Tharu cuisine legacy: Dhikiri

October 25, 2025

Tharu community cuisine is characterized by its use of local, seasonal ingredients, especially rice, fish and other river creatures like snails and crabs. Signature dishes include Dhikri, steamed rice flour dumplings often served with a curry or chutney and Ghonghi, a spicy snail dish cooked with local spices. Other notable items are Bagiya (a sweet, often filled rice flour dumpling), Bhatmas Sadeko (a spicy roasted soybean snack) and various curries and grilled meats. 

Dhikiri is an steamed rice dumplings made from rice flour often served with chutneys or curry. This cuisine is rich, tasty and earthy and is eaten almost on a daily basis as a staple tharu food.

HOW DO WE PRAPARE DHIKIRI?

Step1: To make Dhikri, rice flour is first mixed with warm water and kneaded into a soft dough. The dough is then shaped into small oval or cylindrical pieces by hand.

Step2: These pieces are placed in a steamer lined with banana leaves and steamed until fully cooked.

Step3: Once done, Dhikri is served warm often with ghiu, achar, or lentil soup (musal). It’s simple, healthy, and deeply rooted in Tharu culture.

We on a group of four students prepared Dhikiri as our Agrobiodivesrsity assignment and we shared the food among our friends. It was really fun and tasty evening.

Glimpse of the event/ Serving 

Cultural Significance

Dhikri holds cultural significance among the Tharu community as a symbol of prosperity and unity, traditionally prepared during Maghi Parba to celebrate the New Year and strengthen family bonds.

Conclusion

Sharing the cultural and historically significant cusine of tharu among one another brought immense joy among us as the process of preparation was fun and very close to us. Dhikiri holds the utmost significance in tharu culture.