“The Dream is not what you see in sleep, the dream is which does not let you sleep.”
It was a dream when I first thought about it. Never knew that it is going to happen. The ancient Magadha can be traced back to the Mahabharata period, which is now known as Patna. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, lived much of his life in the kingdom of Magadha. This is the state where Ashoka had a turning point in his life and later spread Buddhism in the world. He was also the king of Maurya Dinty which was around 32 BC. This is the state whose history can be traced back when Alexander came to invade India. Unfortunately, in modern days our Bihar has lost its recognition. I am not here to share on ancient history and nor will I criticize the politics of our country.
I am a serious food lover and have been planning to host and highlight the food of Bihar – my birthplace and I have spent most of my life in various cities and town of Bihar. My dad’s govt job made us move around in Bihar.
A couple of years back when I first thought about it, I had a limited understanding of pop-ups and festivals. I was new to blogging and wasn’t aware of these. I spoke with some chefs I knew and they laughed when I shared the idea with them. In fact, one of the chef who is also from Bihar, said “who will eat the food of Bihar? Wahan ka khana kya hai “and now he is promoting Bihar food everywhere. I am glad that I could make a lot of people think differently and could make them realize that Bihar is beyond Liiti Chokha
Except for Chef Manish Mehrotra, Indian Accent, none of the other chefs ever promoted food of Bihar. Was it was lack of awareness or were they not proud of their state due to its political situation – the reason could be anything and may vary
I have also been told by some food experts that Bihar doesn’t have its own culture and nothing in original can be stated as Bihar food.
I was not only determined but also sure that promoting Bihar food is what I will pursue and would love to do. To promote the food that we have been eating since childhood and has the variety and variation like any other cuisine – the thought in itself has always been fulfilling
A province, which has a history like any other province in the country and can be traced back to 490BC. The recorded history of the city begins in the year 490 BCE when Ajatashatru, the king of Magadh, wanted to shift his capital from the hilly Rajgriha to a more strategically located place to combat the Lichivis of Vaishali. He chose a site on the bank of the Ganges and fortified the area which developed into Patna.
It’s very clear that if this is the history of Bihar, it clearly means that the culture and food would be much older.
I was persistent, convinced and driven by the fact that food of Bihar has a lot of potentials and is unexplored.
When I met Suprabhat Roy Choudhury at Eros Nehru Place, I shared the idea with him. He got interested as well. The initial concept was something else but we were very sure that we want to do it. Somehow it didn’t materialize then but I was confident and with his assurance, I decided that no matter how long I have to wait, I will do my first promotion with him. Finally, it happened at Holiday Inn Mayur Vihar.
I would like to quote one of my emotional post on Fb “Its moment of joy, excitement, pride, and happiness. I have been waiting for this for a very long time. Been eager to showcase the food of Bihar which is beyond litti chokha. Food that we have been eating for ages at our homes, food that changes with time and has a lot of influence from places where my dad had been transferred. Bihar has a very rich cultural history and has an impactful history of some of the greatest revolutions in Indian history.
I am happy and proud to present Purvaiya A breeze from unexplored Bihari kitchens. Food festival curated by Chef Sanjay Mishra and me. We have tried to incorporate our favorite and family recipes. I am very thankful to Suprabhath Roychowdhury for having faith in me. Its been a long wait but I guess its all the worth in the end. I would love to host you at Holiday Inn Mayur Vihar to taste our food and enjoy the feast. Thank you Naina Srivastva and my family for the continuous support. “
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