Peetha or Fara | Steamed/boiled lentil stuffed dumplings from Banaras

I posted a short video on my Instagram profile a few days ago which was taken really well and I received a few comments about what I was making and how.

So here it is. The most famous snack or breakfast item from Eastern U.P. and Bihar!

Peetha, Gujha, gooja, Fara or Gointha as some would like to call it. The name varies depending on the region and the local language spoken in that region. In the areas of Banaras, it is usually called as Peetha. And in most of the Bihar, its known by the name Faraa.

Pitha is basically a rice or whole-wheat flour pocket stuffed with ground lentils and some traditional spices. With absolutely no oil! Yes, its simply boiled like Pasta or steamed like Idli till its done. I personally like the boiled version since its more “melting in mouth” if you know what I mean. : D

More recipes from U.P./ Bihar-> Sattu Ka paratha | Litti Chokha | Chura matar | Thekua | U.P. wali aloo tikki | Holi ki Gujhiya | Suva methi baingan sabji 

This dish is a great mix of right carbs, fibre and proteins. And if you eat it along with any chutneys or curry as its traditionally eaten in some areas of Bihar, it becomes a complete package adding minerals and vitamins in your diet. All that, with no oil whatsoever! Amazing, isn’t it?

Obviously you can smear some ghee on top or shallow fry (pan fry) in little oil to make these faraa bits crispy and that takes this dish to whole new dimension altogether. In this post today, I have discussed both the methods and different variations that you can make these Peethas in.

So typically Peetha is made with either Chana dal (split pea lentils) or Urad dal (husked/split black lentils). Both the versions have their own taste and flavour. 

The one with urad dal is kept a bit simpler and only spices like black pepper and asafoetida are added to enhance the taste and digestibility of the same. Garlic is usually skipped in this version but thats more of a family/individual’s trend and preference. You can check more no onion garlic recipes here.

I love the Peetha with chana dal more because of the flavour from the dal. Ginger and garlic add another flavour to the stuffing which I fully enjoy. By the way, Chana dal is my favourite dal and I prepare it in a lot of different ways, check out all other of my Chana dal recipes here.

Back to our Faraas; which lentil variety to use?

What my SIL usually does is that she combines the two lentils together. This is kind of her Mum’s specialty recipe and since I have learnt it from herself, I have kept it the same. So I have combined both chana dal and urad dal in a ratio of 3:1 which really brings in the best of both when it comes to taste and texture.

If you are making this Bihar ka Faraa for the first time, it might not matter to you and you would enjoy it nevertheless. It is that awesome! But to keep it authentic, you could skip urad dal completely and simply proceed with chana dal only.

Some chutney to serve it with-> Amla mint chutney | Khatti meethi tamatar ki chutney | Chatpati Dhaniya chutney | Tangy tomato chutney 

Which flour to be used:- Again, it really depends on what region’s recipe you want to prepare. So in some areas and households, rice flour (chawal ka atta) is used solely for these Goojhas. Which is what you should also do if you are looking to make these Faraas gluten free.

Whereas in some households, just the wholewheat flour is used and no rice flour. This is also the easiest way of making Pithas since atta is generally easier to handle than rice flour.

Also, in some places, they combine rice flour and whole wheat flour (atta) half and half to knead the dough. Which is what I have done here. This combination of rice flour and whole wheat flour works the best for me and my taste buds. Its easier to handle, amazing in taste, and the texture is just right. I have also added semolina (sooji/rava) into this which is my SIL’s tip to make these Peetha bites crispier when pan fried later. You could omit it if you want.

The shape: You could mould Peethas into any shape which is easy for you to handle and doesnt make a mess while steaming/boiling. Like into a cylinder shape (like muthiya) or moon shape (like a karanji or gujhiya) or simple like a ball or potli. Whatever suits you.

Remember-> You dont have to stuff and roll like a paratha and moreover, what matters here is the taste and not the shape.

Boiling or steaming? Thats really a personal preference. You can steam it like idli in a steamer for about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the Pitha.

OR you could boil it like Pasta or dhokli in water. I like it this way and galloping on the freshly fished out Faras from the hot pot is my favourite way to start a weekend brunch.

You could also experiment and bake these Goojhas in oven. I had tried that too, and the result was not so great since the whole essence of this wonderful snack is to have it when its slightly lumpy and not crunchy like bread. But try that if you are interested in something new. It will be a new and healthy snack nevertheless

OK, so I think I have covered all important points related to the basics of this famous food from Banaras. Lets move towards the recipe now. I hope you like it and would love to hear from you.

This is a Vegan dish and can be made gluten free if only made with rice flour.