MarisaBlackwelde at 16:22, 14 March 2026

2026-03-14T16:22:52Z

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{{short description|Ethnic cuisine of the Maithil people}}
{{refimprove|date=December 2017}}
{{Indian cuisine}}{{Culture of Nepal}}
{{Infobox cuisine
| image = Maithili New Year or Jur Sital, taruwa thali - 20200414.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = [[Tarua]], a popular Maithil dish}}
'''Maithil cuisine''', also known as '''Mithila cuisine''', is the traditional cooking style of [[Maithils]] residing in the [[Mithila (region)|Mithila region]] of India and Nepal.<ref>{{Cite book |title=People of India. Bihar, including Jharkhand |date=2008 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-81-7046-302-3 |location=Calcutta |pages=XXIX |oclc=299081992 }}</ref> It is a part of [[Indian cuisine|Indian]] and [[Nepalese cuisine]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=प्रधानमन्त्री ओलीलाई जनकपुरमा 'मिथिला भोजन'ले स्वागत गरिने |trans-title=Prime minister Oli will be welcomed in Janakpur by Mithila cuisine |url=http://www.nepalsamaya.com/news/3373 |website=Nepal Samaya |language=ne |access-date=2020-05-19 |archive-date=2021-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516085506/https://www.nepalsamaya.com/news/3373 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Maithil cuisine comprises a broad repertoire of rice, wheat, fish and meat dishes and the use of various spices, herbs and natural edibles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jha, Shailendra Mohan, 1929- |title=Hari Mohan Jha |date=1994 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |isbn=81-7201-652-2 |location=New Delhi |pages=18 |oclc=43122155 }}</ref> The cuisine is categorized by types of food for various events, from banquets, to weddings and parties, festival foods, and travel foods.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Doing street food right in Janakpur |url=https://kathmandupost.com/food/2019/10/11/doing-street-food-right-in-janakpur |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English |author=Sweksha Karna |access-date=2020-05-19 |archive-date=2020-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807173501/https://kathmandupost.com/food/2019/10/11/doing-street-food-right-in-janakpur |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=पर्वपिच्छे फरक स्वाद |trans-title=Different taste in different festivals |url=https://ekantipur.com/entertainment/2019/04/17/155547194004421510.html |website=ekantipur.com |language=ne |access-date=2020-05-19 |archive-date=2023-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310192118/https://ekantipur.com/entertainment/2019/04/17/155547194004421510.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The service style of the cuisine has little similarity with that of the French ''[[table d'hôte]]''; all preparations are served together on a platter and consumed at once. The staple food is bhat (boiled rice), [[dal]], [[roti]], [[tarkari]] and [[South Asian pickle|achar]], prepared from rice, lentils, wheat flour, vegetables, and pickles. The traditional cooking medium is mustard oil. [[Panch phoron|Panchforan]] is a common blend of five spices: {{Lang|mai|jeer}}, {{Lang|mai|ajwain}}, {{Lang|mai|mangrail}}, {{Lang|mai|sounf}} and {{Lang|mai|methi}}, and is akin to the panchforan of Bengal.

== Types of meat ==
Mutton and fish are the traditional non-vegetarian items. Chicken is also consumed, but it is seen as an inferior option. Mutton and fish have religious and cultural significance in the Mithila region as sacrificial offerings to [[Durga|goddess Durga]] and [[Kali]].The [[Maithil Brahmin]] community of Mithila is one of the few non-vegetarian [[Brahmin]] communities in India, which otherwise is seen as a strictly vegetarian caste within Hinduism. It is strictly not allowed in hinduism.

== Vegetarian ==
Vegetarian food like {{Lang|mai|saagak jhor}} (leafy vegetables with very thin gravy), as well as vegetables such as [[bitter gourd]], [[Okra|ladyfinger]], are eaten. Due to the large amount of [[root vegetables]] grown such as potato, yam, and {{Lang|mai|khamarua}}, they are used in a number of preparations such as {{Lang|mai|sanna}} (mashed vegetables, particularly root vegetables), bhajia (fried vegetables in mustard oil with salt, turmeric powder and green chillies or chilli powder), and [[tarua]] (marinated or coated deep-fried vegetables). {{Lang|mai|Daail-jhimni}} consists of fried ribbed gourd cooked with lentil and cereals. {{Lang|mai|Thadia saagak teeman}} is a simple meal with [[red spinach]] and lentils eaten with chapati or rice. Similar to a puree, {{Lang|mai|teeman}} is made through the process of {{Lang|mai|ghontod}}, manual churning. It can also be made with [[paneer]] or in a non-vegetarian style with [[shrimp]] added.

== Seafood ==
{{Lang|mai|Machh-bhat}} is a fish curry served with steamed rice. [[Machher Jhol|Machhak jhor]] is a traditional fish curry used in many events with the exception of some religious festivals.

== Sauces and curries ==
Dried mango strips are widely used to give tartness in various gravies. Some sauces and gravies include:

* {{Lang|mai|Jhor}} — a thin mustard and coriander-based gravy with chilli
* {{Lang|mai|Bari}} — fried soft dumplings made of [[besan]], gram flour, cooked in spicy gravy
* {{Lang|mai|Maus}} — generally mutton or chicken or quail ({{Lang|mai|tittar}} or {{Lang|mai|battair}}, a small game bird), or sometimes [[Game (hunting)|game]] in spicy gravy. Generally enjoyed with [[malpua]], {{Lang|mai|sohari}} ([[Chapati|chapatti]]) {{Lang|mai|puri}}, or steamed rice.
* {{Lang|mai|Dokak jhor}} — commonly an oyster stew cooked with onion gravy
* {{Lang|mai|Arikanchanak tarkari}} — a preparation of marinated sun-dried [[colocasia]] leaves, steamed and cooked in mustard gravy
* {{Lang|mai|Goidila}} — a sauce prepared from green peas and flavouring, generally eaten with rice or rotis
* {{Lang|mai|Kadhi bari}} — fried soft dumplings made of besan cooked in a spicy gravy of yogurt
* {{Lang|mai|Sakrauri}}

== Breakfast ==
They would often start their day with a cup of steaming hot [[Tea|chai]] served with {{Lang|mai|chura}} and ghugni ( black grams sautèed with onions, green chillies and other spices).

Poori – [[Dum Aloo|aloo dum]], a potato dish, is a breakfast item common to have along with a sweet dish, {{Lang|mai|jilebi}} (also known as {{Lang|mai|jalewi}}, roundels of deep-fried fermented flour batter dipped in sugar syrup). Apart from that there are several other items that are common for breakfast including {{Lang|mai|chini wala roti}}, {{Lang|mai|pua}}, {{Lang|mai|pachhua pu}} (flour pancake), and {{Lang|mai|suzi ke halwa}} (semolina porridge), {{Lang|mai|mith makhaan}}, {{Lang|mai|makhan ke bhooja}} (salted makhan).

== Snacks and desserts ==
Some snacks include:

* {{Lang|mai|Chure ka bhujia}} (beaten rice fried with sliced onion, chopped green chillies and green peas)
* {{Lang|mai|Makai ke lawa}} (popped corn)
* {{Lang|mai|Masalgar murhi}} (rice pops mixed with chopped green chillies, onion, coriander leaf, salt and a few drops of mustard oil)
* {{Lang|mai|Jhilli}} ([[jalebi]]-like salted batter made of besan flour)
* [[Samosa|Samosas]] ({{Lang|mai|singhara}})
* [[Lobongo lotika|Launglati]] ({{Lang|mai|langlatti}})
* {{Lang|mai|Kachari}}
* {{ Lang|mai|Pyaaji}}
Sweet foods are also popular. Varieties of [[kheer]] are a common dessert, including {{Lang|mai|makhank kheer}} which is prepared with [[Lotus seed|lotus seeds]], milk and dried nuts. [[Malpua]] is popular and has a traditional Mithila preparation that differs from that of north India. Both are prepared from a flour batter; in north India after deep frying they are dipped in sugar syrup, while in Mithila the batter itself is sweetened and it is a dry preparation which can be stored for two to three days. There are also sweet [[Fruit preserves|preserves]] made out of fruit pulps such as {{Lang|mai|ammath}} (layered mango pulp sun-dried and cut into small chunks), {{Lang|mai|kumhar ke murabba}}, {{Lang|mai|papita ke murabba}}, and {{Lang|mai|dhatrikak murabba}}. [[Laddu|Laddoo]], [[khaja]], [[Chandrakala (dessert)|chandrakala]], [[rasgulla]], and other desserts are common.

==Traditional dishes==
Some traditional Maithil dishes are:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://epaper.navbharattimes.com/details/59768-68289-1.html |title=Details |access-date=2019-09-15 |archive-date=2019-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224081509/http://epaper.navbharattimes.com/details/59768-68289-1.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.angelfire.com/home/mithila/maithilcusine.htm |title=Maithil Cuisine |access-date=2017-03-24 |archive-date=2017-07-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715122410/http://www.angelfire.com/home/mithila/maithilcusine.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pakwangali.in/sweet-recipes/how-to-make-bagiya-sweet-snacks-recipe-in-hindi/article/971505.html |title=सर्दी में बनने वाले खास स्नैक्स में से एक है यह गुड़ की बगिया - How to make bagiya sweet snacks recipe in hindi |access-date=2019-09-15 |archive-date=2019-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226112058/https://www.pakwangali.in/sweet-recipes/how-to-make-bagiya-sweet-snacks-recipe-in-hindi/article/971505.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Curd|Dahi]]-[[Flattened rice|Chura]]
*[[Vegetable]] of Arikanch
*[[Kadhi bari]]
*[[Ghugni|Ghooghni]]
*[[Tarua]]
*[[Tilkor Tarua]]
*Bada
*Badee
*[[Fish as food|Maachh]]
*[[Mutton]]
*Irhar
*Purakiya
*Makhan Payas
*[[Anarsa|Anarasa]]
*[[Bagiya]]
*Sattuwa varal puri
*[[Bhuswa]]
*Khaja(especially Pipra,[[Supaul district]])

== See also ==

* [[Indian cuisine]]
* [[Murabba]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Culture of Mithila]]
[[Category:Bihari cuisine]]

Maithil cuisine - Revision history

MarisaBlackwelde at 16:22, 14 March 2026