Each festival in Bihar has a signature sweet linked with it: thekua for chhatth, pidukiya for teej, tilkut for Makar Sankranti – and pua for Holi. But when the goodies are this good, why wait for an occasion to cook? Build your own reason for sweet celebration.
Bihari Recipes
This page brings together tested vegetarian Bihari recipes from The Steaming Pot, curated for everyday home cooking:
- some classics (sattu paratha, nenua chana),
- some adapted to suit convenience (littis cooked on kitchen stovetop) or palate (potato chutney to stand in for ole chutney).
Plus, a write up on food words in Bihar and what they mean in “regular” Hindi.
Laal Saag: Easy Red Spinach Stir Fry
Laal saag (red spinach), with its delightful color, adds sparkle to any meal it is served with. This Bihar-style easy red spinach stir fry is one of my favorites ways to have this veggie.
Banana Blossoms Stir Fry with Mustard and Ginger
Banana blossom (also called banana flower) isn’t something I use often in my cooking – the effort of peeling and cutting is a major deterrent. This time I found a pack of pre-peeled banana blossoms at the grocery store and decided to give it a go. I am really pleased with how this recipe finally turned out!
Authentic Sattu Paratha: Bihar’s Famous Stuffed Flatbread
Till about a decade back, a mention of sattu in conversation with a non-Bihari audience would be greeted with puzzled stares. Things have changed today. The world around is more health-conscious, and sattu has gained currency for its great nutritional benefits. Rich in minerals, proteins and fibre, low in glycemic index – sattu is a great addition to one’s diet.
The better-known style of consuming this miracle food is probably in the form of a cooling sattu drink, but my favorite way is as sattu paratha (also called “makuni” colloquially) – flatbread stuffed with a spiced sattu filling.
Kathal ki Sabzi: Raw Jackfruit Curry
Kathal ki sabzi (raw jackfruit curry) is an Indian vegetarian delicacy cooked especially around the month of Holi, when jackfruit is in season in north India.
Newbie cooks, be warned – you are up for a challenge if want to make kathal ki sabzi. The prickly, tough-skinned jackfruit requires skill to peel and cut, and then takes ages of cooking time. Part of the hurdle is handled these days – supermarkets stock packs of peeled and chopped jackfruit, ready to cook. Go right ahead and pick up one of these packs if you can. If not, I’ll point you to the always-awesome Rak’s Kitchen for illustrated steps to peel a jackfruit.
Aloo Chutney: Tangy Potato Chutney
A recipe from my grandmother’s kitchen – a tangy aloo chutney laced with mustard. The original version is made with jimikand (yam) instead of potatoes, and as those of us who cook with yam know, that vegetable is tricky to handle raw. And so we switch to the friendlier, more accessible tuber. Potato chutney is just as good and is super easy to make.