After an over-dose of the usual food festivals, the moment I heard about a Bihari Food Festival I knew that this would break that monotony. The setting couldn’t be any grander than the ever so beautiful Ohri’s Tansen Hyderabad. For most of us, the Bihari cuisine starts and ends at Litti Chokha. So, I was very curious to see what could they conjure up to build a whole food festival. And that is where Chef Amey Marathe comes in. Using his growing up memories and knowledge from Bihar, he decided to bring it onto a table in Hyderabad along with the usual Tansen Menu.

Bihari Food cannot start without talking about Sattu or Fried Gram Flour. Sattu is to Bihari cuisine what Aalu is to Bengali, it can be used-added-mixed with anything and in any course. It’s got so many benefits and also tastes good, so more the merrier. But you have been warned!

Bihari Food Festival at Ohri’s Tansen Hyderabad

To set things rolling, we had a thandai served right up. But then this is the Sattu Ki Thandai, which will shatter all your thandai knowledge. Topped with onions and Sattu mixed with spices inside, this is a thick and savory thandai. A closer relative for this would be pani-puri water, but denser. More than a welcome drink, this would qualify as a knock-out drink.

Starters for Tansen Hyderabad Menu –

The appetizers or snacks came in next and the Nimki caught my eye. It looked like a bigger version of what we call ‘mathari’ in Punjabi. This is the Bihari version made of flour and deep fried. It was nice and crisp on the outside and a little soft on the inside.

One thing which got me all confused was this momo-esque thing at a Bihari Food Festival. Dal Peetha is a huge favorite in Bihar and it is usually made like a half-moon. But at Tansen Hyderabad, this dal stuffed wheat flour dough was shaped as a momo and then steamed. Being used to the moist momos, this one being drier takes a while to sink in. Not knowing how the authentic ones are made, for first-timers, this one hit the right spots.

Litti Chokha – Bihari Food Festival at Ohri’s Tansen Hyderabad

It was then time for the show-stopper to make an entrance. Litti Chokha has single-handedly taken Bihari cuisine to all parts of India. You can take a Bihari out of Bihar, but you cannot take Litti Chokha away from them. I have had this many times on my trips to Delhi and it has become such a rage there. Comfort food of sorts, the Litti is stuffed with Sattu and then cooked over charcoals. Chokha is a mash of brinjals, potatoes or tomatoes. Topped with ghee, green chutney and onion, this dish goes from simple to top-notch pretty fast. Thank you Tansen Hyderabad for bringing this here.

Main Course – Bihari Food Festival at Ohri’s Tansen Hyderabad

Aloo Dum Bihari style came in a thick gravy which I was told pairs well with Dal Poori. The Bihari food is not spicy per se, but then loaded with Masalas for sure. And I would agree that the Aloo Dum and Dal Poori is a delighful combination.

I had tried the Rajasthani version of Papad Ki Sabzi and I was again confused to see it here. So, raw papad is broken down and then mixed with the semi-dry curry. The papad takes in the flavours and also carries its own distinct taste and texture.

Finally we saw some non-vegetarian food too. The Chicken Haldi Ghati was light and still oozing the masalas. This one went really well with the Methi-Ajwain Paratha.

Having heard so much about their mutton dish on the table, I wanted to try the Bhuna Mutton. More like a dry dish with some amazing aroma and spice mix. They did a good job of taking the masalas to the right state and not leave them under or burnt.

Desserts – Bihari Food Festival at Ohri’s Tansen Hyderabad

Bihari food is very different when it comes to desserts. Most of the items are made only during special occasion hence you cannot point out like 2-3 main things. For the festival, they have gone ahead with Balushahi and Malpua. Both served with some decadent Rabri.

Overall it was a brilliant experience to be able to savour Bihari Cuisine in Hyderabad. More like learning on the job, where we had like long discussions after every dish. Such hidden and aloof cuisines show us how little do we actually know of the Indian foodscape. So if you are looking at expanding your food knowledge and try something different, this festival is not to be missed!

Location – Ohri’s Tansen Hyderabad