• This article tells about and gives recipes of five delicious Bihu festival preparations.  

Bihu is the main festival of Assam. Along with being the most important festival, it can also be considered as one of the most pleasurable festivals of the state. One of the main reasons for it being so enjoyable is the variety of food prepared during festival days.

This article is specially prepared to help you to recognize some of the most delicious Bihu festival recipes of Assam state.

We believe you are going to fall in love with them all. So, let’s dive straight in.

Mohor Doi Aru Chira Jolpaan

Typically, ‘Mohor Doi Aru Chira Jolpaan’ is the Assamese name of this food item. If I tell you, then here 'Mohor Doi' means ‘Buffalo Yogurt’ and ‘Chira’ means a variety of ‘Flattered Rice’.

During Bihu day’s people of Assam eat this food, mixing together with Buffalo yogurt, Flattered rice, and Jaggery. They call this combination ‘Jolpaan’. 

Assamese people celebrate a total of three Bihu festivals (Bohag, Kati and Magh). They eat this food during all three Bihu festival days.

Some Assamese admit that unless they eat this preparation the Bihu festival is complete.  So you can imagine how popular this food is.

Til Pitha

I need not explain how important Pitha is in Assamese food culture. Though it was once a part of Bengali culture but nowadays it is a significant part of Assamese cultural identity.

There are a lot of varieties within Pitha itself. One of the popular varieties is Til Pitha. So what is Til Pitha and how is it made?

Actually, it is made with a mixture of three ingredients. One is rice flour, two is sesame seeds and three is jaggery.

However, before cooking the two ingredients, grounded sesame seeds and Jaggery, are mixed very well with each other. First of all, rice flour is spread in a round shape on a round pan. After some time, around 30-60 seconds, the mixture of Jaggery and sesame seeds spared over it in a line. Now it is ready to get rolled after this process.

Just make the roll and that’s all; this is the simple procedure of cooking Til Pitha recipe. This snack is quite crunchy and fits very well with morning and afternoon tea.

Some other popular Pitha varieties are Tel Pitha, Ghila Pitha, Hutuli Pitha, Nangol Dhua Pitha and Kesa Pitha, etc.

Narikolor Laru or Coconut Balls

Some desserts bring smiles and make us feel happy. One such dessert is Narikolor Laru dish. Its English name is ‘Coconut Balls’.

Cooked with two ingredients grounded coconut, and sugar; Narikolor Laru is one of the sweetest recipes among all, prepared in the Bihu festivals. Especially in Magh Bihu days, Assamese housewives make it for their visiting guests.

How does one make it? Here is a simple procedure.

All you need is a mashed cocoanut (only white), and some sugar. If you wish to add some flavor add elaichi.

To make it, first the grounded coconut has to be heated in a round pan (for around 10-15 minutes in medium flame). Next, add sugar and mix very well.

After doing these simple steps now it’s almost ready to make coconut balls. Make Laru’s or balls and let them come into room temperature. Now, it is ready to eat.

Poka Mithoi

Earlier in traditional Assamese society, ‘Poka Mithoi’ was specially made only during Janmashtami. Nowadays, it is also made during the Bihu festival too. 

Like Narikolor Laru, Poka Mithoi is also a type of Laddu. The only difference is that instead of coconut, rice flour is used here and on the other hand, Jaggery is used instead of sugar.

Here is the simple step by step process to Poka Mithoi. Necessary ingredients are Rice flour, Jaggery, Butter (optional, your choice), Cardamom (Elaichi) is optional to improve flaour. 

First, you have to melt well the Jaggery in a pot. This step is necessary because it will not mix well with the flour until it melts completely.

After melting the Jaggery properly, now you can add rice flour and some butter here (butter makes it further tastier).

After mixing these ingredients well, it is time to prepare Poka Mithoi’s from there. 

But please one thing remembers; make the Laddu’s from the mixture while it remaining hot; because after cooling, it becomes very difficult to make Mithoi’s from it.

Tel Pitha

The love of Assamese people for Pitha can be seen through this ‘Tel Pitha’ recipe. Tel Pitha is the second most liked and respected preparation after Til Pitha.

The cooking process for these two is quite different. ‘Til Pitha’ is baked without using any oil. Conversely, Tel Pitha is cooked through frying in deep mustard oil.

Here is the simple step by step process. Necessary ingredients are Rice flour (1kg), Jaggery (200 Gram) and Freshwater. Refined mustard oil and butter. 

To make this dish, dough the rice flour using some water and Jaggery. If preferred, mix butter along with them. After doing that now make some flat round shape tikki’s from the mixture. And then put a pan and pour mustard oil there. Use a little more oil that the tikki’s can dipped there easily. After the oil gets hot, put those tikki’s one by one. Fry them 5 to 7 minutes in high flame.

Now, they are almost ready. Take them off from the pan and let them come into room temperature. That’s it. Your Pitha’s are ready to eat. 

Now it is Your Turn 

During Bihu seasons, many other popular foods are also made in Assamese society. From my point of view, these five have special reverences because of I am Assamese.  I hope you enjoyed this article. Are you ready to make and eat them? Do mail me when you are going to try. Best Wishes.