Maithil cuisine (Mithila Khenai | मिथिला-खेनाइ)

Mithila/Maithil cuisine or Mithila Khenai is a part of Indian and Nepalese cuisine.

It is native cooking style of Maithils residing in Mithila region of India and Nepal.

Mithila Khenai (cuisine) comprises a broad repertoire of rice, wheat, fish and meat dishes and the skilled use of various spices, herbs and natural edibles.

Some Mithila khenai has similarities with Bengali food and North Indian food but preparation and taste is entirely different.

The cuisine has different recipes for different events, and hence is categorized accordingly, from banquet food, for weddings and parties, festival foods, and travel foods.

Most of the cuisines are prepared in mustard oil and important ingredient includes coriander, turmeric and red chili powder.

Mithila region is known for its ‘maach (Fish), paan (Piper betle quid) and makhan (fox nuts, Euryale ferox, lotus seeds, gorgon nuts).

Some traditional Maithil dishes are:

• Dahi-Chura

• Aaloo Chop

• Arikanchan tarkari

• Bagiya

• Kachari

• Jhilli

• Kadhi bari

• Ghooghni

• Tarua

• Badee

• Maachh

• Mutton (Maus)

• Irhar

• Pidakia

• Makhan Payas (Kheer)

• Tasmai (Rice-Milk Payas/Kheer)

• Anarasa

Maithil food culture is quite distinct and most of its food are not quite famous outside Bihar/Jhakhand in India and Mithila Region of Nepal. So it is every maithils/mithilanis duty to take the cuisines of Mithila to the world and promote them on all possible platforms.

So in order to promote our food culture, This website is also dedicated for spreading awareness about mithila cuisine. You can also join use by sharing recipes of mithila khenai on our mail id beingmaithil@gmail.com