‘Bhogali Bihu’ or ‘Magh Bihu’ – the harvest festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Assam. It is the time for people of the State to make merry, go for community fishing, partake in different kinds of games, sing songs and eat good food. ‘Bhogali Bihu’ is all about food, fire and festivity.
Here are 5 popular ‘Bhogali Bihu’ special recipes that you must try:
1. Til Pitha: This cylindrical-shaped sweet delight is a must-have on Magh Bihu. It is made from a local rice variety known as glutinous rice which has opaque grains and becomes sticky when cooked. The rice is soaked, strained and dried nicely for a couple of hours and turned into a fine powder using a grinder. Roasted black ’til’ (sesame) are then ground coarsely and mixed with jaggery to be used as a stuffing in ‘Til Pitha’. Rice powder is spread evenly in round shape over a heated tawa and the mixture of ’til’ and jaggery is spread over it. The rice powder after getting cooked can be rolled with the help of a knife or back of a spoon. This is how the delectable ‘Til Pithas’ are made.
2. Narikolor Laru: The Assamese version of coconut balls or ‘nariyal laddoo’ has a very simple recipe that can be made with minimum ingredients. Grated coconut is mixed with sugar and kept aside for around half-n-hour. The mix is then cooked on low flame for around 25 minutes and transferred to the plate. It is then rolled into small balls.
3. Poka Mithoi: Heat the pan and add 2.5 cups of rice flour to it and stir well. Add black cumin 1/2tbsp and keep stirring. Add 1/2 tbsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder and stir. Remove from flame and keep aside for 10 minutes. Heat a wok and add two cups of jaggery, add 1/2 cup water, stir it continuously till 1 string consistency. Add jaggery syrup to rice flour and mix well. Make round balls.
4. Masor Tenga (Sour Fish Curry): One of the most loved Assamese dishes, ‘Masor Tenga’ is a tangy fish curry made with fresh fish like ‘Rohu’ or ‘Katla’, cooked with tomatoes, lemon, and sometimes with the traditional Assamese ‘kothal’ (elephant apple).This sour dish is light, refreshing, and perfect to balance out the richer foods served during Bhogali Bihu.
5. Duck curry with ash gourd: A yummy, healthy and satisfying dish for the winter season is duck curry with ash gourd. To prepare this yummy recipe, heat oil in a pan, fry onions till golden brown, add ginger garlic paste, bay leaf, green and red chillies, salt, black pepper, cumin and turmeric. Add duck meat along with potatoes and ash gourd. Stir it thoroughly. Add water, cover and let it cook. Serve hot with rice.
