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Bihar is rich in both history and agriculture, and has an abundance of recipes that can be traced back to over 2,000 years. While litti chokha may be the most popular Bihari dish, the region is the birthplace of numerous other dishes that are not as well known. We recommend seven unusual Bihari dishes that you must try:
Sanai phool ke pakode
Sanai phool is the flower of the jute plant, which Biharis use to make pakodas. Fully bloomed sanai flowers are yellow and slightly bitter, so only the buds are used. These are coated with a paste of gram flour, garlic, green chillies and spices and then deep-fried.
Phulauri
Phulauri are fritters made using masoor or chana dal paste. The dal paste is mixed with spices, ginger and garlic paste, finely chopped onion and green chillies and sections of it are dropped into hot oil. Once they turn golden brown, they may be served with spicy chutneys.
Dal pitha
Dal Pitha are Bihari dumplings. They are similar to momos but are healthier as they have a rice flour covering instead of maida and are filled with spiced chana dal. Dal pitha are steamed, and usually eaten with chutney or green chillies on the side.
Bihari kebab
Bihari kebabs are traditional kebabs from Bihar that are made by marinating lamb in papaya, and then mincing the meat and shaping it around skewers. They also use poppy seeds, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin and garam masala.
Thekua
Also called ‘khajuria’, thekua is a popular Bihari snack. It is served as prasad, especially during Chhath puja. It is essentially a deep-fried mixture of wheat flour and jaggery. Variations of thekua use rice flour instead of wheat flour and sugar instead of jaggery.
Anarsa
Also called hilsa, anarsa is a kind of Indian biscuit eaten in Bihar. It is made with powdered rice and a khoya and dried fruit filling. After being deep fried, anarsa is sprinkled with sesame seeds. Besides Bihar, it can also be found in Maharashtra.
Parwal ki mithai
Usually served during festivals and weddings, parwal ki mithai is a typical Bihari sweet. The parwal are slit lengthways and deseeded. Then, they are stuffed with sweet khoya and dipped in sugar syrup. The outer skin is grated to make it tender.
