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.
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.
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.
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.
