Bihari Litti aur Tamatar Ka Chokha (Bihar's famous cusine "Litti" with Tomato Salsa)

INGREDIENTS FOR टमाटर का चोखा (Tomato Salsa)

Fresh Tomatoes - 4 Large

Onion - 1 Medium Finely chopped

Dry Red Chillies - 4-5

Lime Juice - 1 tblspn

Finely Chopped Garlic - 1 tspn

Salt - to taste

METHOD-

1. Roast the tomatoes on gas flame.
2. Roast the red chillies on gas flame.
3. Grind the roasted tomatoes and chilles in the traditional सिल or food processor.
4. Mix in the onion and garlic.
5. Add lime juice.
6. Sprinkle salt. Mix well.

Note- Chillies can be reduced or increased as your choice.

Ingredients for the filling:

Sattu ka atta (Roasted Chana flour) - 1 cup
Onion - 1 Large chopped
Green Chillies - 3/4 chopped finely
Garlic - 4/5 flakes chopped finely
Ginger - 1 inch piece chopped finely
Coriander leaves - 2 tblspn chopped finely
Onion Seeds (Kalaunji) - 1 tspn
Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - 1 tspn
Salt - to taste
Fresh Lime Juice - 1 tspn
Pickle (Achaar Masala) - 1 tblspn
Water - as required

Method for the filling -

In a bowl mix all the ingredients under filling and mix well. Add 3-4 tblspns water, to make it a wet filling. The water acts as a binding agent. See above pic for the prepared filling.

Ingredients for the Covering/dough-

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - 1/2 tspn
Onion Seeds (Kalonji) - 1/2 tspn
Water - for kneading dough

Method for the Dough -
Mix all the ingredients under the "dough" and prepare a dough. Rest it for 15-20 mins.
See above pic for the dough.

Method to make Litti

Follow steps like the pictures.

1) Shape small balls. Roll them on a roller pin of about 3 inch diameter.
2) Form small cups like the picture below:

3) Put one to one half tblspn of filling in each cup and roll them like the picture below:

4) Gently press with the palm to get a flat litti. See picture below for different stages.

5) Heat a non stick griddle. Dry roast the litti on very low flame so that it's cooked well from inside also.

6) If the littli swells up means it's done.

7) Remove from the griddle and hold it on a gas flame directly to cook well.

See pic below:

8) The final out come would be like the picture below:

9) Drizzle Ghee and  टमाटर का चोखा (Tomato Salsa) and serve.

Chawal ki Kheer (Rice Pudding)

Chawal ki kheer (Rice Kheer)

 Rice Kheer or rice pudding is a very common dish in Bihari cuisine. The speciality of Bihari kheer is that the quantity of rice used is more than usual. Saffron is not used in the traditional recipes. Traditionally the kheer was made in earthen pots on charcoal and the kheer got the flavours of the earthen pot hence saffron was not used for extra flavouring. On all special occasions like welcoming the bride or festivals kheer is made. For the holy festival Chhath Puja kheer is made without sugar but since it's cooked on very low flame in earthen pots and the basmati rice gives it a very nice flavour and a delicate aroma. Use very good quality rice to get a nice flavour. Lets proceed to the recipe of kheer.

Ingredients-

Milk - 1 ltr

Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup

Ghee (Clarified Butter) - 1 tspn

Sugar - 3/4th cup

Almonds (Badam) - 15-20

Pistachio (Pista) -  2 tblspn

Nutmeg powder (Jaiphal Powder) - grated - 2 pinch

Green cardamom powder (Hari elaichi powder) - 1/2 tspn

Saffron strands -(Kesar) a pinch + a little pinch for the garnish.

Method -

1. Wash basmati rice and soak it for half an hour.
2. Drain and keep it aside.
3. Heat ghee in a vessel and roast the rice to a pinkish colour.
4. Keep it aside.
5. In a deep vessel boil milk.
6. Reduce the milk by boiling and keep stirring.
7. When reduced to half add sugar.
8. Stir well. Reduce flame and let it simmer.
9. Keep stirring.
10. Add saffron and stir well.
11. Add nutmeg powder and Green cardamom powder.
12. Keep simmering and stirring on very low flame.
13. Add pistachio very finely chopped. Mix and stir.
14. Add Almonds very finely chopped.
15. Keep stirring .
16. When the consistency gets thick switch off the gas.
17. Let it cool. When cooled mix well again.
18. Transfer into serving bowls.
19. Sprinkle cardamom and nutmeg powder.
20. Sprinkle pistachio finely chopped.
21. Sprinkle crushed saffron
22. Garnish with half almond as shown in the pic.
23. Best to have it chilled. (in Summers)
24. Can be served hot or at room temperature as well. (For winters)
    
    

Tori ke Bachke (Ridge gourd Fritters)

Monsoon reminds me of Garma Garam Pakode पकोड़े (Hot Fritters) . It had been raining continuously and I thought the best thing to serve the family is hot fritters made up of तोरी Tori (Ridge Gourd). My children who feel "yuck" just by the sight of Ridge gourd had these bites without fuss, lovingly demanding for more and deep in my heart I was pretty happy to see my kids having a green veggie with no fuss. I made the Bihari version of the Pakode (Fritter) which is known as बचका "Bachka" . Favourite Vegetable is coated in gramflour batter and deep fried. My mother-in-law's advise is - बचका can be made कुरकुरा (Crispy) by adding चावल का आठा (Rice Flour).Kids would love to carry it in their tiffins.  Here is the recipe.

Serves - 2
Preparation Time - 7 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins

INGREDIENT

Tori (Ridge Gourd) - 4
Besan (Gram Flour) - 2 cups
Chopped Ginger - 1/4th cup
Carrom Seeds - 2 tsp
Roasted (Sesame Seeds) Til - 1 tsp
Flaxseeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Chopped - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1/4th cup
Salt - to taste
Chopped Green Chillies - 4-5
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Water - as required (a little less than 1 cup)
Chat Masala - to taste
Oil - to deep fry

METHOD

1. Cut Tori into Roundels.
2. Take a bowl and place the tori in it.
3. Add gram flour and rice flour.
4. Throw in the carom seeds and flax seeds.
5. Add to it chopped ginger and coriander.
6. Mix in chopped chillies.
7. Add red chilly powder and salt.
8. Add water and mix well.
9. Prepare a batter as to well coat the vegetables (Tori).
10. Heat oil in a deep pan (kadhai)
11. Drop in pieces of tori and deep fry till reddish in colour.
12. Place on a kitchen napkin for excess oil to evaporate.
13. Sprinkle Chat Masala.
14. Serve hot with ketchup and garnished with green chillies (see pic)

Tips - People staying in States or Canada and other countries where Tori is not found can replace Tori with Zucchini.
Tori is known as Turai तुरई in many states of India.
The Green chillies can be increased/decreased as per liking or totally omitted if so desired.

Beetroot Puri

Each morning my kids have tiffin issues, mam wants all children to have a healthy snack in the tiffin-box. Kids and healthy stuff are like opposite poles. So I thought the best way to make them eat their nutrients/veggies is to camouflage them. Beetroot is one vegetable which kids would never want to eat but the colour pink has such a magnetic effect that the kids are definitely attracted if anything edible is colourful especially "pink". Beetroot has folic acid, iron, calcium, Vitamin "A' and 'C' and because of its high fibre content helps to keep bowel movement regular. Preparing a variety of dishes for the kid's tiffin is a mind boggling issue. So in order to get the nutritional benefits and something appealing to eyes as well, I thought to prepare beetroot puris seasoned with salt, Flaxseeds (known as 'Teesi'  or 'Alsi' in Hindi) which is a rich source of Omega Fatty - 3 Acids and Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - aids in digestion.

INGREDIENTS -

Beetroot -2 medium sized

Wheat Flour - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp + oil for frying

Carom Seeds  - 1/2 tspn

Flaxseeds - 1/2 tsp

METHOD -

Wash the beetroot nicely and cut into 4 pieces.

Put this in pressure cooker and add about 30 ml water and pressure cook up to 2 whistles.

When cooled make a puree of the beetroots without water in a food processor.

Do not throw away the water.

Mix together the wheat flour, oil (1tbsp), carom seeds, flax seeds and salt.

To this add the beetroot puree and knead a hard dough.

Do not add the puree at one go. Puree has to be added little by little as required.

You can use the left over water if the puree is not enough for the dough.

Cover with a damp muslin cloth and leave it for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in kadhai for deep frying the puri's.

Apply little oil to the roller pin so that the dough does not get glued to it.

Prepare small balls.

With the help of rolling pin make small sized puri's.

Slowly leave the puri's in hot oil, fry for a minute and when they are done turn the side. When puffed remove with the help of a slotted spoon leaving maximum fat as possible.

Keep them on an absorbent paper.

Serve hot or pack them in the tiffin with "Parwal Aloo Dum".

Bihari Aloo Parval Dum

One of the authentic Bihari Cusine prepared without any garlic or onion is this quick recipe. Tasty,traditional yet simple,is the mouth watering gravied vegetable. Eaten in almost all Bihari households for lunch with dal and rice, can also compliment well with chapati. Traditionally fresh masala was prepared on the mortar and pestle. Dry spices have been used here which are commonly available in all kitchens, soaked in water to release all its properties, the great aroma which gives a good texture or a great body to the dish. Use of fresh coriander gives it a beautiful aroma and a great look. A lovely dish which can be prepared during a puja at home as it's a real great recipe minus garlic-onion, very pure. Traditionally Bihari sabji's are made in mustard oil so did I use it here. When this dish has to be prepared for the puja one can use pure desi ghee which would definately turn out to be a real  toothsome dish. Do try it out in your kitchens and leave your comments for this fingerlicking everyday sabji (tarkaari), a beautiful Indian recipe.

INGREDIENTS -

Parwal (Snake Gourd) - 250 gms

Boiled Potatoes - 2 medium

Bay Leaf - 2 small

Dry Spices -

Coriander Powder - 2 tbspn

Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tbspn

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tspns

Haldi powder - 1 1/2 tspns

Sabji Masala - 1 tspn

hing powder - 1 tspn

Salt - to taste

Mustard oil for cooking

METHOD -

• Put all dry masalas and the salt in a big katori or a small bowl.
• Add to it 1/2 cup water and mix well without any lumps being formed.
• keep it aside.
• Boil and Peel Potatoes and cut them into 4 large pieces. 
• Parwal first needs to cut length wise, then cut each length into half.
• Heat mustard oil in a kadhai to a smoking point.
• When the oil is hot lower the flame and add bay leaf.
• Soon add parwals and saute till the oil is well coated to it.
• Add to it the potatoes and saute well.
• Increase flame to high and let the parwals turn slightly pink.
• Lower the flame again.
• Add the dry masala paste that was made first.
• Bhuno /saute over low flame.
• Add a little more than 1 cup water. Mix well.
• Transfer this into a prestige cooker and give one whistle.
• When prestige cooker gets cool, using the back of kalchul (ladle) press the potaotes lightly, sort of mashing the potatoes.
• This helps to give a good texture or a great body to the dish.
• Transfer into a serving dish and sprinkle freshly chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rice and daal.

Moonga Aloo Sabji

The awesomeness of Bihari Cusine lies in its simplicity and  its preparation using less spices. Mostly all the dishes are prepared by using black-pepper , mustard, cumin and garlic which have their own medicinal properties. The staple food of Bihar is bhat (rice), chana-dal (pulses), chokha (Boiled / mashed vegetable) , tarkaree (gravy vegetable), papad and pickle - mainly of  red-chilly (lal-mirch) or mango and coriander chutney. 

Since there is no availability of Bihari cusine books I thought I should put up some recipes for the Bihari cusine lovers. One must try hands on the Bihari cusine and see the remarkable difference of taste from the routine dishes. Its going to be a gastronimical delight for all the food lovers. 

Today am presenting dish with gravy for our daily lunch menu as having the same routined stuff becomes monotonous. Its made from fresh tender drumsticks popularly known as "Sahjan ki Falli" or "Moonga". With the onset of Spring, drumstick flowers start blooming on the trees and by February one sees small tender noodles like drumsticks hanging on the trees , its the time to relish this tender vegetables which can be fully eaten without the plate being messed up. Usually in South Indian homes its used for Sambhar or Rasam. This dish prepared with potatoes gives a delectable taste. Enjoy having it with boiled rice, with or without dal (pulses). For the unique flavour use mustard oil but it would taste equally good using other oils too.

Ingredients - 

Tender Drumsticks - 18-20
Raw potatoes - 2 medium sized

Tomatoes - 2 medium sized

Masala -

Garlic - 10-12 pods

Mustard Powder/Sarso - 1 1/2 tspn
Cumin seeds - 2 tspn
Black Pepper-  7-8
Green Chillies - 4-5
Dried Red Chilly - 1

Mustard oil - 2 tblspn

Turmeric Powder - 1 tspn
Salt - to taste
Garam Masala - a pinch


METHOD -

1. Cut Drumsticks into about 2 inch length wise.
2. Peel and cut potatoes in small cubes.
3. Grind Tomatoes in the mixie.
4. Grind all the ingredients given under "masala"
5. Heat mustard oil to a smoking point in a heavy bottomed karahi.
6. Reduce flame and add potatoes and saute(bhuno) till potatoes turn light pink.
7. Add drumstick pieces and saute again till the oil gets well coated. Do not over-do it otherwise the vitamin contents are lost.
8. In goes the masala and give it a good mix till the raw smell of garlic vanishes.
9. Next, goes in the fresh tomato puree, salt and turmeric, give it a good mix.
10. Add to this water about 2 cups and let it simmer till done.
11. Add pinch of garam masala and give it a boil.
12. Transfer into a serving dish and serve hot with boiled rice.

Bihari Bhindi

In Bihar Okra is mostly prepared as a gravied vegetable and served for lunch or dinner. If the Okra is cooked without water then its called bhindi ki bhujia. Try this Bihari style of Okra where mustard is the predominant flavour. Here is the recipe:-

 

Ingredients

Bhindi(Okhra)- 1/2 kg

Onion- 1 medium chopped finely

Mustard Oil - 4 tbspn

Masala-

Yellow whole mustard (Sarso)- 2 tblspn

Cumin whole (Jeera) 1/4 tspn

Peppercorns (Gol mirchi) 15-20

Red Chillies dried - 3/4

Tomato - 1 medium

Tadka-

Paanch Foran - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

Salt - to taste

 

Garnish

Tomato - 1 small

Green Chillies - 1

Method -

• 
  
  Grind all the ingredients under the "Masala" using very little water.
• 
  
  Cut each bhindi (Okhra) into 3 parts. Slit each part a little bit.
• 
  
  Heat mustard oil to smoking point.
• Add paanchforan and let it crackle.
• Add to it chopped onion. Saute and let it brown.

• 
  
  Add to this Okhra. Saute till browned.
• 
  
  Add in the prepared masala paste.
• 
  
  Add turmeric powder and mix well.
• 
  
  Add salt and mix well. Bhuno (Saute) it well.
• 
  
  Add water about 300 ml.
• 
  
  Cook on low flame till bhindi is cooked well and there is a perfect blend.
• 
  
  Transfer into a serving bowl.
• 
  
  Garnish with slit tomatoes and chilly.
• 
  
  Serve hot with chapati or rice.