Bihar Hub
When we talk about Bihar, we often imagine a rich cultural heritage, a glorious history, the Bodhi tree where Buddha attained enlightenment and a plate of delicious litti chokha. All these make Bihar famous among tourists all over India. But today we are going beyond a plate of litti chokha. What we are trying to say here is that we are going to talk about the food culture of Bihar and see that apart from litti chokha, there is much more to explore!
Litti Chokha
Yes, we are starting our list with this national food of Bihar because it certainly earned the food culture of Bihar nationwide popularity. Here is more on the dish. Sattu and wheat flour along with some spices are kneaded and shaped into small balls. The flour balls are then grilled in an open flame and dipped into ghee. Litti is done! Time to make the chokha. Mix mashed potato, brinjal, tomatoes and spices and chokha is ready. Now, break a piece of the litti and have it with some chokha and enjoy the deliciousness.
Chandrakala
Chandrakala, sounds quite nice, no? Much like its name, the look and taste of this dessert are quite nice. Small flour doughs are rolled, then stuffed with a sweet mixture and finally, shaped like a half-moon. The edges are closed with a nice pattern. The sweet stuffing includes khoya, dry fruits, coconut and for that special flavour, a bit of cardamom. The half-moon-shaped chandrakalas are then deep-fried and dipped into a sugar syrup. Crispy from the outside and soft from the inside, each bite of this special dish of Bihar is perfect!
Chana Ghugni
Looking for some authentic Bihari snacks? You can rely on a plate of chana ghugni. It is spicy and tangy and is just tasty. If your tastebuds are convinced, here goes the recipe. Boil some chana (chickpea) and then pan fry the chana preferably in mustard oil (for the authentic Bihari flavour) along with spices, onions and chuda (flattened rice). Add chilli if you like spicy food. And your perfect evening snack is ready!
Khaja
A crispy and sweet snack on the list of famous Bihar food items. Wheat flour, sugar and mawa are mixed into a dough. The dough then is rolled, folded a few times and then deep-fried. What you get after that is a flaky, crunchy, sweet delicacy. Khaja has another variant named belgrami. The difference between the two is that instead of wheat flour, milk solids are used belgrami. Also, khaja is a little sweeter than belgrami. We say, try both and see which one you like more.
Kesar Peda
Peda is a traditional Indian dessert. Milk, khoya, sugar, kesar (saffron) and cardamom powder are cooked together for some time. Once it becomes a dough-like consistency, it is shaped into small round pedas. Some pedas also have nice designs on them.
