Pirikia ( Sweet patties stuffed with flavored Khoya and deep fried)

Pirikia ( Sweet patties stuffed with flavored Khoya and deep fried)

In mithilnchl Pirikia has got very vital significance. Like Khajas they are also widely used as “Sanesh” (present/gift). They have equal importance in many of the festivities as well in the region . They are as similar as patties with a small difference of not being laminated. The stuffing used for the dish is Khoya (Dry Ricott Cheese mde out of whole milk instead of whey). Khoyas are then flavored with Cardamom, Cinnamon and dry fruits. One can also use the filling of sweetened flavored semolina ( Suji) instead of Khoya.

Pirikias being deep fried and having dry rich filling can be stored for up to 20 days. It can be consumed as a secondary meal may be breakfast or evening snacks.

Ingredients:

Refined Flour: 1 Kg
Sweetened Khoya: 500 Gms
Grated coconut: 150 Gms
Raisins: 50 Gms
Cashew nuts (split n broken): 50 gms
Dates (chopped): 50 Gms.
Cardamom: 5-7 in nos.
Vanaspati : 1 Ltr

Preparation.

Make hard dough of refined flour.
Flavor Khoya with cardamom. Add grated coconut, resins, cashew nuts and dates and mix well.
Take small chunk of dough and roll it thin.
Stuff a spoon of mixture and seal it. You can also give it different fancy shape.
Now deep fry it in vanaspati.
Arrnge it in a “Changera” Basket and present.

Arikonch ke Tarkari (Marinated sun dried Colocasia leaves, steamed and cooked in mustard gravy)

“Arikonch” Colocasia leaves are too common in any maithil house to be prepared a good curry item. In fact it is a kind of shrub that crops up near household premises in villages. Colocasia leaves have two different categories, Normal and Wild. One should be careful enough in choosing the leaves, as the later one gives an itching sensation in the mouth.

One can see the diversity of cooking method in making Arikonch. Marinated leaves are sun dried, steamed/deep fried and finally cooked in the gravy. This is perhaps one of its type dish where different cooking methods are used together.

Ingredients:

Arikonch (Colocsi Leaves) : 6 in nos.
Besan: 100 gms
Mustard seed: 50 gms
Onion: 100 gms
Garlic: 50 gms.
Mustard oil : 50 ml
Red chilly powder. : 15 gms.
Coriander leaves: for garnish
Lime juice: one lime
Tomatoes :Optionl
Salt : as per taste.
Turmeric: 5-7 gms

Preparation:

Wash, clean and trim Arikonch leaves.
Make thick paste of besan without salt.
Apply it over the leaves and stick one leaf over another ( maximum 3 leves)
Now roll it and sundry for 2-3 hrs.
Make smooth paste of mustard seed and chop tomatoes.
Cut onion and crush garlic

Cooking:

Steam the rolled leaves for 20 minutes.
Slice it in roundels.
Heat oil in pan. Add tempering of mustard seed.
Sauté and sweat onion and garlic
Add tomatoes, and cook it for some time followed by mustard paste.
Put water deriving the mixture to thin pouring curry texture.
Lastly put Arikonch slices and bring it to boil.
Finish the dish with lemon juice. Garnish and serve.

Khaja ( Laminated pastry deep fried and dipped in Sugar syrup)

Khaja is a very traditional maithil sweet preparation. They say it being a must in any local function. From Thread ceremony ( Janaayu) to Marriages to Last rites it is a mandate to have Khajas prepared. One can say any function is incomplete with no Khajas incorporated in the menu.

Ingredients:

Refined Flour: 2 kgs.

Moisture (Water): 1.10 Ltrs (55% of the quantity of Flour)

Fat (vanaspati preferably): 2 Ltrs.

Ghee (shortening agent): 1Kg.

One string Sugar cyrup: 3 ltrs.

Preparation:

Make a semi soft dough out of flour and moisture.

Flatten it thin with the help of rolling pin in batches.

Apply a layer of ghee as shortening agent.

Roll it now, cylindrical in shape.

Cut the rolled cylinder widthwise in small chunks.

Shape the chunks by pressing them softly between your palms.

Deep fry till it is crisply done.

Dip the fried chunks in sugar cyrup.

Take it out allow it to dry again.

Araange it in a basket (changera) and present.

Baigan Aaloo aur Adauri ke Milauni.

Baigan Aaloo aur Adauri ke Milauni.

This is one of the lunch time favrouite dish in mithila goes well with bread and rice both. It is a mixed veg preparation with dumplings (Adauri). The compulsory body ingredients of this dish are Brinjal, Potato and Dumplings , however some people add white Raddish, Carrot, Tomatoes, Couli flower etc. a tempering of PanchFodan ( a combination of five spices ie Tori, Jeera, Methi, Mangraila or Kaluanji and Saunf ) adds extra flavour to the final product. All the vegetables are partly cooked separately first then mixed together and brought to boiling point.

Ingredients:

Brinjal: 200 gms.
Potato: 150 gms.
Carrot: 100 gms
Tomato: 50 gm.
R. Oil: 20 ml.
Panch fodan ( Black mustard, Cumin, Fenugreek, Sweet fennel, Nigella) : 3-4 gms.
Coriander Pd: 10 gms.
Garlic paste: 10 gms
Salt : as per taste.
coriander leaves: 10 gms.

Preparation:

Wash and cut the brinjal and tomatoes into dices.
Boil Potatoes with jacket, Peel and break into pieces.
Cut carrot into dices and parboil.
Separately fry dumplings (Adauri) and take them aside.
Chop garlic fine

Cooking:

Heat oil in a pan and add the tempering of Panch fodan. When spices start crackeling add garlic chops and saute .
Put in Coriander Pd and Red chilliy pd ( optional) and fry till the flavour of raw masala goes off.
Add tomatoes and sweat it with a pinch of salt.
Now you can fry brinjals in the masala for a while.
Later put in potato mash and mix it well with the other ingredients. You can also add the boiled carrot and fried dumplings at this stage.
Stir and mix the ingredints well.
Add water and allow it to boil first and then simmer for 10 minutes
Serve hot with a topping of chopped coriander leaves.

Kachri

Kachri

Kachari is counted as one of among the all time favrouite snacks in mithila. The best accompaniment taken with kachri is “Jhilli” ( deep fried thin strings of batter) or some people even prefer Chhura Bhuja along with it. A leisure evening with Kachri is said to be an ideal evening. In totality this is the best snacks that no one would stand disagreed.

Ingredients:

• Onion: 250 gms
• Besan: 200 gms
• Salt : as per taste
• Garlic paste: 20 gms
• Ajwaain: 3-4 gms
• Mustard oil: 400 ml

Preparation:

• Peel, cut and slice onion and separate the flakes।
• Mix it with besan, salt, and ajwaain.
• Put water and make a paste avoiding any lumps in the mixture.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and let it come to the smoke point.
• Put small-small parts of the mixture in the kadhai and deep fry it till golden brown in color.
• Take it out of oil and relish it with Jhilli (deep fried thin strings of batter) or Murhi (rice puffs)

You can also enjoy kachri with Lachha Onion and lemon juice, salt, chilli mixture.