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We have, since our childhood, been intrigued by the simple dish called chokha that is extremely popular in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. It lacks colour but no one can dispute its purity. In its most basic form, it is plain potato mash but far superior to the brown hash that goes with the all-American breakfast. The bharta-like chokha is made with baked or boiled potatoes. The purists insist that chokha can only be prepared when if the potatoes are baked in the low heat of upla (cowdung cakes). They acquire a subtle smoky flavour that is truly unmatched. There is just a hint of pungent mustard contributed by uncooked mustard oil that is blended with the potatoes. In its original version, onions and garlic are eschewed. For added flavour, the garnish of fresh chopped coriander and green chillies contribute their lot effectively. Each household in Poorvanchal — eastern UP and Bihar — has a family recipe of this poor man's recipe. Some add ground cumin seeds and others have no inhibition about lacing it with some pickled spices, including the oil. During our recent visit to Dewaria, we were treated by Amma Kunti Devi to a chokha that combined baked potatoes and baked brinjals, the duet played perfectly and the dish was wonderfully balanced. We ate a lot but without any guilt as the fattening quantum of the potatoes was reduced to a large extent. Incidentally, Lalu, in his better days, had promoted this as the national dish of Bihar and made a show of consuming it gleefully in public eye to prove that fodder scam or no fodder scam, he relished what the common man ate. A good thing about chokha is that it can be paired both with roti and chawal as a side dish with arhar ki dal. Chokha
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