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Historically prosperous and the delightful land of Bihar is also famous for the plethora of cuisines displayed in its cuisine. Delicious and exotic Bihari dishes are highly capable of tingling the palate of all food lovers.
Historical Facts of Bihar’s cuisine
The evolution of Bihar foods or cuisine dates back to the rulers who ruled the land and the religions practised there. Buddhism brought the concept of non-violence for Bihar, as a result of which a majority of the population is vegetarian in Bihar. In the land drained by the Ganges River, which has fertile soil, rice and wheat are grown in abundance.
Consequently, Bihar is among the few states in northern India where rice and wheat are consumed in equal measure. Another speciality of the region is that the people of Bihar give more importance to the consumption of seasonal food; their specialities change from season to season.
The food is cooked predominantly in mustard oil, giving it a distinctive flavour. Biharis believes in letting the flavour of seasonal ingredients shine through food without overloading them with spices.
Here is a look at the Bihar state food. Bihari’s cuisine is consumed mainly in the Indian state of Bihar, in eastern India, as well as in places where people from the state of Bihar settled: Jharkhand, East Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, some cities in Pakistan, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Jamaica, and the Caribbean.
Bihari cuisine consists of a combination of Bhojpuri cuisine, Maithil cuisine, and Magahi cuisine. There are numerous Bihari meat dishes, with chicken and lamb being the most common. Fish dishes are especially common in the Mithila region, in northern Bihar, due to the number of rivers, such as Sone, Gandak, Ganges, and Koshi. Dairy products are consumed frequently throughout the year, including dahi (yoghurt), seasoned buttermilk (known as mattha), ghee, lassi, and butter. Some of the famous food of Bihar includes Bihari kebabs, litti chokha, Bihari both, Bihari chicken masala, sattu paratha, and many more.
So, in this article, I am going to introduce you to the Top 15 cuisines to taste in Bihar. Given below is the list of Famous and Authentic Food and Dishes of Bihar That You Must Try
Litti Chokha
The taste of Litti Chokha enjoyed by all. I don’t think there is any need for introduction. Litti Chokha is now an internationally famous dish from Bihar. It is your great welcome to Bihar’s food in all its dripping glory. It is an irreplaceable part of Bihari cuisine. It consists of spicy wheat and sattu, kneaded in a round, and spicy balls, dipped in ghee. Litti is a spicy roasted dumpling made with roasted powdered grass to which spices are added, and chokha is roasted brinjal and mashed potatoes with lots of garlic and coriander. It is a world-famous food of Bihar.
Sattu or Sattu Sharbat
When it comes to protein sources in the diet, Biharis always prefer Chana Sattu, an original protein source. It is served mainly in Bihar like Sharbat made from roasted grass (Chana), which gives an instant cooling effect on the body in summer. Sattu ka sharbat is a popular drink in Bihar that is rich in protein, this tasty drink is a real energy giver and a meal in itself. Another way to eat is to make curry balls and servers, which are also an energy force. Often called protein for a poor man, it is also one of the healthiest diets in Bihar. It is one of the famous food of Bihar.
Khaja
This layered candy is an indispensable preparation for weddings and is a delight to them. It is said that a place in Bihar known as Silav makes the Khajas more delicious. It is less sweet and is a famous sweetmeat from Udwantnagar, which falls between Arrah and Buxar. Another equally tasty and delicious food from Bihar’s snack, Khaja is believed to be a 2000-year-old preparation, very similar to Baklava from the Ottoman Empire. The crunchy dessert is made with wheat flour, sugar, and mawa; fried in oil. This exclusive Bihar dessert is a sweet snack made with flour and sugar, fried and then dipped in hot sugar syrup. It is one of the famous food of Bihar.
Chandrakala/Pedakiya
Very similar to Gujia, Chandrakala is another paradise dessert for those who like sweets. It’s a dish of traditional Bihar food that’s enough to sweeten your senses! Chandrakala is very similar to Gujia, but its dry fruit content separates it from Gujia. Chandrakala mainly contains stuffed khoya, cardamom, and dried fruit in a very crunchy way dipped in sugar syrup like gulab jamun. it is one of the traditional foods from Bihar that is enough to sweeten your senses. It is one of the famous food in Bihar.
Chana Ghugni
ChanaGhugni is a spicy and spicy snack from Bihar food, prepared with onions, tomato, green pepper, and spices. Is it one of the most belly-filled and cheapest foods originating in Bihar because of its specialty, which can be served with almost anything, like dry chapattis, parathas, roti, etc.? Ghugni is traditionally called ghugri in Bihar because it is made with white peas in a round shape. It is one of the most famous snacks served in almost any home at night. It is one of the famous street food in Bihar.
Dal Puri
Dal Puri is a special type of Puri that has a valley filling and is an important source of happiness for most of us. Unlike normal puri, Dal Puri uses a special Bengal filling. It is not only tastier but also healthier dish which is full of protein. This dish is specially prepared during the Dussehra festival. It is one of the famous food of Bihar.
Balushahi
Balushahi is a traditional dessert from Bihar and the Indian subcontinent. A cup of sweet, porous flour containing a litany of flavors inside Khoya – this is the Bihari food dish Balushahi for you. A popular sweet from the Indian subcontinent, Balushahi looks like a glazed donut in terms of ingredients but differs in texture and taste. In southern India, a similar mass is known as badushah.
You taste the love of wonder, which is Bihar’s food. The sweet is packed with lightly sweetened khoya and spices like cardamom and cinnamon, sometimes even flavored with sumptuous saffron for added flavor and scent. The flour bowl is then closed and fried to perfection. It is one of the famous sweets in Bihar.
Khajuria/Thekua
Khajuria is the most prepared snack from Bihari foods. This is one of the most common sweets made in every home in Bihari during most festivals but especially on the occasion of Chhath (A popular Festival of Bihar). Also known as Thekua, the mixture of wheat flour and brown sugar is fried and lo and behold! This snack that blasts your lips is ready to carry out these hunger attacks! You can also use rice flour instead of wheat flour and sugar instead of brown sugar to make different varieties.
Khurma
Khurma is also famous as shakkarpara is yet another sweet snack from Bihari’s list of food and cuisine, made from flour and salt. It is fried in oil and dipped in sugar syrup. Sugar syrup is cooled and crystallized to give a powdered outer structure.
Most sweets in Bihar consist of simple components like flour and sugar, but each one is so unique and tastes different from one another that it is a surprise to many that they were made with the same ingredients. A regular snack in every home in Bihar, Lakhto, is often seen during the Dussehra festival. To make this dish, a dough of rice flour is the first age. Then fry it and soak in a thick and sweet syrup so that the sweet absorb the sweetness. It is one of the famous food of Bihar.
Malpua
Malpua is another Bihari food treatment that does not need an introduction. It is another common sweets in India which are still popular in Bihar! Its mass is a mixture of flour, milk, banana puree, and sugar, which is fried in ghee and dipped in sugar syrup.
Kadhi Badi
KadhiBadi is an ordinary tasty dish made in most families in Bihar. It is prepared almost every day and is part of the basic diet in most of the state. The sauce (Kadhi) and badi are prepared from besan (grass flour). The sauce also consists of yogurt. It is usually supplemented with rice and/or puris. It is also specially prepared during the happy festival in Holi.
Naivedyam Ladoo
“Naivedyam” ladoo is the Prasad of the famous Hanuman Mandir, near Patna railway station. Naivedyam’s original roots are found in Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh. It contains besan or gram flour, sugar, cashews, raisins, green cardamom, saffron cashmere, and other aromas, cooked in ghee and shaped into a ball. It is a unique Prasad, exclusive to Hanuman Mandir. The divine delicacy melts in your mouth leaving you ecstatic.
Laai
Jaggery sugar syrup spilled all lightly fried grain and then shaped into substantial balls by the mothers and grandmothers in the house. Talk about homemade food! The grain can be puffed rice (muri), beaten rice (choora), or Ram dana. The Laai will be your favorite Saturday night munchie if you try it! This special dish is found everywhere in Bihar but especially in Gaya and (famous as Gaya ki Laai) and also in Barh (a subdivision of Patna).
Tilkut
It is another form of tasty Bihari, also known as Tilkatri. Made from sesame seeds and brown sugar, the taste is more delicious. The streets of Gaya in Bihar are famous for making Tilkut. In the winter, sugar cane is harvested and this is the month in which Tilkut is produced in most villages or towns. And Tilkut is also associated with the fall festival Makar Sankranti.
Puri Sabzi (Kachauri Jalebi)
The Indians have mastered the ability to create a variety of bread thanks to the lively diversity that we introduce into our kitchen. Give us whole wheat flour or any other kind of cereal, then we will give you plates filled with bread marked with the most chosen dish. Every state in India has its own bread variant, but the small, round, fried bread called poori is widely known and can be seen in all ordinary households for breakfast.
Poori is a very flexible bread type, and the poor differ from region to region with several grids and masks built-in, which match the appetite of the bread, which was retained in the dish served next. It is one of the famous food of Bihar. When it comes to Bihar, it is more of a fixed diet for the indigenous people, and Bihari’s cuisine is unique in its refinement. Poori’s most common format is marked by the vegan Aaloo sabzi, which is mashed potatoes with a delicious blend of spices and aromatic herbs. The Bihar version of Poori is not complete without the special jalebi dessert that provides a very healthy and balanced cuisine.
Bihar is an extremely porous state; neighbouring states/countries have a similar culture. I have tried my best to include exclusive dishes in Bihar’s food. However, some delicacies may have a common claim from neighbouring states/countries.
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