Traditional Mithila Dishes Face Extinction Amidst Modernization

Janakpurdham. With the increasing modernization in Mithilanchal, the indigenous dishes here are becoming extinct day by day. As the people of Mithila, who traditionally lived by farming, are being attracted to modern lifestyles, those indigenous flavors have faded.<

Dishes like Viriya (Arikachan), Tilauri, Danouri, Tissauri, Adouri, etc., made by women in their homes according to time and need, are becoming rare nowadays. These dishes, made using ingredients available at home when vegetables were scarce, carried not only taste but also messages of health and self-reliance.<

Due to current busyness, especially the increasing dependence on mobile and technology, people have stopped setting aside time to make such dishes. As a result, traditional skills and tastes are not being passed down, and these dishes are on the verge of extinction. Although such dishes are available in the market, those products made by machines do not have the homemade taste and originality.<

Among the increasingly rare dishes of Mithila, Adouri is an important dish, which holds not only social and cultural significance but also serves as a preserved vegetable for the rainy season. This dish is mainly prepared from Urad (black gram) dal. Adouri is prepared by grinding urad dal to make flour, making a paste into small round shapes, and drying it in the sun. This dried Adouri is then cooked with eggplant or bottle gourd as needed, providing a special flavor.<

Besides Adouri, there is also a tradition of making various dishes from urad dal in Mithila. Murauri and Kumrauri are made by mixing urad dal flour with radish and pumpkin, while Biria Adekocha is made by mixing urad dal flour with Bathua (Chenopodium album) greens. The stickiness of the urad dal flour helps to bind the greens well, giving the dish a special taste and texture. Biria is also a unique and indigenous dish of Mithila. The leaves of Bathua greens are lightly dried, coated with urad dal flour, and stored, then cooked in spicy potato gravy when needed.<

Drying and preserving food, vegetables, and fruits for a long time is found in many places around the world, but in Mithila, it has created a special cultural identity. During the rainy season, when vegetables were scarce, these dried dishes used to make daily life easier. Due to changing times, modern lifestyles, and a lack of traditional skills, such indigenous dishes are gradually disappearing.<

According to Maithili activist Punam Jha Maithili, mothers in families used to make dishes like Adouri. This tradition was passed down through generations as each mother taught her daughters-in-law the skill of making Adouri, but now these dishes are gradually disappearing.<

According to Dr. Jha, if the government can market such dishes, women can become economically empowered and gain a respectable place in society. She states that dishes made from Bathua greens and Biria are highly popular in Maithili-speaking districts.<

Since it can be used for a long time after drying, this dish is also an excellent example of traditional preservation methods.<

According to senior journalist Awadhesh Kamat, no meal in the Maithili community is considered complete without greens. The dishes here are highly dependent on greens. Dishes made from the leaves or flowers of Bathua, red amaranth, jute leaves, Ghenhari greens, Karmi greens, mustard greens, as well as Arikachan and Kadima (pumpkin), also reflect Mithila's food culture.<

Some positive initiatives have recently begun to preserve these indigenous dishes of Mithila, which are becoming extinct due to modernization. Among these efforts, the concept of 'Mithila Thali' has emerged prominently.<

Renowned Nepali chef Santosh Shah, who has gained fame in America, has now launched 'Mithila Thali' in major cities of Nepal, similar to the Thakali Thali. Through this thali, he has made an effort to reintroduce the traditional Mithila dishes that are on the verge of extinction.<

Mithila Thali includes dishes like Adouri, Biria, Tilauri, Kumrauri, which were made in homes but are now disappearing. People who want to taste these dishes, whose making at home has decreased, are being attracted to Mithila Thali. This is not only contributing to commercial success but also playing a significant role in the preservation of traditional food.<

Shah has also urged people to make such dishes at home. By committing to purchase dishes made and provided by local women at home, it has also created new income-generating opportunities for rural women. This step has raised hopes for the revival of Mithila dishes that are on the verge of extinction. This initiative also conveys the message that collective effort is necessary to preserve traditional knowledge, taste, and culture.