Patna: Bihar celebrated its 107th foundation day with great fanfare here on Thursday. Several political leaders and prominent personalities took to social media to extend their greetings on Bihar Diwas.
The celebration marks the day when the British carved out the state from the Bengal presidency on March 22, 1912.
The fest, however, would remain incomplete without mentioning the divine dish that has been winning hearts worldwide and has been instrumental in helping the state receive not just national but global recognition.
Litti-Choka, a famous delicacy from Bihar, needs no introduction and has turned foodies into its fans with the delicious flavour.
This quintessentially Bihari cuisine has made its place on the platter of both rich and poor, and ordinary and extraordinary folks in the past few years.
From Bollywood to Hollywood, the dish has made people go gaga over its taste. Even Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan could not stop gorging on the yummy litti-chokha and did not mind the shutterbugs taking his not-so-perfect pictures during his brief visit to the state capital.
Littis are balls of wheat flour stuffed with sattu (roasted gram powder) and baked over coal or firewood, till the upper crust is hard and is served with spicy chokha.
For chokha, brinjals, tomatoes and potatoes are roasted on fire and then their skin is peeled off. Then everything is mashed together adding a bit of mustard oil, salt, chopped onions and green chillies.
Drizilled with lots of ghee and green chutney, litti-chokha has been a perennial favourite of Bihar's working class. It is sold by street vendors across the state, and even restaurants serve it as part of the menu.
The charm of Bihar's local platter is irresistible as it never fails to satisfy foodies' taste buds at extremely reasonable prices.
