Assamese Delicacies for Magh Bihu

Magh Bihu, or Bhogali Bihu as it is popularly termed, is a harvest celebration of our Assamese community…and organically an apt platform to showcase the State’s rich reservoir of traditional food preparations.

Delicacies include Pitha which is synonymous to Bihu. These are traditional Assamese sweetmeats made from rice flour and local ingredients like coconut, jaggery, sugar etc. Pitha varieties include – Narikol; Til; Tekeli; Ghila; Sunga; Kholasapori; Lau; Kolpat et al.

Magh Bihu

Another seasonal specialty is Laru – which is basically laddu prepared from ingredients like sesame (Til Laru); rice flour (Gura Laru); and coconut, murmura or puffed rice (Muri Laru).

Sandoh Guri, a popular breakfast, is prepared from rice flour and eaten with milk/curd, sweetened with jaggery or sugar. 

Other Bhogali Bihu specials are –

·     Bora Saul (sticky rice): This is grown in Majuli - the world’s largest river island located in the sandbanks of the River Brahmaputra in Assam. The rice is soaked overnight in hot water and consumed the next day. Locals generally consume it with - curd/cream; jaggery; mustard oil; and mashed potato (Aloo Pitika).

·     Jolpan: This is an Assamese Power Meal which normally contains - some forms of rice like roasted and ground rice (Xandoh), flattened (Chira), puffed rice (Muri), Komal Saul or Bora Saul; with general accompaniments like curd or cream and jaggery.

·     Maah Korai: This is prepared with - black sesame seeds, Bora Saul, fried gram or Maah; and is flavoured with some mustard oil, ginger and salt.

So,who’s game to trying out some of the above lip-smacking North-Eastern cuisine on this 16 January…?