Local Dishes

1. भात

   Bhaat

   cooked rice

   Usage

   Cooked rice, the centre of a Mithila meal. Raw husked rice is "चाउर" and paddy is "धान".

   Grammar Note

   "भात" is dictionary-verified (cooked rice); not Hindi "चावल".

2. दालि

   Daa-li

   dal (lentil soup)

   Usage

   A lentil stew eaten over rice, found in almost every daily meal.

   Grammar Note

   "दालि" is dictionary-verified; it differs from Hindi "दाल" in the final vowel.

3. तरकारी

   Tar-kaa-ri

   vegetable dish

   Usage

   A stir-fried or stewed vegetable dish served with rice, made with seasonal vegetables.

   Grammar Note

   "तरकारी" is dictionary-verified.

4. साग

   Saag

   leafy greens

   Usage

   Leafy vegetables cooked as a side dish.

   Grammar Note

   "साग" is dictionary-verified (any green leafy vegetable).

5. चोखा

   Cho-khaa

   chokha (mashed vegetables)

   Usage

   Roasted or boiled vegetables mashed with salt, chilli and oil, often made from potato or aubergine.

   Grammar Note

   "चोखा" is dictionary-verified (sauce, chutney, mash).

6. लिट्टी चोखा

   Lit-ti cho-khaa

   litti chokha

   Usage

   Baked wholemeal balls dipped in ghee and eaten with chokha, a famous dish of Bihar.

   Grammar Note

   "लिट्टी" is not in the dictionaries but has a mai.wikipedia article; "चोखा" is dictionary-verified.

7. सत्तू

   Sat-tu

   sattu (roasted gram flour)

   Usage

   Flour from roasted gram or grain, used to stuff dough balls or stirred into water as a drink.

   Grammar Note

   "सत्तू" is not in the dictionaries but has a mai.wikipedia article.

8. खिचड़ी

   Khich-ri

   khichri (rice and lentils)

   Usage

   Rice and lentils cooked together, a gentle dish also eaten when the stomach is upset.

   Grammar Note

   "खिचड़ी" is dictionary-verified (rice cooked with lentils).

9. बड़ी

   Ba-ri

   bari (dried lentil dumplings)

   Usage

   Small dumplings of lentil paste dried in the sun, then stewed or fried.

   Grammar Note

   "बड़ी" is dictionary-verified (a dish of small dried lentil dumplings); not Hindi "big".

10. तरुआ

    Ta-ru-aa

    tarua (fried fritters)

    Usage

    Vegetables such as aubergine dipped in batter and fried, eaten with rice or as a snack.

    Grammar Note

    "तरुआ" is dictionary-verified (a method of frying).

11. तिलकोर

    Til-kor

    tilkor (ivy gourd leaves)

    Usage

    A leaf prized in Mithila, fried in a gram-flour batter as a rainy-season treat.

    Grammar Note

    "तिलकोर" is not in the dictionaries but has a mai.wikipedia article.

12. ओल

    Ol

    ol (elephant foot yam)

    Usage

    An edible tuber cooked as a vegetable or mashed into chokha.

    Grammar Note

    "ओल" is dictionary-verified (an edible tuber).

13. कदीमा

    Ka-di-maa

    pumpkin curry

    Usage

    Pumpkin cooked as a vegetable dish.

    Grammar Note

    "कदीमा" is dictionary-verified.

14. कटहर

    Kat-har

    jackfruit

    Usage

    The young fruit is cooked as a vegetable, a summer favourite in Mithila.

    Grammar Note

    "कटहर" is dictionary-verified.

15. माछ

    Maachh

    fish

    Usage

    A staple of Mithila food; river fish stewed in mustard oil is a classic.

    Grammar Note

    "माछ" is dictionary-verified; do not confuse with "माछी" (fly).

16. माछ भात

    Maachh bhaat

    fish and rice

    Usage

    The classic Mithila pairing: fish curry with cooked rice.

    Grammar Note

    "माछ" and "भात" are dictionary-verified; the two nouns simply stand side by side. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar.

17. मखान

    Ma-khaan

    makhana (fox nuts)

    Usage

    Seeds of a water plant grown in Mithila ponds, roasted as a snack or put in kheer.

    Grammar Note

    "मखान" is dictionary-verified (an aquatic plant).

18. दही

    Da-hi

    curd (yogurt)

    Usage

    Thick curd set in clay pots, essential at celebrations and after meals.

    Grammar Note

    "दही" is dictionary-verified.

19. दही चूड़ा

    Da-hi chu-raa

    curd and flattened rice

    Usage

    Flattened rice with curd and sugar, a breakfast also eaten at the winter harvest festival.

    Grammar Note

    "दही" is dictionary-verified; "चूड़ा" is not in the dictionaries but appears in mai.wikipedia text. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar.

20. खीर

    Khir

    kheer (rice pudding)

    Usage

    A sweet dessert of rice simmered in milk and sugar, served at festivals and celebrations.

    Grammar Note

    "खीर" is dictionary-verified.

21. पूरी

    Pu-ri

    puri (fried bread)

    Usage

    Wheat dough rolled thin and fried, eaten with a vegetable dish.

    Grammar Note

    "पूरी" is dictionary-verified (variant of "पुरी", fried thin cake).

22. रोटी

    Ro-ti

    roti (flatbread)

    Usage

    A thin wholemeal flatbread, an everyday staple alongside rice.

    Grammar Note

    "रोटी" is dictionary-verified.

23. झोर

    Jhor

    jhor (thin curry broth)

    Usage

    Fish or vegetables in a thin gravy, poured over rice.

    Grammar Note

    "झोर" is dictionary-verified (liquid from vegetables, broth).

24. अचार

    A-chaar

    pickle (achar)

    Usage

    Mango, lime and other fruit preserved in mustard oil and spices, served with almost every meal.

    Grammar Note

    "अचार" is dictionary-verified.

25. हमरा माछ भात चाही

    Ham-raa maachh bhaat chaa-hi

    I would like fish and rice.

    Usage

    A way to ask for fish and rice at a restaurant or home; "चाही" means "needed / wanted".

    Grammar Note

    "माछ" and "भात" are dictionary-verified. "हमरा ... चाही" is the "I need ..." frame. Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar.

26. ई भोजन बड़ नीक अछि

    I bho-jan bar nik a-chhi

    This food is very good.

    Usage

    A compliment after a meal; "नीक" means "good" and is used for taste too.

    Grammar Note

    "भोजन" and "नीक" are dictionary-verified; "बड़" is the adverb "very". Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar.

27. ई मिथिलाक भोजन थिक

    I mi-thi-laak bho-jan thik

    This is food from Mithila.

    Usage

    A sentence naming where a dish comes from; "थिक" is the identity copula.

    Grammar Note

    "भोजन" is dictionary-verified; "मिथिलाक" is "मिथिला" plus the genitive "-क". Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar.

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