Mumbai Food: Bhojpuri bride talks about her culinary journey

One of the first things that drew chef Pallavi Nigam Sahay to Bhojpuri cuisine were the quirky names of the dishes Sahay who only got introduced to the cuisine after she married into a Bihari family says I found the names wonderful and sometimes funny I hadnt heard of Dhuska Peetha Papra and Khaja It was during the time that her wedding date was getting fixed that she realised the treasure trove that Bihari cuisine wasPallavi Nigam In fact they are so serious about their food that they change wedding dates to suit their taste buds as per the flavour of the season My wedding ceremony for instance was moved from Tuesday to Friday so that guests could savour nonvegetarian dishes as well Her fascination for the cuisine has found expression in her new book The Bhojpuri Kitchen which features not just the recipes but also stories behind them Bhojpuri cuisine is not covered well in popular media I want the book to put the spotlight on Bihari khana Sahay saysBeing a chef warming up to a new cuisine came easily to her Although I must say learning how to make the parwal ki mithai and the khaja was tough But I had the best teachers in the bhabhis and chachis of the family says the chef who has culinary diploma from Italy Ask her to pick her favourites and she names the kachhe kele ke bhujia machli ka sarsowala jhor and the sinfully indulgent Halwai style mutton Bihari curries are usually soupy and much healthier as they dont contain any cream or butter And unlike in other cuisines sattu is liberally used mdash they are a staple in any Bhojpuri kitchen Sahay addsThekuaSweet Wheat Flour FrittersIf I ever want to be thoroughly pampered by my family then all I have to do is make Thekuas Sweet crumbly and crisp thekua is one of the most important dishes in Bhojpuri cuisine quite like the legendary Litti Chokha Wheat Flour Balls Stuffed with Roasted Gram Flour and Served with a Spicy Potato Mash Thekua is mandatory for almost every festival or special occasion in the region but in my house you can always find them in cookie jars for I prefer them over other cookies with my morning tea Also for a healthier option you can bake them instead ofdeepfryingServes 56Preparation time 15 minutesCooking time 15 minutesIngredientsFor the doughWater 1 cupJaggery gud broken into small pieces 250 gWhole wheat flour atta 400 gDesiccated coconut 150 gGreen cardamom pods coarsely crushed 78Fennel seeds saunf 2 tspGhee 4 tbspFor frying the thekuasOil to deepfryMethodTo knead the doughgt Put the water and jaggery in a pan over high heat and bring to a boil Keep stirring till the jaggery is totally dissolvedgt Sift the flour on to a large deep plate Add the remaining ingredients for the dough and give it a good mix with your handsgt Knead it into a stiff dough with the help of the jaggery waterTo shape the thekuasgt Make balls with the dough about the size of golf ballsgt If using a thekua mould flatten them on top of the mould and press it gently so that it can get the required impressionsgt If not using a mould flatten them slightly with your hands and then use a fork to draw straight or zigzag lines on topTo fry the thekuasgt Put the oil in a wok over moderate heatgt Lower the heat and deepfry the thekua in batches till light browngt Drain and place on kitchen towels to absorb excess oilParwal Ki MithaiSweetened StuffedPointed GourdSo here we were in Patliputra Colony Patna enjoying Shanu Bhaiyyas wedding a typical day with everyone chattering singing and enjoying delicious traditional wedding snacks Then suddenly someone served me Parwal ki Mithai and my jaw literally dropped I was blown away instantly Until then I could only imagine it as a vegetable never as a dessertServes 5Preparation time 15 minutesCooking time 30 minutesIngredientsParwal pointed gourd 250 gFor the chashni sugar syrupGranulated sugar 2 cupsWater 1 cupFor the stuffingMilk solids khoya mawa 100 gMilk powder 25 gPowdered green cardamom frac14 tspSeedless raisins fewAlmonds finely chopped 3 tbspMethodTo prepare the gourdsgt Clean the gourds chop off both ends and peel themgt Make a slit along the centre of the gourds and scoop out the flesh to make space for the fillinggt Boil water in a pan over high heat and blanch the gourds for 56 minutesgt Drain thoroughly and leave them in a colander till the water has totally drained offTo prepare the chashni sugar syrupgt Put the sugar and water in a deep heavybased pan Simmer while stirring occasionally till the sugar is completely dissolvedgt Continue cooking for about 10 minutes without stirring till the syrup reduces Your chashni is now readyTo poach the gourdsgt Add the blanched gourds to the syrup and simmer till they become translucentgt Remove from heat cover the pan and set aside for the gourds to absorb the syrupTo make the fillinggt Put the khoya in a shallow pan over low heat and saute till it becomes slightly goldengt Transfer to a bowl and set asidegt Add the remaining ingredients for the filling and mix wellTo complete the dishgt Remove the gourds from the syrup and stuff them with the fillingExcerpted with permission from Westland