DEBOLINA ROY
If any single food item can symbolize the spirit of Bhogali Bihu, that would be Til Pitha. It is actually rice cakes that take the form of a cylinder with a thickness of just a layer of Bora Saul that has been soaked, ground, and needs only a filling of a combination of roasted black sesame seeds and jaggery.
Every Bihu food needs to have something sweet underlying it, and Narikolor Laru is an ever-popular roundwheel-shaped sweet delicacy among the different Bhogali Bihu foods. These round, bite-sized laddoos are made with freshly grated coconut and sugar or jaggery.
Reflecting the rustic culinary traditions of Assam, the Sunga Pitha is a unique feature in itself & exhibits the culinary skills of the place. To prepare Sunga Pitha, the sticky rice is packed inside the green bamboo tubes (known as 'Sunga'), then roasted slowly over an open fire.
While the mornings are reserved for sweets, Umaa Ahom talks of how the grand Uruka feast cannot be complete without a special dish of Masor Tenga on Bihu eve. The fish curry is a must-have at any Bhagori Bihu meal, and it is made from fresh water fishes like Rohu and/or Katla. The sourness of this dish comes from natural souring compounds found in either tomatoes or dried mangosteen.
Doi Chira is the epitome of Jolpan (breakfast) that Assamese people enjoy on the day of Magh Bihu. The dish requires flattening rice (Chira) and thick homemade curd (Doi), topped with a generous amount of jaggery (Phulaa Maah). The Doi Chiraa is usually taken after the Meji (gnarly fire) is ignited.