By Nandini Bhushan*
From Vat Savitri to Chhath Puja, and from humble litti chokha to the traditional dal pitha, Bihar is blessed with all the flavour and spirit of pomp and splendor. Eddie Kennyson rightly said, “when opportunity presents itself, don’t be afraid to go after it.” In these columns I shall not only be telling something about my native state Bihar through the window of its festival and food, but shall also offer the recipe so that one can try it oneself.
Bihari cuisine, I believe deserves its long overdue credit, as it is one of the most unexplored and under rated food today despite being full of flavours and among the most palatable cuisines. In today’s world of marketing and flamboyance, we seriously need a makeover of the sumptuous Bihari food to find its rightful niche in the gastronomical world. We need to present our recipe to the global audience, and being a food enthusiast myself, it is my humble attempt to present a traditional Bihari food with an interesting variation.
[the_ad_placement id=”content-placement-after-3rd-paragraph”]
Also try: Make yourself Bihari cuisine Part 16: Thekua
Perakia
Perakia — yet another breathtaking festive sweet recipe from the kitchen of Bihar. Each one of us must have a nostalgic memory of the aroma of frying of this customary treat perakia made during the festival of teej . Despite the fact that although it is made in the different regions of the country with diverse names like gujia, karanji, ghugree, perakia is not just one among many but has deeper emotions and associated memories. Try this simple recipe to brighten up your festivals.
Ingredients
Maida : 500 grams
Powdered sugar : 250 grams
Ghee : 4 spoon
Khoya : 250 grams
Cinnamon powder : 1\4 tsp
Cashew nut :8 to 10
Raisin : 7 to 8
Oil : for frying
Step 1
In a kadhai heat one tsp of ghee and fry the dry fruits until they are light golden brown.
Step 2
Drain the dry fruits out and in the same pan bhuno the khoya for a couple of minutes. Turn off the flame. Add the powdered sugar, dry fruits and cardamom powder and give them all a good mix.
Step 3
Knead a firm dough with ghee, maida and water.
Step 4
Divide the dough into equal sized balls and roll them into small puris. Next place a spoon full of khoya stuffing in the center of the puri and fold it into half. Seal the edges and give them shape by twisting the edge from inside.
Step 5
Deep fry the perakia in a medium hot oil until they are crispy and light golden brown.
*Nandini Bhushan is a well-known food blogger
[the_ad_placement id=”sidebar-feed”]
