Bhojpuri Thali | Bihari Thali

Bharbhara ( Channa Pakoda)

A very famous pakoda from bhojpuri cuisine but the shape is generally flat circle for this pakoda/ Bhajia. Green gram is used traditionally to make Bharbhara I used green peas for a difference.

Ingredients


Peas -1/2 cup 
Gram flour/ besan – 1/4 cup
Rice powder-2 tbsp
Red chili powder-to taste
Green chili-1-2 No ( Finely chopped)
Onion – 3-4 tbsp ( Finely chopped)
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
Chat masala 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Water as needed to make a Bhajia batter.
Oil for Shallow frying

Methods

• In a bowl mix besan , rice flour, salt , red chilli pd, turmeric,cumin powder, chat masala with water to make a thin batter.
• Add green gram/ blanched peas, chopped onion, green chillies, in to the  batter.
•  Heat oil in kadai/ Pan/ Tawa and slowly pour a little  mixture at a time with deep round shaped spoon and shallow fry till the bhabhra  become golden brown from both sides.
• Serve them hot with chutney and enjoy !!

Sattu Ka Paratha

Ingredients

For dough

Whole wheat flour – 2 cup + 1/2 cup for dusting
Salt to  taste
Water to knead.

For Stuffing

Sattu (Roasted gram flour) – 1 cup
Garlic – 2-3 cloves (Finely chopped)
Coriander leaves – 1 tablespoon
Green chilli – 2-3 Nos ( chopped-adjust to your taste)
Ajwain / Ani seeds – 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp 
Oil – 3-4 tbsp
Salt for taste.

Method

For dough 

• In a bowl add wheat flour salt and mix well.
• Pour little water at a time and knead a soft smooth dough.  Keep it aside.

For stuffing 

• Add sattu, garlic,coriander leaves, green chilli, ajwain,lemon juice, oil, salt and mix them well.
• The mixture might resembe crumbly and when you make a ball it should hold. If you can’t hold the shape of ball the add little more oil but don’t make it a paste.  Make balls and divide the filling to equal parts . 
• Keep the filling aside.

To proceed

•  Divide the dough into equal parts . 
• Roll out the dough like you do for puri. Keep the stuffing ball in between and pinch the dough together covering the filling.I normally take same size stuffing as for dough as we like more stuffing into the parathas.
• Seal the filled dough nicely so that stuffing doesn’t come out while rolling. 
• Now roll the dough again , you can dust some flour if needed.
•  Heat a tawa , cook the  paratha using a little oil, until both sides are golden brown. Serve them hot with curd or chutney. 

Kadhi bhari

Ingredients


For Bari


Besan – 1/2 cup
Red chilly pd – 1/4 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves- 2-3 tbsp
Cumin seed – 1 tsp
Ajwain – 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Water as needed

Note : you can add onion  and greenchillies too for Bari

For Kadhi 

Besan / gram flour- 3 tbsp
Beaten curd(dahi )- 1 cup
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Red chilli pd- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-4 to 5 Nos
Oil/ ghee – 2 tbsp
Asafoetida-pinch of
Salt -to taste

Method

 For dumplings(bari)

• In a bowl add all the ingredients for bari and  mix them to form a thick paste with water.
• Heat a oil in a kadai . pick some batter and drop it in the hot oil as we do for any pakodas.
• Fry them till they are golden from all sides
• Drain the excess oil in a kitchen towel. keep it aside.

For Kadhi

• In bowl Mix curd, turmeric,besan, salt and some water to make thin and churn it and keep aside.
• In a sauce pan heat oil/ ghee add cumin seeds. Asafoetida and mustard seeds, let them splutter.
• Then add curry leaves, red chilli pd and the curd mixture.
• Mix well add water if the mixture is very thick.
• Simmer and boil till the raw smell of besan goes off completely.
• Add the bari/ pakodas with hot kadhi only will serving .
• Serve them Hot with steamed rice.

Ghugni

Ghugni is a very delicious curry which can be made with yellow peas or even with kala chana . Kala chana ghugni is normally paired with dhuska or can just be enjoyed with roti Or you can just enjoy them as is 🙂 with some chopped onions and coriander leaves garnished on top.There are many ways to prepare ghugni you can even grind the onions add it to the gravy but I it this way better. 

Ingredients 

Kala channa(Bengal Gram/ Black chickpeas) – 1 cup (Red chana can also be used)
Oil – 3 tbsp
Onions (chopped) – 2 nos
Tomato ( Chopped) – 1 No
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds(jeera) – 1 tsp
Green chili (Slit )- 2-3 Nos
Coriander powder – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 /2 tsp
Red chili powder –  1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

• Soak the kala channa over night and add little salt , pressure cook them for 2 whistles or till they cook but not mushy.
• Drain the water and keep the channa a side.
• In a pan add oil  cumin seeds , after they splutter add onion and ginger garlic paste and saute them till the onion turn translucent.
• Add the slit green chillies and saute them.
• Add chopped  Tomato and saute them till they turn mushy .
• Add red chilli pd, coriander pd, turmeric pd , salt ( Remember there is salt in channa too) and saute for few seconds.
• Now add the boiled kale channa and mix them well.
• Add water to make it to a gravy consistency and boil till the gravy thicken a bit.
• Serve hot ghugni with rice or rotior enjoy them as is..

Besan ki sabji / Besan Ki Machhli

Besan Ki sabji is a delicious curry  which is another delicous bhojpuri specialty. The people there think thats it taste same as a fish curry and call this as Besan ki machhli too some times . 

Ingredients

Gram Flour (besan)-1/2  cup
Mustard seed -1/2 tsp (paste) – make the mustard paste my adding little water to the mustard seeds.
Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander pd – 1 tsp
Red chili powder- 1 tsp
Mustard oil -2 tbsp
Tomato- 2 chopped
Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp chopped
Fenugreek seed-  1/3 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Green chilly -1 – 2 Nos ( chopped)


Method

• In bowl put gram flour , add salt, pinch of turmeric powder, green chilly and 1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste mix well .
• Add water an make a batter of dosa batter consistency. 
• Heat frying pan or tawa spread a little oil on it.
• Pour about 1 ladle of  batter  add spread them in a circular motion clock wise evenly to make like pancake.
• When one side cooked well , cut them into square if giving horizontal and vertical cuts .
• Grind together, mustard paste, cumin seed, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garlic and make a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in kadai add fenugreek seed , ground masala, tomatoes,and salt .
• Saute them till they all come together and Pour enough about water 2 cups and allow the gravy to boil.
•  Gently put pieces on it, boil for a second, then remove and garnish with and chopped coriander leaves serve hot with plain rice.

Ingredients

Basmati/ Arwa Rice -1/2 cup
Jaggery- 1/2 cup crushed
Cardamom – 1/4 tsp

Method

• Wash rice and soak in water for 15 minutes.
•  In a pan add rice with 1 cup of water and cook till rice is half cooked .
• Add crushed jaggery mix well  and cook till the rice fully.
• Serve this hot with dalpuri and pumpkin curry. 

Tikari or balushahi

Tikari/ Balushahi is the mouth watering desert which very popular among bhojpuries. This dessert is made especially during the festival of Diwali, Teej and Durga Pooja.

Ingredients


All purpose flour /maida- 1 cup
Sugar-1 cup
Curd-1 tbsp
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Water- 1cup
Fennel/saunf -1 tsp ( optional)
Oil or ghee for frying

Method

•  Sieve the flour & baking powder or soda bicarbonate together twice.
•  Add ghee and mix with the flour well till crumbly.
•  Add curd , fennel,  water gradually and knead it to a stiff dough. Cover keep it aside for 30 mins .
• In a sauce pan boil together the sugar and water in a pan
• Prepare a thick sugar syrup.(one string consistency)
• Heat ghee in a pan. and cool to a lukewarm stage. Again keep on a low flame.
• Divide the dough into equal parts and roll them to a ball flatten a bit and using your thumb press it a bit and make a impression. 
• Heat oil in a pan and fry these shaped Tikari to golden brown from both sides.
• Cool them a bit and dip the in sugar syrup and let them stay for 10 mins
•  Decorate it with silver sheets. or just serve them as is.

Sattu Milkshake 

This is an amazing milk shake with a twist which is most popular in Bihar. Its a energy boosting drink with lots of nutrients as sattu is being using in this makes it very different from other milkshakes.

Ingredients

Roasted gram flour (sattu)-2 tbsp
Milk-1 1/2 cups
Rose syrup -2 tbs ( as we are not adding sugar add the rose syrup to sweeten the drink well)
A pinch of cardamom pd
dry fruits-1/2 tbsp ( chopped)
Crushed ice

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl .
• To a blender add ice cubes and the milk mixture.
• Pulse them till everything comes together .
• Sattu makes the milk to a custard like smooth texture.
• Garnish with nuts and serve them chilled.