art-culture

Bihar

Bihari society is not very rigid on vegetarianism, but, people avoid eating non-vegetarian food daily. Bihari people eat boiled rice and daal with cooked vegetables during lunch and there is custom of eating Roti during dinner and never take roti and boiled rice together. Because of strong Hindu-Muslim heritage river fish, chicken and mutton (mainly Goat mutton and many people view lamb (sheep) meat as offensive) are the popular meat. Meat based dishes are eaten mainly with boiled rice. Dairy products are consumed frequently throughout the year, with common foods including yoghurt known as dahi and also buttermilk known as mattha, ghee, lassi and butter. There is a custom of eating poha (flattened rice) with yoghurt and sugar. The cuisine of Bihar is similar to a great extent to North Indian cuisine but has an influence from other East Indian Cuisine (for example like Bengali cuisine, Mustard oil is used in cooking). It is highly seasonal, with watery foods such as watermelon and Sherbet made of pulp of the wood-apple fruit being consumed mainly in the summer months and dry foods, preparations made of sesame seeds, poppy seeds in the winter months. Some dishes which Bihar is famous for, include Sattu Paratha, which are parathas stuffed with fried chickpea flour, Chokha (spicy mashed potatoes), Fish curry, Litti and Bihari Kebab,Postaa-dana kaa halwaa. Other common dish is alu-bhujia (not to be confused with Bikaneri Bhujia also known as rajasthani bhujia) where potatoes are cut like French-fries and cooked in mustard oil and mild spices and eaten with roti or rice-daal. Apart from this tangy raita made form lauki (winter melon) or unripened papaya, yoghurt and mixed with spices (paste of green chilly, ginger, garlic and mustard) is popular in many parts of bihar.

VAGHARELO BHAAT RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Basmati rice

1 1/2 cups Potatoes, diced

1 cup Green peas

1 cup Carrots, diced

2 cloves

1 stick Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida (hing)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

3 tbsp Ghee

Salt To Taste

Preparation:

Wash and drain the rice. Keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a cooker, add the cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the asafoetida, vegetables and salt and stir for few minutes

Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and rice and stir again for 5 minutes till it is evenly mixed.

Add 3 cups of hot water, cover the lid. Cook using the weight.

Serve vargharelo bhaat hot with kadhi and papad.

Ingredients

* For Atta (flour) dough:

o 1½ cup: Whole wheat atta (Littis are more crunchy if made with maida)

o ¾ to 1 cup: Regular or fat-free yogurt (dahi)

o (Make dough from atta using yogurt and NOT water. The dough should be soft and fully kneaded. Keep aside covered.)

* For Filling:

o 1 cup: Sattu (a special gram flour)

o 4 cloves: Garlic, finely chopped

o 1 inch: Ginger, finely chopped

o 2 or more: Green chilies, finely chopped

o ½ cup: Fresh dhaniya (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped

o ½ tsp: Mangrella (nigella or onion seed)

o 2 tbsp: Mustard

o 1 tsp: Ajwain (thyme)

o 1 tbsp: Lemon juice

o 1 or 2 tbsp: Mircha achar masala (fillings from the red chili pickle) Salt to taste

Method

1. Mix all the filling ingredients with sattu together nicely. Add ¼ to ½ cup water to make the stuffing moist and easy to fill.

2. Now make 8 balls from the atta (flour) dough. Dust each ball with dry atta and make a patty roughly 2.5" to 3" diameter in size with hand. You don't need a belan (rolling pin) for this.

3. Stuff 2 to 3 tsp sattu filling in the center of the patty and close it from all sides.

4. When all the littis are stuffed, pre-heat the oven to 375 F and put all the litties on a foil and bake till one side is brown or black spots come on the litti surface. Then turn over the litti and bake for few

5. Take out and dip in pure ghee or butter and serve with achar or dhaniya (cilantro) chutney and/or baigan ka bhurta (mashed and prepared egg-plant).