Cuisines of Purnia

Purnia is one of the important city in the state of Bihar with a very strong historical and cultural lineage. It lies in the agricultural belt of India and has abundant natural resources giving rise to a homegrown cuisine which is characteristic to this part of India. The cuisine of Purnia is very similar to the Bihari cuisine with the only exception being the use of fresh vegetables and local produce. Since it shares borders with West Bengal, there is also a predominant influence of Bengali cuisine on the local flavors.

Since the region lies in the region which is abundant in lentils and pulses, these are the most consumed with a liberal mix of fresh vegetables and fruits. Sattu, which is fried chickpea flour is one of the most common ingredients used in every dish. Mustard oil is the cooking oil of choice and the characteristic pungent taste of mustard oil gives every dish its unique and fresh taste. The cuisine of Purnia is usually light with minimal use of spices. The spices used are mostly fresh and the most used dry spices are the panch phoran which consists of saunf, sarson, methi, ajwain and mangraeel(Kalaunji). The vegetables and spices are slow cooked and roasted to develop the flavours so that it gets imbibed into the dish.

Traditional Cuisines of Purnia

The traditional meal in Purnia would consist of vegetables, dal made of lentils and a flatbread made of wheat. Apart from this some of the other important dishes here are kadhi bari- which is a fried dumpling in yoghurt gravy. Khichdi is the most important meal on most days since it is both healthy and light on the stomach. The temperatures in Purnia can reach a high of 40 during summers and a light meal is preferred by the locals to minimise the effects of heavy oily and spicy food.


But the one dish which signifies the whole of Bihar and Purnia is particular is the Litti chokha which is consists of baked wheat dumplings filled with a filling of gram, onion, corriander etc and a side dish chokha, consisting of mashed potatoes with a light seasoning. This is one of the characteristic dishes of the place and is now finding its pride of place in fine dine restaurants around India now. This is because of the simplicity and fresh flavours of the dish which is rustic in nature and yet of fine dine quality.

Vegetarian Cuisines of Purnia

Vegetarian cuisine is highly evolved and lends itself to many variations and interpretations varying from house to house. Most of the households use the fresh farm produce and use of fresh vegetables and green leafy vegetables in very predominant. Green leafy vegetables which are also called saag form a part of the everyday meal of the locals and is an important addition. Some of the important green leafy vegetables which form a part of the local diet is the munga saag, kalmi saag, gandhari saag, chench saag, katai saag etc.


Apart from this, people of Purnia also have very strong Hindu roots and cultural lineage making them a predominantly vegetarian state. Liberal use of lentils and pulses can be found here and fresh dairy products are also used liberally. Yoghurt and paneer, which is fresh Indian cottage cheese are most used and form a part of the everyday meal. Because of the influences of Buddhist and Hindu cultures which promote non-violence, the people of Purnia mostly prefer vegetarian cuisines .

Non-Vegetarian Cuisines of Purnia

The influences of the British who settled here during the colonial rule brought their imprint also into the cuisine here. One of the marked difference is the onset of the non vegetarian culture in a predominantly vegetarian society. Some of the most savoured dishes from Purnia are the kebabs which are mainly made of red meats like Lamb and mutton. The kebabs are usually paired with paratha or roti, which is a flatbread made of wheat. Apart from this some of the characteristic dishes are the biriyani, kebabs, kela machali, taash etc. Macher Jhol which is a typical Bengali dish is specially favored in this part of Bihar.

Street Food in Purnia

Purnia is very popular for its wide variety of street food. The common characteristic amongst all the states in the eastern part of India is the prevelance of amazing variety of street food. Some of the most favoured street food in Purnia is the litti chokha which is available all thorough the year in every street corner. Apart from this, the regular samosa, kachori, gol gappa etc are also some of the popular street food options available here.

Desserts and Sweets of Purnia

Every meal in Purnia is ends on a sweet note with a variety of sweets and desserts. Unlike the neighboring Bengal sweets like Rasogulla etc which are mainly syrup based sweets, the sweets of Bihar are of dry kind and have a longer shelf life. Various kinds of laddoos right from Motichoor laddoo, Gond ke laddoo to Besan laddoo are favored here. A sweet which enjoys iconic status here is the Tilkut which is made of sesame and jaggery and is one of the favorite winter time sweets which is a must in every household. Some of the other important sweets are the gulab jamun, khaja, pitha, thekua, peda etc.

Caterers in Purnia

All cities from metropolitan to urban and semi urban places prefer caterer services to make sure that their parties and programs become success. The caterers are big respite for the inhabitants due to the presence of catering service providers to make the task of organizing parties hassle-free. No matter what nature and type of party you have, you are given ample choice by the caterers to make best use of their expertise and therefore turn the occasion a grand success to receive applause for wonderful party arrangement. Purnia city too has been facilitated such services due to the presence of variety of catering groups. They are professionals in this field and make the task of organizing wedding parties to birthday parties, festival occasions or the parties of any nature a grand success. Here is the list of famous catering service providers in Purnia city:-

Pintu Tent House
Address: Rampur Kodarkatti, Main Market, Purnia (Bihar) – 854325
Phone No: +(91)-8809691352

Aum Event & Promotions India Pvt Ltd
Address: Bhatta Bazaar Area, Purnia (Bihar) – 854302
Phone No: +(91)-9824017247

Doon Tent House
Address: Bhatta Bazaar Area, Purnia (Bihar) – 854302
Phone No: +(91)-9934302710

Eventup Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Address: Bhatta Bazaar Area, Purnia (Bihar) – 854302
Phone No: +(91)-9334097753 26

Shehnai Wedding & Caterer
Address: Bhatta Bazaar Area, Purnia (Bihar) – 854302
Phone No: +(91)-9631272281