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.
Also try: Make yourself Bihari cuisine Part 19: Nimki
Aloo ki Bhujia
Kachori, Bhujia and Jalebi – a breakfast worth getting up for. What better way to kick start a day than the traditional Bihari breakfast of crunchy and fluffy kachori , subtle aloo bhujia along with yummy jalebi.
Although each family has their own recipe of aloo bhujia that pairs up amazingly with paratha, roti or even plain rice and dal, served with mouth watering jalebi, to give it a balance value. This traditional breakfast that was once a favorite wedding breakfast menu, is equally relished even in the modern days of pizzas and burgers. Try it and decide for yourself.
Ingredients
Potato : 3 large
Cumin : 1 tsp
Dried whole red chilli : 4 broken
Onion : 2
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp
Salt : as per taste
Mustard oil : 4 tsp
Step 1
Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut it lengthwise like one cuts for French fries.
Step 2
Heat mustard oil and let it reach the smoking point. Add cumin seed and dried red chilli. Once the tarka splutter add the sliced onion and potato and give them a good mix.
Step 3
Add the turmeric powder and toss them to combine everything together. Let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low medium flame until the potato turns soft and is cooked.
Step 4
Add the salt and cook for further 5 minutes. Once done serve it along with crispy kachori and jalebi.
*Nandini Bhushan is a well-known food blogger
