  • 2 cup water

  • 300 gm sugar

  • 1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom

  • 1/2 cup grated coconut

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Steps To Follow:

  1. Put a deep-bottomed pan on medium flame and boil 2 cups of water in it.

  2. After a boil, add sugar in the water and stir till it melts. Once the sugar is melted, switch off the burner and put down the pan.

  3. Add ghee in the sugar syrup and stir to mix.

  4. Allow the syrup to cool at room temperature.

  5. Take a dough kneading plate and add wheat flour in it along with grated coconut, fennel and cardamom powder. (You must take whole wheat flour. It gives an amazing taste to the Thekua and is healthier too.)

  6. Mix well and then add the sugar syrup in batches to knead the dough.

  7. Make sure the dough is not too soft.

  8. It has to be hard or your Thekua will make like pooris!

  9. Make small balls with your hands.

  10. Press them flat, you can use a cookie cutter to give them shape.

  11. Put a kadhai on high flame and heat oil in it.

  12. When the oil is hot enough, add a flattened piece of dough and deep fry them till golden brown in colour. You must keep the flame low so that the Thekua is cooked from the inside.

  13. Repeat the procedure and deep fry the remaining dough balls.

  14. Cool them at room temperature and store in air-tight containers.

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