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.

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.

Litti

Litti is one of the most famous Snack or Meal (as well) in Bihar. In Mithila during winter it is quite famous, especially when winter is at its peak. The most famous combination is Litti-Chokha (of Egg-plant). This is a low calorie, high-fibre meal for those calorie conscious people.

Ingredients

For Dough

1. Wheat Flour (Atta) - 2 Cup
2. Water - 1/2 Cup
3. Salt - 1/2 Tea spoon.

For Filling

1. Sattu - 1 Cup (Gram baked in Sand and powdered)
2. Garlic(Chopped) - 4 Cloves
3. Ginger(Chopped) - 1 Tbl spoon
4. Green Chilies (Chopped) - 2
5. Coriander Leaves (Chopped) - 2 Tbl spoon
6. Onion Seeds (Mangarella) - 1/2 Tea spoon
7. Thyme (Ajwain) - 1/2 Tea spoon
8. Lemon juice - 2-3 Tea spoon
9. Pickle Masala (Chilli pickle is the best) - 3 Tea spoon
10. Mustard oil - 2 Tbl Spoon
11. Salt to taste so that the Sattu mix is not Salty.

Method

1. Mix all the filling ingredients with Sattu. Start with dry mixing all the herbs and spices with Sattu.
2. Add 1/4 cup water to make the stuffing moist and easy to fill. Keep aside.
3. Mix flour with water knead it into stiff dough. Add pinch of salt to add to the taste.
4. Make balls out of dough of approx 3" diameter in size with hand.
5. Stuff 2 to 3 teaspoon sattu filling in the center of each balls and wrap it from all sides. Ensure that there are no holes or gaps etc and the flour is covering the sattu filling properly.
6. When all the littis are stuffed, pre-heat the oven to 375 F and put all the littis on a foil .
7. Bake till one side is brown and black spots come on the litti surface.
   
8. Turn over the litti and bake for few more minutes until that side is brown as well.
9. Take out and dip in pure ghee or butter and serve with baigan (Egg-Plant) ka bharta.
10. Serve while hot.
    

One variation of this could be using Egg-Plant and Tomato ka Chokha instead of Egg-Plant bharta (Chokha).

Khajuri (Thekua)

Introduction:
Thekua or Khajur as it is known in mithla is one of the traditional sweet items in our homes. Be Teej or Jitiya this is a mandatory item cooked at home. While there are many variations of this is found in homes, like crispy, soft, big, small etc. But the cooking method is more or less same wherever we go. Mithila is known for sweet items and maithils are sweet lovers so the first dish on this site is sweet item.


Ingredients:
Maida 500gms.
Suji 500gms.
Sugar 500gms.
Milk 250gms.
Ghee 100gms.
Chuhara 50gms.
Elaichi powder 20gms.
Dry coconut 50gms.
Raisins (kismis) 50gms.
Saunf 20gms.
Ghee for deep frying 500gms


Procedure:

1. Cut all the dry fruits into very small pieces.
2. Mix all the items including milk and ghee in a bowl and spray water in small Amount. Mixture should be a little hard. (mixture should not stick to your hands.)
3. Make pieces off the size off cookies with your hand.
4. Put a pan on the gas stove. Put ghee in it. Let it be heated for some time.
5. Deep fry the cookies until they turn brownish in color.
6. Take out the cookies from the pan. Now your snack is ready.

It can be preserved for about fifteen days if you keep it in an airtight container.