Local Dishes

1. लिट्टी चोखा

   Lit-ti cho-khaa

   Litti chokha

   Usage

   The signature dish of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh: wheat dough balls stuffed with roasted gram flour and baked over a fire, served with mashed roasted vegetables.

   Grammar Note

   "लिट्टी" and "चोखा" are two dishes but are always ordered as a pair. "चोखा" is also called "भरता".

2. लिट्टी

   Lit-ti

   Litti

   Usage

   A wheat dough ball filled with roasted gram flour and spices and baked over a fire. It is eaten with ghee.

   Grammar Note

   In some areas it is also called "बाटी".

3. चोखा

   Cho-khaa

   Chokha

   Usage

   Roasted aubergine or potato mashed with mustard oil, onion and chilli. It goes with litti.

   Grammar Note

   It means the same as "भरता"; "चोखा" is the local word.

4. भंटा के चोखा

   Bhan-taa ke cho-khaa

   Baingan (aubergine) chokha

   Usage

   Aubergine roasted on a fire, peeled and mashed with salt and mustard oil. It goes with rice or litti.

   Grammar Note

   Aubergine is "भंटा", not Hindi "बैंगन". The word for "of" is "के", not "का".

5. सतुआ

   Sa-tu-aa

   Sattu

   Usage

   Flour ground from roasted chickpeas or barley. It is kneaded with water, salt and mustard oil, or drunk as a cool drink.

   Grammar Note

   Also written "सत्तू"; this card set uses "सतुआ".

6. ठेकुआ

   The-ku-aa

   Thekua

   Usage

   A hard fried sweet of wheat flour and jaggery. It is an essential offering at the Chhath festival.

   Grammar Note

   It is handed out as offering (परसाद) at Chhath.

7. दाल पीठा

   Daal pi-thaa

   Dal pitha

   Usage

   Dumplings of rice dough filled with lentil paste and boiled or steamed. Often made in winter.

   Grammar Note

   "पीठा" is a dumpling made of rice or flour.

8. दाल भात तरकारी

   Daal bhaat tar-kaa-ri

   Dal, rice and vegetables

   Usage

   The basic everyday home meal: lentil soup and rice with a vegetable dish.

   Grammar Note

   "भात" is cooked rice; raw rice is "चाउर".

9. पूड़ी खीर

   Pu-ri khir

   Puri and kheer

   Usage

   A festive pairing of fried bread and sweet rice cooked in milk, served on special days.

   Grammar Note

   "खीर" is a sweet dish of rice, milk and sugar.

10. कचौड़ी

    Ka-chau-ri

    Kachori

    Usage

    A round fried bread stuffed with spiced lentil paste, eaten for breakfast or as a snack with a vegetable curry.

    Grammar Note

    On festive days it is made together with "पूड़ी".

11. खिचड़ी

    Khich-ri

    Khichdi

    Usage

    A simple dish of rice and lentils cooked together. On Makar Sankranti it is eaten and given away.

    Grammar Note

    The festival of that day is itself called "खिचड़ी".

12. कढ़ी बरी

    Ka-rhi ba-ri

    Kadhi bari

    Usage

    A thick yoghurt and gram-flour curry with fried lentil dumplings, served at festive meals.

    Grammar Note

    "बरी" is a small dumpling made of lentil flour.

13. दही चिउड़ा

    Da-hi chi-u-raa

    Dahi chura

    Usage

    Beaten flat rice with yoghurt and jaggery, a light meal eaten at the winter festival.

    Grammar Note

    "चिउड़ा" is flattened rice, also written "चूड़ा"; this card set uses "चिउड़ा".

14. भूजा

    Bhu-jaa

    Bhuja

    Usage

    A light snack of roasted rice, grain or corn, often mixed with mustard oil, onion and chilli.

    Grammar Note

    Also written "भूँजा".

15. समोसा

    Sa-mo-saa

    Samosa

    Usage

    A fried triangular snack stuffed with spiced potato, sold hot at stalls and sweet shops.

    Grammar Note

    Spelled and used as in Hindi.

16. पकौड़ी

    Pa-kau-ri

    Pakauri

    Usage

    A snack of vegetables fried in chickpea-flour batter, a favourite with tea on a rainy day.

    Grammar Note

    Written "पकौड़ी", not Hindi "पकोड़ा".

17. पापड़

    Paa-par

    Papad

    Usage

    A thin wafer of lentil flour, roasted or fried and served alongside a meal.

    Grammar Note

    It appears as a side at festive meals.

18. रायता

    Raay-taa

    Raita

    Usage

    A cool side dish of yoghurt with chopped vegetables, good against spicy food.

    Grammar Note

    Spelled and used as in Hindi.

19. अचार

    A-chaar

    Achar (pickle)

    Usage

    Mango, lemon or chilli preserved in mustard oil and spices, taken in small amounts with a meal.

    Grammar Note

    Spelled and used as in Hindi.

20. चटनी

    Chat-ni

    Chutney

    Usage

    A ground relish of tomato, coriander or garlic, served with litti or snacks.

    Grammar Note

    Spelled and used as in Hindi.

21. चंपारण मीट

    Chan-paa-ran mit

    Champaran meat

    Usage

    A speciality of the Champaran region of Bihar: goat meat slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot. Also called "अहुना" and "हांडी मीट".

    Grammar Note

    It is a meat dish, so check before ordering if you do not eat meat.

22. बखीर

    Ba-khir

    Bakhir

    Usage

    Rice cooked in milk and jaggery. It is eaten during the Chhath festival.

    Grammar Note

    Similar to "खीर", but made with jaggery instead of sugar.

23. खीर

    Khir

    Kheer

    Usage

    Rice slowly cooked in milk and sugar, a must at festive meals and offerings.

    Grammar Note

    Spelled and used as in Hindi.

24. सेवई

    Sev-i

    Sewai

    Usage

    Thin vermicelli cooked sweet in milk and sugar, served at festive meals.

    Grammar Note

    It may be served in place of "खीर".

25. जिलेबी

    Ji-le-bi

    Jalebi

    Usage

    A coil of fried batter soaked in syrup, sold hot at morning stalls.

    Grammar Note

    Also written "जलेबी"; this card set uses "जिलेबी".

26. लिट्टी चोखा कहाँ मिली?

    Lit-ti cho-khaa ka-haan mi-li?

    Where can I get litti chokha?

    Usage

    Used to ask a local where a regional speciality can be eaten.

    Grammar Note

    "मिली" is a future form, "will be had". Composed sentence; a native check is advisable.

27. ई कइसे खाइल जाला?

    I ka-i-se khaa-il jaa-laa?

    How is this eaten?

    Usage

    Asks how to eat a dish you are seeing for the first time.

    Grammar Note

    "खाइल जाला" is the passive "is eaten". Composed sentence; a native check is advisable.

28. ई तीखा बा का?

    I ti-khaa baa kaa?

    Is this spicy?

    Usage

    Asked before ordering when you are worried about chilli heat.

    Grammar Note

    "तीखा" means hot with chilli. Composed sentence; a native check is advisable.

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