Mithila Feast In Darbhanga

Maithil cuisine is a culinary style which originated in Mithila, a region in Bihar. It is famous for its Paan, Maach and Makhaan culture. Here the cuisine is characterized by native ingredients and rustic cooking techniques.

Talking about the food traditions of Mithila, we saw that community feasts also called Bhoj is a common thing. Almost every religious ceremony is accompanied by one or more community feasts where people from the locality come together to enjoy lunch or dinner. Food is served on banana or lotus leaves and is eaten by sitting on the ground in rows. During our Bihar food exploration we got the opportunity to attend a Maithli bhoj bhaat in Darbhanga. Let’s see what all things we tried.

Tip: Enroute Darbhnaga from Muzaffarpur, take a pause at Baiju Sweets and treat yourself to some delicious Chura Dahi, a healthy and filling breakfast dish consisting of flattened rice (chura), curd and granulated sugar.

Namkeen Makhan- A simple and healthy traditional snack consisting of salted fox nuts roasted in ghee.

Pochua- A ghee fried sweet pancake that is made with rice flour (or whole wheat flour), water, jaggery (or sugar) and fennel seeds based batter.

Misti Makhan- A tasty and healthy traditional snack consisting of ghee roasted foxnuts mixed with delicious caramelized sugar.

Makhane ki Kheer- Another traditional dessert made with milk, coarsely-pounded ghee roasted foxnuts, sugar and cardamom powder.

Malpua- A delicious traditional sweet made with a thick batter made of maida (all purpose flour), freshly grated coconut, sugar, milk and cardamom powder, a small amount of which is poured in ghee and fried until golden brown.

Bagiya- This traditional sweet treat is a small-sized, somewhat fish-shaped, jaggery-stuffed boiled rice cake.

Chawal ke Aate ki Roti- A thick, griddle-baked flatbread that is made from a rice flour based dough. As the dough has a crumbly texture, this flatbread is rolled out with hands.

Arikanch ke Patte ki Chutney- A spicy and tangy chutney that is made with boiled taro (colocasia) leaves, green chillies, salt, lime juice and mustard oil.

Sajmani- A simple and healthy semi-dry sabzi made with diced bottle gourd cooked in panch phoran (a whole spice blend) flavoured mustard oil along with salt, turmeric and dry-roasted flaxseed powder.

Kadeema- A sweet and mushy dish made with ripe pumpkin pieces cooked in whole red chilies and panch phoran flavoured mustard oil along with turmeric, salt and sugar.

Arikanch Patte Ke Pakode Ka Timan- Tangy and flavourful semi-dry sabzi made with taro (colocasia) leaf fritters cooked in an onion, ginger, garlic, spices and lime juice based gravy.

Adaudi Baigan- A traditional curry made with diced brinjals and deep fried adaudi, cooked in mustard oil along with bay leaves, tomatoes, turmeric, salt etc. Adaudi are small, sun-dried badis made with soaked urad paste.

Lauki Murodi- A simple and healthy sabzi made with diced bottle gourd cooked in panch phoran flavoured mustard oil along with murodi, salt and turmeric. Murodi are sun dried badis made with a radish and urad dal based paste.

Kadi Badi- Savoury, tangy and sweet, this traditional curry is made with small badis (besan pakodas) that are cooked in a besan and aamil (sun dried raw mango pieces) based thin gravy.

Oal ka Chokha- A savoury and tangy mash made with boiled chunks of oal (elephant foot yam), mustard seeds based mango pickle and salt.

Sarso Rohu Machh- A spicy and flavourful fish curry made with deep fried pieces of Rohu fish that are cooked in a mustard seed paste based gravy.

Tilori- These are small and crisp, rice flour or cooked rice based deep fried treats that are usually eaten along with everyday meals.

Tilkor Ke Patte Ka Tarua- Crispy fritters made with cleaned tilkor leaf dipped in a coarsely ground paste of soaked rice and then deep fried in oil until golden brown.

Sakrodi- A traditional drink made with milk, savoury buniya and spices.

Amoth- This unique, sweet and sour sauce-like thing is made with ripe mango pulp based sun-dried fruit leather, that is soaked in water, then pureed and mixed with some seasonings.

Famous for its Paan, Maach and Makhaan culture, the Maithil Bhoj Bhaat is a rustic and authentically traditional form of community feast served in lotus or banana leaves and punctuated by not just delicious food but also a lovely feeling of togetherness by dining together with the whole community.

Catch a glimpse of this unique community feast and the delicious delicacies by clicking below-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFpaivx04R8