Bohag Bihu 2025: Celebrating Assamese New Year with Traditional Recipes
From pithas and larus to tangy fish curries, Bohag Bihu meals are a delicious celebration of abundance and renewal
Bohag Bihu, also known as Rongali Bihu, is the most vibrant and widely celebrated festival in Assam, marking the Assamese New Year and the onset of spring. Rooted in agrarian traditions, it is a time of joy, cultural performances, and feasting with family and friends. Traditional Assamese recipes take center stage during this time, showcasing the region’s rich culinary heritage. Dishes made with seasonal ingredients like fresh greens, bamboo shoot, fish, rice, and jaggery reflect simplicity, nutrition, and deep cultural significance. From pithas and larus to tangy fish curries, Bohag Bihu meals are a delicious celebration of abundance and renewal. Check out these recipes by Chef Ranjan Majumdar, Executive Chef, Mayfair Spring Valley Resort, Guwahati:
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Bhapa Pitha
Ingredients:
● White rice 240gms
● Freshly scrapped coconut 100gms
● jiggery powder 40gms
● Cardamom powder 5gms
● Salt 5gms
Cooking Instructions:
1. Wash cup rice nicely, drain and spread to a tray to dry. Then grind to make powder and sieve
2. Dry roast the sieved powder in medium heat until a sweet fragrant emits from the powder. Don’t over roast to make the powder brown in colour
3. Transfer to a big mixing bowl. Add salt
4. Boil sufficient water to and with the help of boiling water make a semi-soft dough. Note that you have to use boiling water only to make the dough
5. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes
6. In the meantime make the stuffing. For that dry roast scrapped coconut in medium low heat for a couple of minutes. This will enhance the taste and flavour of coconut
7. Next add in jiggery, cardamom powder and mix well until jaggery melts completely
8. Mix well again Stuffing is done. Remove from heat
9. Now from the prepared dough, take a lemon size portion
10. Make a patty first and then make a cavity and stuff 1 tablespoon of coconut mixture. Fold and give the size of a gujiya. This is the traditional size. But I made the pithas with my cookie mould just to give them a new style
11. You can make the pithas without stuffing also like the following pictures
12. Place them in a steamer
13. Cover and steam them for about 20 minutes
14. Transfer the steamed pithas to a colander and pour some cold water over the pithas. This will prevent the pithas to stick each other
Assamese Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
● Chicken curry cut 500gms
● Potatoes cut 250gms
● Mustard oil 50ml
● Turmeric powder 5 Gms
● Onion 100gms
● Ginger 50gms
● Cloves garlic 30gms
● Dried chillies 10gms
● Salt 10 Gms
● Black pepper powder 5gms
● Lemon juice 5ml
● Coriander leaves 40gms
Cooking Instructions:
1. Chicken should be washed well and drained extra water. Onion, ginger, garlic, dried chilli paste together.
2. Now fry the potato pieces in mustard oil and added salt and turmeric powder with potato.
3. Mix onion, ginger, garlic and dry red chilli paste in the oil, add salt to taste, add water, chicken, fried potatoes, add lemon juice and cover with hot water over medium heat.
4. Serve with hot rice.
Masor Tenga (Fish Curry)
Ingredients:
● Rohu Fish pieces 500mgs
● Mustard oil 50gms
● Fenugreek seeds 4gms
● Onion chopped 50gms
● Ginger-garlic paste 20gms
● Tomatoes 60gms
● Salt 10gms
● Green chilies slit 15gms
● Turmeric powder 5gms
● Lime juice 10ml
● Coriander leaves chopped 20gms
Cooking Instructions:
1. Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder for 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside.
3. Temper the same oil with fenugreek seeds. Saute for a few seconds and then add the onion. Stir fry till light brown.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and green chilies. Saute for a minute.
5. Then add the tomato puree and salt. Cover and simmer for a minute more.
6. Add 1 cup water and bring it to a boil. Add the fried fish and simmer, covered on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes.
7. When done, add the coriander leaves and lime juice. Switch off the flame and transfer to a serving dish.
8. Serve this Assamese delicacy with hot steamed rice.
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