Jharkhand's food doesn't get the spotlight that Punjabi or South Indian cooking does, but it has its own quiet, spice-forward tradition — built around mustard oil, minimal but well-chosen spices, and ingredients that grow easily in the region's forests and fields. Here are five dishes from home kitchens in and around Palamu, each built on the same spices we process at Sanvi Heritage.
1. Dhuska
A deep-fried rice-and-lentil pancake, crisp outside and soft inside, usually served with aloo curry or ghugni. The batter itself is simple, but the accompanying curry leans on our Turmeric and Red Chilli Powder for its colour and warmth — a small amount goes a long way against the mild dhuska.
2. Chilka Roti
A thin rice-flour roti, often paired with a coriander-and-cumin-forward vegetable curry. A pinch of our Coriander Powder in the tempering (tadka) — mustard oil, cumin seeds, dried red chilli — is the base most Jharkhandi kitchens start from before adding whatever vegetable is in season.
3. Rugra (Mushroom) Curry
Rugra, a wild mushroom foraged during the monsoon in Jharkhand's forests, is cooked in a curry that relies heavily on onion, garlic, turmeric, and red chilli. Because rugra has a delicate, almost meaty texture, the spice ratio matters — too much chilli overpowers the mushroom's natural flavour, which is why we recommend starting light with our Red Chilli Powder and adjusting to taste.
4. Bamboo Shoot (Khorisa) Curry
Fermented or fresh bamboo shoot, cooked with mustard oil, turmeric, and cumin, is a Jharkhand and neighbouring-region staple with a distinct tangy edge. Turmeric here does double duty — flavour, and its traditional role as a natural preservative in fermented preparations.
5. Litti Chokha (Spice Blend)
Litti — roasted wheat balls stuffed with sattu — is technically more Bihari than Jharkhandi, but it's cooked across Palamu just as often. The chokha (mashed vegetable side, usually potato, brinjal, and tomato) leans on our Cumin and Red Chilli Powder for its smoky, rustic flavour.
A Note on Quantities
None of these recipes call for exact spice measurements in most Jharkhandi households — cooks adjust by smell and taste, not spoons. If you're trying these for the first time, start with about half a teaspoon of turmeric and a quarter teaspoon of red chilli powder per serving, and build up from there.
Why This Matters to Us
We didn't set out to build a "gourmet" spice brand — we set out to bottle the flavours people in Palamu already cook with every day, using the same sourcing standards a much bigger city brand would use. If you try any of these, share a photo with us on WhatsApp — we'd love to see it.