Ethnic Dishes & their Origin
Bihar cuisine has a long history that may be traced back to the region’s culture or the kingdoms that once controlled it. The main course of the meal is rice. Although the food is primarily vegetarian, fish, poultry, and mutton are occasionally served. The dish is straightforward, created with fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables that have undergone minimal processing. Mustard oil is primarily used in cooking, and the aroma of various components combined with the flavor of mustard oil gives it a natural flavor and taste. Stuffed parathas, spicy mashed potatoes, and fish curry are also popular foods in the state. The following are some of the most popular Bihari dishes:)
Laddo
When it comes to Bihari food, the Maner laddoo must be mentioned. Laddoo is a treat composed of gram flour, sugar, and ghee that is shaped like a ball. Though it is available in almost every sweet shop, the ladoo prepared in Maner, some 30 kilometers west of Patna, is well-known and considered the greatest.
Belgrami
Belgrami is a delicious dish from Bihar that is made with cheese, sugar, and ghee. Udwantnagar, located between Arrah and Buxar, is the most famous location in Bihar for this sweetmeat.
Khaja
Silao hamlet, around 15 kilometres from Bihar Sarif and 8 kilometres from Rajgir, is noted for its old khaja-making culture. It’s a sweetmeat made of maida (wheat flour), sugar, and ghee that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, including Chandshahi, Round, Palvidar, and Gandhi Topa. The rectangular-shaped one is the most popular among these.
Tilkut & Anarsa
Tilkut and Anarsa are two of Gaya’s most recognised products, in addition to its connection with Lord Buddha. Tilkut is created with sugar and white sesame seeds (til), whereas Anarsa is made with rice flour, white sesame seeds, and sugar. The Ramna Road in Gaya is the place to go if you want to try these delights.
Malpua
The sumptuous and mouth-watering malpua, a Bihar specialty, is made with maida, milk, banana, grated coconut, cashew nut, raisin, sugar, water, and green cardamom, then cooked in ghee.
Lai
Lai, a ball or cake-shaped confection made of ‘Ithobi’ or ‘Ramdana’ seeds, ‘Khoa’, and sugar, is famous in Barh, a tiny town in Patna district located between Bakhtiarpur and Mokama.
Soan Papdi
Even though this sweet is popular throughout the state, it is a specialty of the towns of Buxar and Munger. Sugar, gram flour, and ghee are combined to make Soan Papdi.
Pedukia
Pedukia/Perukia, for which the Bihar town of Chhapra is famous. It’s made by combining sooji (semolina) or khoa with sugar and wrapping it in thin leaves formed from a maida, water, and ghee combination. After that, the dessert is deep fried in ghee and served.
Balushahi
The region of Runi-Saidpur, which is located on the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi highway, is known for its Balushahi. The sweet is made using maida (wheat flour) and sugar that has been properly processed and baked in ghee
Makhana Kheer
It’s a delicious delicacy made with milk, sugar, and makhana that originated in the Darbhanga region in north Bihar.
Thekua
Sweets prepared from maida (wheat flour) and sugar are known as Shakarpara and Thekua. They’re made by straining a mixture of maida and sugar in ghee on important occasions like Chhath.
Dalpuri
Dalpuri is the first name that comes to mind while thinking of Bihar’s traditional cuisine. It is a sort of bread made from salted wheat flour and filled with boiled-crushed gram-pulse that has been cooked with unique seasonings. Although it is primarily a home-cooked dish, it is also available in restaurants and from roadside vendors.
Litti Chokha
Litti is another main-course dish popular in Bihari food. It’s nothing more than a salted and baked wheat flour cake. Litti is a traditional Indian flatbread stuffed with sattu (fried gram flour) and specific spices and served with ghee. Litti has a similar appearance to Bati, however, there is a slight difference. Litti is best served with mashed potatoes or brinjal bharta. Litti-Chokha is now establishing a global presence.
Parwal ki Mithai
Parwal ki Mithai is made by stuffing the pointed gourd with khoya, which gives it the perfect sweet-salty balance.
Chana Ghuguni
Dal Pittha
This Bihari dumpling is produced with kneaded rice flour and stuffed with a unique Bengal gram paste before being steamed.
