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DARBHAGA FOOD TOUR

 

Situated in the heart of Bihar’s Mithilanchal region, Darbhanga is one of the oldest and heritage rich cities of this north Indian state. Due to the presence of numerous architectural marvels and glorious heritage of arts and music, it is often referred to as the cultural capital of Bihar. This historical city whose prosperity was at the zenith during the rule of Raj Darbhanga, is also renowned for fishes, foxnut, paan and mangoes cultivation. We were there for a day to explore the most popular food. So let’s see what all we ate during this day long food tour. 

We began from Manoj tea stall opposite Bandhan bank. The reticent Manoj Ji had placed a big pot of ghugni on a small table outside the stall. It was served along with either littis or bhunja. We went for the bhunja ghugni combo. It was crisp, spicy, tangy and flavourful. This was followed by a delightful cup of special tea from the same place, which had a little coffee added to it. 

Piyaji Pakoda

Then we walked down the main road and reached Mirzapur to eat at Sardaar Pakodewala. Situated near Gurunanak Singh Sabha Gurdwara, this popular snack point actually doesn’t have a proper name. Here we met the affable and warm Gurmeet ji who spoke about their shop and their signature dish, the pyaji pakoda. It is a unique fritter made with one large onion that was first cut like a blooming lotus flower, then sprinkled with spices and double fried. They served it with chole and chutney. The sweetness and sharpness of the onion complemented the crisp, deep fried besan coating. 

Lassi

 

After that unique pakoda, we reached this amusing place outside of which it was written Hum Lassi Yahin Peete hain. The huge sofas placed inside made it appear like a furniture shop but the lassi counter outside affirmed its actual identity. Those sofas were the part of the fancy seating arrangements inside the shop. So we grabbed a glass of hand churned lassi and went inside to enjoy it slowly. It was rich, creamy and luscious. The topping grainy khoya added to it’s opulence. 

Fish Platter

 

Then we strolled down the adjacent vegetable market, the Kela mandi to reach Suraj Meat House This nondescript eatery is one of the city’s most popular non veg destinations. Darbhanga being a land of fishes, the menu here is dominated by fish dishes. Here we polished off some parboiled rice with rewa fry, sighi curry, jhinga masala and mutton curry. The food was mundane yet memorable. More than the affordable and delicious menu, it was Suraj Ji’s warm and hospitable persona that was a crowd puller.

As we headed further in search of more flavours, we spotted an old man selling Balushahi. This traditional sweet native to Runni Saiyadpur in Sitamarhi Bihar was a syrup laden, cooked ball of chena. Ram kishore Ji, the vendor procures it daily from the above mentioned place and sells it over here at Barabazar. 

Chote Samose

We then took a paan break and moved on to try small samosas from the famous Jagdish Samosewale near Poonam Cinema Hall. But since the place was closed, we had it from Ravi Kumar Samose Wala. The bite sized samosa served with kadhi and onions made for a hearty snack. Ravi ji was such a humble soul who spoke about his journey in brief. 

Sev Nimki

From there we reached station road to check out an old snack shop named Sri Chakradhari Bhojanalaya, whose dalmoth, sev and nimki were a favourite at Anubhav’ maternal grandparents house. But unfortunately we realized that its glory has drastically faded and now it is barely surviving with limited fares. 

Chena Jalebi

 

With a deep sense of longing we took an auto ride to our last destination Sweet Home Sweet shop Laheriasarai. At this Bengali shop we tried orange, raskadam and chhena jalebi. We also visited their sweet making facility. 

This was a gratifying tour where not only did we stuff ourselves with tasty food but also garnered some lovely inspirations from the vendors. 

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GAYA FOOD TOUR

 

The ancient holy city of Gaya in Bihar, referred to as the land of enlightenment and salvation, is a sacred place for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain devotees alike. Mostly frequented by a large number of tourists and pilgrims, Bihar’s second largest city, boasts of a vibrant street food scenario dominated by traditional fares that are loved by the locals too. So let’s take you on an immersive food tour of Gaya. 

Mahabodhi Temple

 

Before starting with our eating spree we first visited the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, one of the major Buddhist worship sites in the world. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the place where Lord Buddha had attained Enlightenment. The sprawling premises were full of monks and devotees from different parts of the world who have arrived here to seek divine blessings.

Rice Noodles

On emerging from the temple complex, we noticed a few food stalls and vendors, primarily selling Tibetan fares. Here we bought some fresh phaley bread from one of the numerous ladies selling it on the roadside, headed to Three Dolma Noodles Shop and ordered some hearty rice noodles. It was fun eating the noodles in the company of a group of monks visiting from Southern India. The phaley bread went well with tea and as well as the rice noodles soup broth. 

Bihari Thali

Soon we then set out for Gaya and on reaching there we first offered our prayers at the famous Vishnupada temple and then began our food tour. The first stop was Rajasthani Bhojnalaya on South Church Road. As the name suggests their menu was a mix of popular Rajasthani and Bihari fares. Their no onion garlic Bihari thali containing rice, karela aloo fry, aloo rajma, dal, kadhi pakoda, spinach moong, dahi, matar paneer, makhuni etc. impressed us with its homely taste and affordability. Of these, the ghee smeared makhuni i.e sattu stuffed baked flatbread was brilliant. 

Paneer Palak Chaat

The second destination was Kesari Chaat, a family run chat centre at Dr. Haridas Chatterjee Road, Durga Bari. Their spicy, tangy and flavourful palak paneer chaat is the talk of the town. It is a well balanced pot pourri of paneer pakoda, palak sooji pakoda, chole, curd and chutneys, sev etc. This was followed by an equally brilliant aloo malpua, a syrup lagen dessert made with potatoes. 

 

While heading to the next stop, we stopped by an open tea stall at Tower Chowk and energized ourselves with a cup of spiced lemon tea. 

Imarti

Next was the turn of a humongous imarti from Sri Ganinnath Imarti Bhandar, KP Road, Chowk which is probably the best imarti shop in the city. The deliciously crisp, syrup laden ornate orangish loop is made with urad dal based batter. They make them of different weights. Ours one weighed half a kilo in weight which is equivalent to seventeen smaller imartis. The combined aroma of ghee, urad dal and sugar syrup was just divine. 

 

We then took a paan break at Mathura Paan shop at KP Chowk Road. The classic Maghai Paan cleansed our palate and primed it for more food. Here we got a crash course on different varieties of suparis like the dry ones, soaked ones, nirmali, processed and roasted ones. 

Tilkut

Finally was the turn of Gaya’s most renowned, winter special sweet called Tilkut which is made with just sugar and sesame seeds. The preparation entails a lot of muscle work and is quite elaborate. At Jauhar Ji’s shop Ramna road we got the opportunity to witness the complex and laborious process of making these Tilkuts. It is fascinating to see so many people engaged in this elaborate task. We loved the pleasantly sweet and nutty taste of this firm Tilkuts. They were so amazing that we even got some of them packed. 

 

As the food tour kept extending with local inputs, we took another tea break at Mahasay tea stall at Tekari Road to energise ourselves for the upcoming stops. The amusing thing we noted here was the measuring cup that was used to measure out the tea. Locally called napna, it was essentially a bigger measuring cup that was dented from different sides in order to hold the stipulated amount of tea. 

Aloo Kachalu

This was followed by a lip smacking serving of aloo kachalu from Bablu Ji aloo Kachalu wale. It was a spicy and tangy mix of boiled potatoes that has been mixed with some spices that served in a leaf plate. It is one of those quick and pocket friendly snacks that Anubhav grew up eating. Bablu Ji’s wisdom with spices and the other ingredients he deals with is so strong that when Anubhav found the thing spicy, he whipped up a solution with some spices and tamarind flavoured water and added it to the mixture and it’s spiciness vanished. While walking ahead we came across nimkis being fried fresh, hence we pop some to see how it tasted. 

Anarsa

Our penultimate stop was Jai Shree Ram Tilkut Bhandaar, near Panch Mukhi Mahadev Mandir. We were there to try a very special Bihari sweet called Anarsa. These ghee fried rice flour based deep fried dough balls fresh out of the kadhai were so delicious. Their kala jamun and samosas caught our attention so we tried them as well. The former is a dark brown coloured deep fried sweet made of khoya whole the later one is the ubiquitous potato stuffed pastry. 

Aloo Dum Chaat

The final destination of this immersive food tour, that spanned for the whole day was Srimani Prasad Chaat Wale in Dhamitola. Both the dish and the vendor selling it were quite fascinating. The robust aloo dum chaat was a potpourri of nearly 4 to 5 curries, chutneys and small snacks. Srimani ji was super amusing too. 

We wrapped up this surfeit food tour that acquainted us with so many wonderful flavours contained in the lanes of Gaya.

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BIHARI MITHAI (SWEETS) TRAIL

During the Bihar Food Trail, our love for sweets led us to go on an impromptu Mithai trail, as we travel to Gaya from Patna in search of food. The mithais available in this stretch were not of any luxuriant kind but are were simple and humble stuff. There were four destinations where we had stopped by to see the mithais being made and try them. This included the towns of Fatua, Dhanarua, Nishalganj and Silao. Let’s see what all did we try and what’s so unique about them. 

Mathke Wali Chai

While driving down the National Highway, the first place that we halted at was a crowded tea stall under the four lane flyover in Fatua called Neha Tea Stall. Our intention was to replenish the spirit with an energizing cup of tea because it had been a while since we have been driving. Interestingly it was not just the usual milky tea but matke wali chai or tea made in a clay pot. The earthy notes from the clay pot lent a unique taste to this well brewed tea. Speaking to the locals we came to know about this sweet from Fatua called mirjai. After gulping down two cups each of this matka wali tea, along with equally yummy peanut encrusted cookies we set out in search of mirjai.

 

A short drive led us to Maharani Chowk in Fatuha. Mirjai is the popular sweet in this region. It is a deep fried sweet snack made from maida, jaggery or sugar and shortening. This disc shaped snack had a firm yet crumbly texture and was fun to have. After a quick chat with the owners of Amit mirjai shop, we headed to our next destination Danarua that is famous for Lai Ke Ladoo. 

Lai Ke Ladoo

A 32 km drive led us to Om Sai Baba Lai Bhandar in Dhanarua that is perhaps the most renowned shop among the numerous lai shops over here. We were lucky to arrive there right at the time when a fresh batch of lai ke ladoos were going to be made. Made with Khoya, sugar and a unique ingredient called khobi dana which was very similar or perhaps is the amaranth seeds, these sweets are light and delicious. The khoya used in it is prepared in the shop itself. A balanced use of cardamom powder also enhanced its deliciousness. They were so good that we got some packed for later consumption. 

Our next destination was this small town called Nischalganj where pedas are a popular thing. The main road in this area is lined with numerous shops selling this traditional sweet made of khoya and sugar. To find out what was so unique about the pedas available over here, we checked into Shiv Shankar Ji shop. At one corner the khoya was being cooked and at the front part fresh balls of pedas were being rolled out from a freshly prepared khoya based dough. The soft, dense and delicate pedas were yummy indeed. 

Silao Ka Khaja

From there we resumed our journey for Silao, a town famous for the sweet treat called khaja. This classic stuff, that Silao is renowned for is a super delicate, multi layered deep fried puff pastry. This place too is lined up with khaja stores but the most famous one is the old Kali Shah Khaja Shop. The moreish and delicate taste and texture of these khaja are attributed to the air and water of this area. Due to its quintessential fame, it has received the GI tag as well. Silao ka khaja is a must try if you are en route to Gaya.

As we headed to Gaya in search of its popular flavours, we felt enriched and delighted to learn about the unique sweets available across this region. We will see you soon in the next story. Till then keep walking and keep exploring.

 

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PATNA NON VEG FOOD TOUR

The Bihari cuisine has a rich and vibrant non-vegetarian traditions. So let’s take you on a mouthwatering journey featuring some popular non veg flavours from the bustling old streets of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. The locals here are very fond of fishes, chicken and mutton and the style in which they are prepared is very distinct due to the use of some set combinations of spices, that are mostly used in freshly grounded form. With numerous eateries selling tempting non veg delicacies, Patna is undoubtedly a haven for all non veg enthusiasts.

Here one gets to savour both traditional and fusion or innovative dishes, most of which are cooked in mustard oil. So let’s share with you, our gastronomic experience at some of the popular non veg joints that are known for deliciously affordable delicacies. In this quest we are joined by our host Mayank and a few of his friends, who are awesome foodie gang from this city. 

The Meal Spread At Daniyawan Restaurant

So our first stop was Daniyawan Restaurant at Gola Road, Near St. Karen school which is known for its fish based delicacies. It is named after a small block in the Patna district that is popular for the small scale fish farms and rustic fish preparations. We ordered an elaborate spread from the extensive menu full of traditional dishes. It included fried fish starters,  rice, rotis, three different kinds of fish curries, quail and chicken meat curry. The food was outstanding and so was the hospitality and the ambience. Fresh fishes used in cooking lent an extra edge to the culinary experience over here. It’s fascinating to get such amazing menu for such decent pricing. 

 

After that soul satisfying meal, the genial owner of the place took us to Chaurasia Paan Bhandar on Gola road for some refreshing Maghai paan. The special paan got us ready for more food. 

 

From there we went to Blue Moon Rolls at Dheeraj Complex near Boring Road because their Patna style egg rolls are very famous. We truly wanted to check what was so unique about it that most of the roll centers in Delhi have the same name. This humble wrap made of paratha, onion, few spices, chilli sauce and ketchup was so hearty and comforting.

Chusa Litti From Devilal Ji’s Shop

Our next destination was Devilal Ji’s chicken litti shop near Tempo stand, Kankarbagh. The swarm of people at the eatery jostling with each other to get their order, just blew our minds. It was the tell tale sign of its popularity. We squeezed some conversation with the super busy Devilalji before polishing off a plateful of scrumptious chuza litti. It is an innovative combo of littis and robust flavourful chicken curry. Every bite was a divine experience. 

Mahngu Hotel’s Bihari Kebab

 

The last destination of this food tour which was clearly an exercise of gluttony was the century old, iconic Manghu hotel Machua toli. We were there to try the unique Bihari Kabab, Keema goli and mutton curry. The Bihari Kabab was indeed a prized revelation. The no frills, unique cooking technique and the century old expertise resulted in a humble looking delicacy that amazes you with its flavours and textures. 

We witnessed the folding of the marinated meat strips onto the skewers which then was grilled under an expert watch. Grilling it was no cakewalk and it involved deep wisdom about the temperature of the flame and it’s effect. Furthermore the soft and meaty mutton keema goli that had sattu in it and the traditional thick and rich mutton curry were equally delectable. Just like the locals, we tried all of them with murmura or puffed rice. They were so good that their cogent memories still makes us salivate. 

We ended the food tour with a paan that is believed to aid digestion and after all that heavy protein rich stuff that we had savoured in this gratifying exploration we truly needed some help for digestion. We thank Mayank for acquainting us with the phenomenal mustard dominant non veg delicacies in Patna. Till next time keep walking and keep exploring.

 

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PATNA CITY FOOD WALK

 

 

Patna City is a small neighbourhood in the capital that is full of stories from the past. It is the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth guru of the Sikhs. Moreover it is home to one of the most sacred gurudwaras in the country named Patna Sahib Gurudwara or Takht Harmandir Sahib and so it is of great significance to the Sikh community. During our Bihar Food Journey, we had stopped by at this place for a brief food exploration to discover it’s prominent and popular flavours. Let’s tell you what all did we tried.

 

Before starting our food tour, we visited the holy and peaceful precinct of Patna Sahib gurudwara to seek the divine blessing. After offering our prayers we headed to the langar hall where preparation for the daily community meal was underway. A team of assigned cooks and volunteers who are devotees themselves were engrossed in different tasks like cutting of vegetables, making rotis, washing and arranging the utensils etc. This voluntary service carried out in any sphere, with deep devotion for the guru and love for the brethren is called seva. Here we first partook the kada prasad and then relished the humble yet delicious meal of dal and roti at the langar hall. This eating service is open to all irrespective of religion, caste or any background. The common rule is that one needs to sit down on the floor in rows with all other devotees and eat the meal. It was quite a surreal experience.

 

We hit the street to try the stuffs that defines the food scene of this place. First we got some kachori and ghugni from Nandu Lal kachori shop in Sabzi Bazar Chowk. The combination of crisp, small-sized sattu stuffed kachoris with an equally amazing kala chana sabzi, locally called ghugni was brilliant. This shop has been around for 100 years. No wonder their deep fried treats is phenomenal. Apart from the taste what’s laudable is the pricing which is quite reasonable. We also tried some crisp fritters made with khesari dal. The kick of garlic and chilli made them a fun treat.  

 

While heading to our next destination we took a short tea break. The tea at this tiny makeshift stall was very impressive. 

 

After that energy shot we arrived at Manish Kumar Aloo Puri wale opposite the Marwari school to have aloo puri with aloo dum. Yes this again is a much loved street food in the locality. The sight of the crisp and puffy aloo stuffed puris served with a ladle of aloo dum made us restless. As we got our plate, from the very first morsel we realised why this place is such a hit with the locals especially for breakfast.

 

This thumbs up combo was followed by a crisp and juicy Imarti from Vinod ji Imarti wale at Gulzari Bagh. This traditional sweet is an ornate loop of deep fried urad dal batter that is filled with thick sugar syrup. Urad dal adds more a body to the taste and texture of these Imartis. If you ever feel like trying it, always go for the fresh and hot Imartis. 

As we walked ahead we came across a Lathkto seller in Sabzi Bazar. These are jaggery coated deep fried sweet treats made with maida. They were firm yet somewhat addictive because you can never go wrong with stuffs that is fried, sweet and has maida. The cart also had few other traditional treats made with jaggery and puffed or flattened rice. 

We then tried some ubiquitous samosa from the renowned Tandon Ji Ke Samose shop in Sabzi bazar. The taste was much familiar to the ones that are available in Bengal. Along with a great crust it had a humble yet lip smacking potato filling, it had a distinct charm of its own due to the Panch Phoran or five spice mix based flavouring. 

Our penultimate eating destination was  Suraj and Mahadev Gupta Sweets in Kachori Gali. It is an old sweet shop that is known for its pure milk and ghee based sweets. Our pick from the wide variety of traditional sweets included dahi, khurchan, peda and gajar burfi. Among them the khurchan was a simply a piece of art. It was a stack of pure malai layers that were lined with bhura and cardamom powder. The sweet and rich taste elated the milk lover in us. The peda and gajar burfi too were quite good. 

Finally we ended the food tour with some ber which is a highly nutritious tropical fruit native to this state. The food journey in these sleepy and holy lanes of Patna city stirred up some divine emotions that we carried back with us.