The Litti Chokha Game
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Bihar’s food game strong with the classic Litti Chokha.
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Bihar, located in the eastern part of India is the is the 13th largest state of India in terms of area. And third largest in terms of population. But in the year 2000 on the 15th of November a new state named Jharkhand was carved out from its territory. In ancient times Bihar was known as the center of education, culture, power. As time progressed by and from around the 1970’s the standards went down and this once illustrious state lagged behind. But in the recent times due to the change in government and new policies things have been looking up. Conditions have started to become better.
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Its bordering states are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Nepal and Jharkhand and they have a visible influence over each other in terms of art and culture, certain aspects of religion, values and last but not the least food. According to research Bihari cuisine is an amalgamation of Bhojpuri, Maithali and Magahi. Due to Buddhist and of course Hindu influences it consists majorly of vegetarians, although non-vegetarians are present in fair numbers. Some of the famous dishes from this state are Litti Chokha, Ghugni, Pitti/Pittha, Choora, Dhuska, Malpua etc. As far as non-veg is concerned the dishes are the usual but the process and a couple of ingredients are different. While there is much more variety to this cuisine than mentioned above, the most popular amongst the lot is Litti Chokha.
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It is said that if a person has a Bihari friend then it is guaranteed that the other person must have had Litti Chokha at least once. It is one of those favoured and trademark dishes of the Bihari’s. Litti Chokha consists of whole wheat balls stuffed with sattu, known as litti and baked/pulped vegetables with spices and onion and mustard oil known as chokha. Sattu is a popular ingredient in the Bihari cuisine and is used right from dishes to drinks (sattu ka sherbet or sattu ka cooler). It is said to be beneficial in summers. Believed to be the crown jewel or highlight of the cuisine, Litti Chokha is available at a couple of places in Delhi but undoubtedly the best place to have it is Potbelly. The restaurant has 2 outlets in Delhi and both offer lip smacking Bihari cuisine, making them the best of the lot. To have my share of it I visited the one located in Bihar Niwas. The moment you step into the outlet it is nothing like those quintessential obvious themed places. It has cool interiors complete with beautifully coordinated multi coloured chairs and sofas. It has beautiful hanging light installations. It is the first commercial eating joint to be opened in a state owned niwas. I ordered the famous litti chokha and believe me it is a complete one man meal and no penny would be wasted. Freshly made the litti’s were served with Aloo and Baingan ka chokha with Chana dal. Satisfying and filling, the experience there was amazing and complete with lip smacking flavours! It is a must visit place for all the foodies!
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Price: - Rs1000 for two people (approximately, taxes excluded)
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Restaurant Name: - The Potbelly, The Potbelly Rooftop Cafe
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Located: - Plot 15, Bihar Niwas, Behind Yashwant Place, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, 116-C, 4th Floor, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi
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Nearest Metro Station: - Race Course (for the chanakyapuri outlet), Green Park (for the shahpurjat outlet)
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Contributed by: - Aditi Arora
