Food · Parsa National Park
Litti chokha in the Bhojpuri Terai
After a morning in the park, eat like a local in Simara, Birgunj or a highway town: litti baked over coals and dipped in ghee, with smoky chokha of aubergine, potato and tomato, and a glass of sweet tea.
The villages and towns around Parsa are Bhojpuri-speaking, and their food is closer to Bihar than to Kathmandu. The star is litti chokha. Litti are balls of wheat dough stuffed with sattu, roasted gram flour mixed with garlic, ginger, chilli, mustard oil and pickle spices, then baked over cow-dung or charcoal fires. Every family and stall has its own spice mix.
Chokha is a mash of fire-roasted aubergine, boiled potato and tomato, with raw onion, garlic, green chilli and mustard oil. The litti are cracked open, dipped in ghee and eaten with the chokha and a little pickle. It is filling, smoky and cheap. Some stalls add a tomato chutney or pickle on the side.
Ask your guide for a busy roadside stall in Simara or Birgunj. Pair it with sweet milky tea or, in summer, a glass of sattu sharbat. Vegetarians will eat very well in this part of the Terai. Prices are low and portions filling, so one plate is usually enough for lunch.
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Questions
What is litti chokha?
Litti chokha is a Bhojpuri dish of baked wheat dough balls stuffed with spiced roasted gram flour, served with chokha, a smoky mash of roasted aubergine, potato and tomato. It is everyday food across the Bhojpuri-speaking Terai and Bihar, often dipped in ghee.
Where can I eat litti chokha near Parsa?
Roadside stalls and small restaurants in Simara, Birgunj, Kalaiya and highway towns near the park serve it, often baked fresh over coals in the evening. Ask your guide or driver for a busy, clean stall. It is cheap and filling.
Is litti chokha vegetarian?
Yes. Litti chokha is traditionally vegetarian. It uses ghee, so vegans should ask for it without. Some places serve it with mutton or chicken curry, but the classic version is entirely plant-based apart from the ghee. Ask the cook if you are unsure.
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