Jharkhandi cuisine facts for kids

A map showing where the Indian state of Jharkhand is located.

Jharkhandi cuisine is all about the yummy food from the Indian state of Jharkhand. The main foods people eat there are rice, dal (lentils), and lots of veggies. Meals often have vegetables cooked in different ways, like in curry, fried, roasted, or boiled. You might not find many traditional Jharkhandi dishes in restaurants. But if you visit a village, you could try some unique and delicious foods! Some dishes are mild, meaning they don't have too much oil or spice. But pickles and special festival foods can be quite flavorful!

A typical Jharkhandi rice plate with different foods.

Delicious Foods and Dishes

Jharkhand has many special dishes, often made for festivals or with local ingredients.

Sweet Treats

• Malpua: This is a sweet pancake-like dish. People usually make it during the Holi festival.
• Arsa Roti: This is another sweet dish made for festivals. It uses rice flour and either sugar or jaggery (a type of unrefined sugar).
• Tilkut: Tilkut is a sweet treat made from pounded sesame seeds. It's mixed with a batter of jaggery or melted sugar.
• Dumbu: Dumbu is a yummy rice dessert.

Breads and Snacks

• Chhilka Roti: This is a type of flatbread made from rice flour and dal (lentils). It's often served with chutney, vegetables, or meat.

A close-up of Chhilka Roti.

• Dhooska: Also called dhuska, this is a very popular snack in Jharkhand. It's a deep-fried pancake made from rice flour. People often eat it with gram curry and potatoes.

A platter of Dhuska, a popular snack.

Vegetable Dishes

• Aaru ki sabzi: This dish is made from a special root vegetable found only in Jharkhand.
• Chakor Jhol: This is a wild leafy vegetable. It's cooked in a soup made from red rice.
• Sanai ka phool ka bharta: This recipe comes from the villages of Jharkhand. It's made from Sanai (Crotalaria juncea) flowers.
• Mushroom: A type of edible mushroom called Rugra or Puttu grows during the rainy season. People use it to make delicious vegetable dishes.
• Bamboo shoot: Young bamboo shoots are also used as vegetables in Jharkhand.
• Koinar Saag: The leaves of the Koinar tree (Bauhinia variegata) are cooked as a vegetable.
• Putkal (Ficus geniculata) ka saag: This is a leafy vegetable that is sautéed (lightly fried).

Meat Dishes

• Meat salaan: This is a popular meat dish. It's a lamb curry with diced potatoes, spiced with garam masala.
• Maduwa khassi: This is smoked mutton (goat meat) that still has its skin on. It's usually served with rice.
• Spicy chicken: This is another common meat dish that is full of flavor.
• Rohad Haku: This is a dish of fried fish. The fish is first dried in the sun, then stir-fried in oil. Lemon and vinegar are added to make it extra tasty.

Other Unique Dishes

• Moonj Ada: This is a spicy dal (lentil dish). It's cooked slowly over a low flame and gets extra flavor from lemon and chili.
• Red ant chutney: This is a unique dish made from mashed red ants and their eggs.
• Pitha: This is an authentic Jharkhandi dish. It's made from rice flour, often filled with Urad or Chana Dal (types of lentils).

Traditional Drinks

• Handia: Handia is a common rice beer in Jharkhand. People often drink it during festivals and marriage celebrations.
• Mahua daru: This is an alcoholic drink made from the flowers of the Mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia).

Food for Everyone

The 24 districts of Jharkhand receive extra food supplies. This is part of the National Food Security Act, 2013 of India. This act helps make sure that people have access to enough food.