From Thekua to Pua, explore the rich and festive world of traditional Maithili sweets that are a treat for every occasion.
The Mithila region in Bihar has
a long, illustrative, rich history entailing both literature and food, which reverberates a strong influence from Nepali cuisines. Maithili people, being soft-spoken and recognized for their variety of delicacies, also have a well-bonded love affair with sweet dishes.
The Maithili people have always expressed their special bond with the sweet delicacies they prepare during any religious occasion or community feast. These delicacies do come with colorful and palatable surprises, which are sure to leave you awestruck.
So, let’s just jot down some of the popular and rich Maithili delicacies that we all should try out for a quick jump into the tempting food baskets.
Dahi Chura
Dahi Chura is probably the most common and healthy food prepared in Maithili households and draws religious significance. Dahi Chura has three primary food ingredients: flattened rice, sugar, and a pinch of salt, while others prefer to make this breakfast meal a little bit spicier by adding pickles instead of sugar.
Dahi Chura is traditionally consumed by the Mailithilis during Makar Sankranti and is considered an inseparable part of the festival.
Bagiya- Jaggery Dumplings
Bagiya is a popular rice flour dumpling in the Mithila region that is enjoyed throughout the winter and prepared from a handful of ingredients that are easily available in almost all Indian households. These dumplings are prepared with well-kneaded rice flour and steamed lentils like “moong dal" (green gram), cardamom, cinnamon, and other spices that are blended into a nice sweet mixture using warm liquid jaggery.
These mixtures are stuffed inside a flattened dough and are given an array of shapes like stars or triangle pieces, and cooked inside a pot filled with boiling water. Once done, this traditional mouthwatering dish can be enjoyed with sweet condiments while having a gala night with family and friends.
Parikia- sweet fried patties
Well, to be honest, you simply can’t complete the Maithili “sweet list” if you don’t include Pirikia in it. Pirikias is one of the most delectable gifts to Mithila by the Maithili community, which are enjoyed on almost every festive occasion, and guess what?
These fried patties are munched as a healthy snack while having breakfast or to satisfy your evening cravings. Pirikias are shaped like half-moon or conch shells and are prepared with flour as their base dough. The stuffings are its treasure, which is made up of Khoya (dry cheese), cinnamon, cardamom, plenty of dry fruits, and semolina.
Pirikias are deep-fried patties that can be stored for more than 15 days and munched as an everyday snack with some hot ginger tea.
Maithili foods are symbolic in many ways. They represent the very joyful and simplistic lifestyle of the Maithili community. So if you are planning to visit Mithila, without a second thought, just step into the simplistic Maithili food journey and gorge on the delectable local foods that await to surprise your taste buds.
