Chhattisgarh Recipes

Flavours of Chhattisgarh — Traditional Recipes

Explore eight beloved Chhattisgarhi dishes with photos, ingredients and step-by-step instructions — perfect for home cooks.

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Recipes in this post

Aamat (Sour Vegetable Curry) Bafauri (Steamed Chana Dal Fritters) Faraa (Steamed Rice Dumplings) Angakar Roti (Rice Roti) Dubki Kadhi Chana Samosa (Chhattisgarhi) Bore Baasi (Fermented Rice) Chila (Savory Besan Pancake)

Aamat — a tangy, hearty vegetable curry from Chhattisgarh.

Aamat (Sour Mixed Vegetable Curry)

Prep 15m • Cook 30–35m • Serves 4 Traditional

Aamat is a signature Chhattisgarhi curry — a hearty, slightly sour mixed vegetable stew made with seasonal veggies, tamarind (or raw mango), and a simple, fragrant tempering. It’s rustic, comforting and eaten with rice or rotis.

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed vegetables (potato, brinjal, pumpkin, drumstick, arbi) cut into medium pieces
• 1 small raw mango or 2 tbsp tamarind pulp (for sourness)
• 1 onion sliced • 2 tomatoes chopped • 2–3 green chilies • 1 tsp turmeric • salt
• 2–3 tbsp mustard or vegetable oil • 1 tsp cumin seeds • 1 tsp panch phoron or mustard seeds & curry leaf
• 2–3 cups water • fresh coriander to garnish

Method

1. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add cumin and panch phoron; when they splutter add sliced onions and sauté till soft.
2. Add tomatoes and cook till pulpy. Add turmeric and the mixed vegetables; sauté 3–4 minutes.
3. Add tamarind pulp or raw mango pieces, salt and enough water to cover vegetables. Close and simmer until veggies are tender (20–25 minutes).
4. Adjust sourness and seasoning. Finish with chopped coriander and a drizzle of oil. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Tip: Use seasonal vegetables — the balance of sweet and sour is essential. If using tamarind, soak and strain well to avoid fibers in the curry.

Bafauri — light, steamed chana dal dumplings — healthy snack.

Bafauri (Steamed Chana Dal Fritters)

Prep 15m • Cook 20m • Makes 12–14 Healthy Snack

Bafauri is a popular Chhattisgarhi snack made from coarsely ground chana dal mixed with spices and steamed (or shallow-fried). It’s soft, protein-rich and commonly enjoyed with chutney or tea.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups chana dal, soaked 2–3 hours and drained
• 1 small onion finely chopped • 1–2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste • ½ tsp turmeric • 1–2 tbsp chopped coriander • salt
• 1–2 tbsp oil for greasing/tempering

Method

1. Grind the soaked chana dal coarsely (like coarse rava), not a smooth paste.
2. Mix in onion, chilies, ginger, turmeric, coriander and salt. Let the mixture rest 5–10 minutes to bind.
3. Shape into small rounds and steam in a steamer/Idli stand for 12–15 minutes until set. Optionally shallow-fry each bafauri in a little oil for a golden crust.
4. Serve warm with green chutney or tamarind chutney.

Tip: Don’t over-grind the dal — a coarser texture keeps bafauri light and slightly grainy, which is traditional.

Faraa — simple steamed rice dumplings often made for rituals & festivals.

Faraa (Steamed Rice Dumplings)

Prep 20m • Steam 15–18m • Makes 10–12 Festival

Faraa are steamed dumplings made from rice flour or coarsely ground rice — often prepared during festivals and pujas in Chhattisgarh. They can be plain or lightly flavored with jaggery and coconut.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice flour (or roasted rice flour) • hot water to bind • pinch salt
• Optional sweet variation: ¾ cup jaggery melted + ½ cup grated coconut

Method

1. Bring water to a boil; add a pinch of salt and gradually mix in rice flour to form a pliable dough (similar to idiyappam dough but firmer).
2. Divide into small balls; flatten slightly or shape into oval rolls. For the sweet version, stuff with jaggery-coconut mixture before sealing.
3. Steam in an idli steamer or steamer basket for 12–18 minutes until set. Cool slightly before serving.

Tip: Lightly oil banana leaves and place faras on them before steaming for aroma and to prevent sticking.

Angakar Roti — thick, soft rice roti typical to tribal and rural areas.

Angakar Roti (Thick Rice Roti)

Prep 10m • Cook 10–12m • Makes 6 Gluten-free

Angakar Roti is a soft, thick flatbread made from rice flour and commonly eaten in rural Chhattisgarh. It’s naturally gluten-free and pairs well with spicy curries like aamat or chutneys.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice flour • 1 cup warm water (approx) • pinch salt • ghee or oil for cooking

Method

1. Mix rice flour and salt. Add warm water little by little and knead into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Rest 5 minutes covered.
2. Take a ball, flatten between greased plastic sheets or press on a greased palm to form a 6–7 inch disc (thicker than normal roti).
3. Cook on a hot tava with a lid, applying ghee/oil on both sides until golden and cooked through. Serve hot with curry or chutney.

Tip: Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth to avoid drying; using warm water helps the rice flour bind better.

Dubki Kadhi — tangy yogurt curry with small pakoda-like dumplings.

Dubki Kadhi

Prep 12m • Cook 25–30m • Serves 4 Comfort

Dubki Kadhi is a comforting yogurt-based curry thickened with gram flour (besan) and often containing small deep-fried dumplings (pakodas) or 'dubki'. It’s mildly tangy and goes well with steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups yogurt (well beaten) • 3–4 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• For dubki: 1 cup besan + 1 small onion finely chopped + spices to taste, enough water to make a soft batter
• 1 tsp turmeric • salt • oil for frying and tempering • 1 tsp mustard seeds, curry leaves (optional)

Method

1. Whisk yogurt and besan into a smooth mixture; add turmeric and salt. Keep aside.
2. For dubki: mix besan with onion, salt and a little water to make a thick batter. Drop small spoonfuls into hot oil and fry till golden; set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds and curry leaves, pour the yogurt-besan mixture while stirring to avoid lumps. Cook on low-medium heat, stirring frequently till it comes to a gentle boil and thickens (10–12 minutes).
4. Add fried dubkis to the kadhi and simmer 4–5 minutes so they soak some flavor. Serve with steamed rice.

Tip: Keep heat low while cooking the yogurt mixture to prevent curdling — continuous stirring helps achieve a smooth kadhi.

Chana Samosa — crunchy pockets stuffed with spiced chickpea filling.

Chana Samosa (Chhattisgarhi-style)

Makes 10–12 • Prep 25m • Cook 20m Snack

Chana samosa is a popular street and home snack — samosas are filled with a spiced chickpea (or chana) mixture instead of the more common potato filling. They’re aromatic, crisp and great with chutney or tea.

Ingredients

• Dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp oil/ghee, salt, water
• Filling: 2 cups cooked chana (or canned chickpeas), 1 onion chopped, 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1–2 green chilies, salt, 1 tbsp oil

Method

1. Knead a firm dough with flour, oil and water. Rest 20 minutes covered.
2. Heat oil, sauté onions till translucent. Add chickpeas, spices and a splash of water; mash lightly to bind and cook out moisture. Cool the filling.
3. Divide dough into balls, roll into small discs, shape halves into cones, fill with chickpea mixture, seal edges with water and press to shape into samosas.
4. Deep fry in hot oil on medium heat until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel and serve hot.

Tip: For a lighter version, bake samosas at 200°C brushing lightly with oil until golden (20–25 min), flipping once.

Bore Baasi — simple fermented leftover rice dish, eaten with seasonings.

Bore Baasi (Fermented Leftover Rice)

Prep 2m (+overnight soak) • Serves 2–3 Traditional

Bore Baasi is an age-old rural practice: leftover cooked rice is soaked overnight in water (or buttermilk) and eaten the next morning with salt, green chilies, raw onion, chutney or jaggery. It’s cooling, probiotic and thrifty.

How to Make & Eat

1. Place leftover cooked rice in a bowl, add clean water or buttermilk to just cover. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature (6–10 hours).
2. Next morning, drain slightly, add salt, chopped onion, green chilies, a splash of mustard oil or chutney, and eat as a light meal.
3. Variations include adding curd, jaggery for sweetness, or seasonal vegetables.

Tip: Use this only when rice has been properly cooked and handled hygienically. In very hot climates, consume within recommended safe hours.

Chila — savory besan (gram flour) pancake — quick & protein-rich.

Chila (Savory Besan Pancake)

Prep 5m • Cook 8–10m • Makes 6–8 Quick

Chila is an easy, protein-rich pancake made from besan (gram flour) and spices — a common breakfast or snack across central India including Chhattisgarh. Add vegetables or paneer for extra nutrition.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups besan (gram flour) • 1 small onion finely chopped • 1 small tomato chopped (optional)
• 1–2 green chilies • ½ tsp turmeric • 1 tsp jeera powder • salt • water to make a pouring batter
• Oil for cooking • chopped coriander for garnish

Method

1. Whisk besan with turmeric, jeera powder and salt. Add water gradually to make a smooth, medium-thick batter.
2. Stir in onion, tomato, chilies and coriander. Heat a non-stick tawa, pour a ladleful of batter and gently spread in a circular motion to form a pancake.
3. Drizzle a little oil and cook on medium heat till golden; flip and cook the other side. Serve hot with chutney or curd.

Tip: Add grated bottle gourd (lauki) or grated carrot to the batter for a moist, nutritious chila.