Relish the rustic and rare taste of Bihar

Enjoy Bihari cuisine at the comfort of your house. Order authentic Bihari food from Bihar Bhawan canteen which is now live on Zomato.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Bihari cuisine? The delicious litti-chokha, right? However, chef Nishant Choubey shares, “Let’s not summarise Bihari cuisine as only litti-chokha. Bihari cuisine is unique, not just from its historic relevance but due to its diverse nature. I call it ‘food for the soul’ since it satisfies all your five senses. Every dish has its style.” Got tempted to try out more? Well, bringing authentic Bihari cuisines to your doorstep, the Bihar Bhawan canteen is now live on the food delivery app. “Bihar Bhawan is the first State House in the NCR to tie up with Zomato. Dishes that are ordered the most include bhuna maas, sarson wali machhli, litti-chokha and chicken curry,” says Raj Srivastava, canteen manager of the Bhawan.

Litti-Chokha, the popular dish from Bihar. There is even a dedicated festival to this dish known as ‘Litti-Chokha Mela’. (Photo: Manoj Verma/HT)

Sarson Wali Machhli is among the most popular food item in Bihar Bhawan canteen. (Photo: Manoj Verma/HT)

Bihari cuisines consists of traditional dishes both in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian categories. One can savour a variety of breads, appetisers, side-dishes, fast food variants of traditional delights and desserts. Nevertheless, litti-chokha remain on the top of the list for foodies across India. So what exactly is litti-chokha, you ask? “The litti is a ball made of dough (wheat flour) and stuffed with sattu (pitti) and then roasted [on open fire], while chokha is a blend of eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes and a whole lot of spices. It is not cooked like a regular sabzi, rather it is a roasted vegetable mix. Traditionally, it’s roasted over cow-dung [or coal or wood fire]. We use coal in our canteen,” shares Raghvendra Singh, head chef at the Bhawan.

There is even a dedicated festival to this dish known as ‘Litti-Chokha Mela’. “It’s a unique five-day fair where people gather to make and eat only one kind of the recipe/dish, litti-chokha. Residents from all over the town of Buxar and nearby villages turn up in large numbers for this mela,” adds Singh.

Sattu is used in several Bihari dishes due to its multiple health benefits. This is Sattu Parantha. (Photo: Manoj Verma/HT)

Sattu is another popular drink from the state known for its health benefits. “We fill litti with roasted sattu, we have sattu ka parantha, sattu drinks and much more. They are high in dietary fibre and serve as a good source of proteins. You can eat it as much, almost guilt-free,” adds Srivastava. For non-vegetarians, Bihari feast is a gastronomer’s haven. From mutton-litti, chicken-litti, mustard fish curry, bhuna mutton, fish fry, champaran handi meat, Bihari kebab, fish curry, prawn curry, potiya machhli there are options galore.

“Indigenously originated in Middle Eastern cuisine, kebab is the most-loved dish among non-vegetarians. Bihari variant of kebab comprise juicy chunks of chicken or meat marinated in yoghurt and poppy seed paste. It is then barbecued till it turns golden. They are served best when wrapped in parathas with a squeeze of lemon juice on top,” says Singh.

Champaran handi meat is a popular dish from the Champaran-Bettiah belt. “Handi meat gained popularity due to its unique cooking method and ingredients. Entire mixture of mutton, onion, grind spices and other ingredients are mixed with mustard oil and placed into an earthen pot over midly heated charcoal,” says Choubey.

Chicken curry can also be cooked in handi, like mutton champaran. (Photo: Manoj Verma/HT)

Bihari fish-curry, especially the rohu variety, with mustard paste, is another finger-licking delight. “The secret lies in the ingredients, which include mustard seeds, garlic, ginger, cumin, red chili roasted lightly before grinding . As the region of Mithila has a pisciculture tradition, machh-bhat has become the trademark cuisine of that region. Rohu, naini, bhakur, singhi, pothi are typical varieties of fish cultivated in Mithila. Fish curry, fried fish, fish-egg pakora, fish pickles are some traditional delicacies of the region. Potiya machhli, another delicacy, is made with fresh, small fishes from ponds and rivers,” says Srivastava.

Bihar has a rare tradition of enjoying not-so-popular poultry products like fowl, quail and partridge. “Such birds are kept in the household for eggs and meat. These birds are locally known as teetar and bater. They are non-farmed and fed natural products. The recipe is almost identical to mutton curry and is served with rice, better-known as Bageri-Bhat (rice),” says Singh

In mutton champaran, everything is put inside the clay pot and sealed with whole wheat flour dough. (Photo: Manoj Verma/HT)

Recipe of Mutton Champaran

Ingredients:•Onion- 500gms•Ginger and garlic - 2tbsp crushed•Whole garlic -2 nos•Cinnamon- 2 inches•Clove- 5nos•Green Cardamon- 5 nos•Black Cardamon -2 nos•Black peppercorn - 10nos•Bay leafs - 2nos•Dry Red Chilli- 5 nos•Chilli Powder - 1/2tsp• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder- 1tsp• Turmeric Powers- 1/4tsp• Coriander Powder - 1tsp•Cumin Powder - 1/2tsp•Fennel Seeds - 1/4tsp•Garam Masala Powers- 1/4tsp• Tender Mutton(with bones)- 500gms•Mustard Oil - 4tbsp•Ghee - 5tbsp

Method

-Take Pot and add all the ingredients mentioned in the ingredients list expect the Ghee. -Mix all together and leave it marinate for 4 hours, so the mutton becomes tender. -Take a clay pot and add ghee-Take the marinated mutton, put everything inside the clay pot and seal it with whole wheat flour dough. -Cook for 4 min on high and then lower the heat and cook for 45 min. -Garnish it with coriander and serve it hot.

By chef Nishant Choubey

Author tweets @ruchikagarg271

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