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Festivities and food go hand and hand and while we think of Holi specials from across the country, Dhuska or Dhooska from Bihar and Jharkhand count me ignored. The state of Jharkhand shares it’s border with Bihar to the north, West Bengal to the east, Orissa to the south, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Uttar Pradesh to the northwest. This deep-fried snack eaten in the Eastern part of the country is a savoury fried bread.
Mostly found as a street snack along road side stalls, Dhooska is made with powdered chana, powdered rice, dal and sometimes boiled potatoes this is eaten with some kind of a chutney. While preparing the rice batter it’s moistly basmati or any indigenous type of rice that is used. Almost a household dish, Dhuska or Dhooska is even pairs perfect with a hot spicy Bihari mutton curry. This pancake like dish that is a Holi delight is pretty easy to prepare and also is pretty filling and tasty too. Having said to have originated from the Munda and Khadia communities, Dhuska today happens to be one the most loved snack of the state for all seasons and reasons.
Interesting the tribal Adivasis make this dish with a combination of rice and urad dal, while the non-tribals or the non-Adivasis add chana dal as well.
Here’s a Dhuska recipe by Nisha Madhulika
Ingredients
• Rice - 1cup (200 gms) (soaked)
• Chana Dal - ½ cup (100 gms)
• Urad Dal - ¼ cup (50 gms)
• Green Chilli - 4
• Ginger Julienne - ¾ inch
• Green Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - ½ pinch
• Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Eno Salt - ¼ tsp
• Oil - for frying
Method
• Take a ½ cup of Chana Dal, a ¼ cup of Urad Dal and a cup of rice. Soak them in the water for 4-5 hours or for overnight. After soaking them, remove the extra water from them. Add them in the grinder jar along with some water, 4 medium sized green chillies, 3/4 inch ginger julienne and grind them for the paste.
• The paste of Dal is ready after griding them. Pour the paste in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1/2 pinch of asafoetida, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder, less than 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of green coriander and mix all the ingredients well.
• If the batter is thick then, add some water to it. The running consistency of the batter is required for Dhuska. Preheat Oil to fry Dhuska and beat the batter for 2 minutes. Add the batter using a spatula in the rightly heated oil.
• Flip and fry them till they appear golden brown from both the sides. Drain them out once they are fried and fry rest of the Dhuska likewise.
