Chhath Puja: A burst of Bihar’s flavours on Delhi streets

Foodies in NCR, visit these five street food spots in NCR to satisfy your cravings for Bihari dishes such litti chokha, thekua and chana ghugni.

Festival time isn’t over for Diwali and Bhai Dooj have made way for Chhath Puja. And just the name of this festival, which primarily includes fasting, especially to those who belong to the Bihar-Jharkhand belt or have friends and colleagues from there, is enough to concoct visuals of feasting treats such as litti chokha, thekua and chana ghugni. Foodies in NCR, if you too are craving for these, then here’s where you must head to savour the ethnic flavours of Bihar:

From Connaught Place to Noida, there are quite a few food stalls spread across the city streets, which serve Bihari specialities.

Litti- Chokha ka ‘asli swaad’

Ram Mohan Kumar sells litti chokha at a stall near Noida Sector 18 Metro Station.

“People come to my stall even from Gurugram, kyunki hamare yahan sattu ki filling karke litti banti hai, jiske taste ka koi match hi nahin hai,” says Ram Mohan Kumar, owner of a stall in Noida’s Atta Market (Sector 18), which operates from 11am to 4pm (or till stock lasts). Kumar adds: “I believe in baking the littis instead of frying them, which makes it healthy. Chhath aate hi, the demand grows so much that I have to hire extra hands for delivery. I don’t believe in delivering this dish via food delivery apps because jisko iska asli swad chahiye woh isey dhundhte dhundhte yahan pahunch hi jayega.”

Ghugni, desi style!

Alok Girdhari, owner of Bihari Ghugni Food Centre at Chittaranjan Park main market, is quite popular among lovers of this regional dish.

“I’ve been in Delhi for 20 years now, and 10 years ago I thought of bringing the taste of Bihar to this city,” shares Alok Girdhari, owner of Bihari Ghugni Food Centre at Chittaranjan Park main market. “Ghugni bahut log kala chana se banate hain. Original, desi-style ghugni jo hoti hai woh hara chana (dried green peas) se hi banti hai. I keep its taste tangy and spicy. Jab Chhath mein puja ke baad vrat kholte hain toh Chhathi Maiya is also offered ghugni. So, the demand for this dish is very high during the festival,” says Girdhari, who hails from Patna.

Thekuas FTW

Mahendra Pal, owner of Banke Bihari Litti Chokha, mans a stall near Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place.

Golden-crunchy thekuas that have a hint of fennel are a favourite among all those who have tried them even once in life. “Jo thekua hum banate hain woh lunch tak hi khatam ho jata hai. Aur Chhath Puja par pehle do ghante mein hi sab pakwan khatam ho jata hai,” says Mahendra Pal, a stall owner outside Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place, sharing that this year he will put up the stall from the second day of the puja, to avoid the rush. “I used to drive an auto rickshaw before setting up this stall. When I came to Delhi from Darbhanga (Bihar), with my father, about 10 years ago, I just couldn’t eat litti chokha or thekua anywhere here because the taste was not authentic at all. So five years later, I decided to put up this stall,” he recalls.

Litti like baked roti

Devendra Kumar Singh's stall Mr Littiwala is in Laxmi Nagar as well as AIIMS.

Adding to litti-chokha’s ever-growing fame is Devendra Kumar Singh aka Mr Littiwala. “We start the day by making 700 littis. By the end of the day, these are all sold out... A decade ago, after having worked in several hotel kitchens for years, I got the idea to bring the cuisine of my state to Delhi. That’s when I put up a stall at Block L, Laxmi Nagar,” shares Singh, owner of the stall, which is open from 11am to 8pm and has a branch near AIIMS. “The littis we prepare are wheat-based and have no added maida, which is why they taste like baked rotis.”

Sweetness of malpuas

Alka Rani, who sells malpuas at a stall near Naraina Vihar Metro Station, shares that she doesn't charge for this sweet treat during the three days of Chhath.

The fragrance of piping hot malpuas, made from a cardamom-infused batter, is enough to lure anyone with a sweet tooth. “Bihari malpuas are among the offerings made to Chhathi Maiya. So, every year I sell these for free during the festival,” shares Alka Rani, owner of Devki Malpua at Naraina Vihar Metro Station. She adds, “I started this stall to support my family after losing my husband to cancer. Today, my kids are working but I continue to run this stall since I feel logon ko khaana khilane se bada sukh koi nahin.”