Dhuska

Dhuska is a traditional dish from Jharkhand. It is a common breakfast dish in the districts of Ranchi, Palamu, and Hazaribagh, particularly in the rural and tribal belts of the region. It is made during festivals, especially Holi and Dussehra, and enjoyed with a bowl of vegetable gravy such as ghugni [black chickpea curry], aloo-gobhi ki subzi, lauki ki subzi, or other regional preparations. Dhuska and ghugni is a classic combination. These savory breads are also a preferred travel food because they store well and can be enjoyed without any side dish.

Dhuska was once traditionally made only via fermentation; in fact, Singh et al. list it as among the important fermented dishes of Jharkhand: “The traditional method of preparation includes a combination of rice and lentils to be washed, soaked, and ground. After grinding, the batter is left for fermentation. From the batter, small balls are taken, flattened, and fried later.”^[1] Fermented foods were once preferred for their palatability and digestibility. These days, however, many make this without fermentation for the sake of ease and convenience.

The dhuska presented here is made without fermentation. It may look very similar to a puri from the outside, but it is vastly different even without the action of fermenting bacteria and yeasts. Dhuska is made with a combination of rice and lentils, while puris are made from wheat flour (aata) or sometimes also refined flour (maida). In terms of texture, dhuska is thicker, softer, and slightly grainy from the outside, more bread-like unlike the crisper pooris and bhaturas that are elsewhere ubiquitous. Dhuska can be enjoyed without any accompaniment or a simple chutney—and is a signature dish of Bihar and Jharkhand.

[1] Usha Singh, Seema Singh, and Sunita Kumari Kamal, “Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of Bihar and Jharkhand.” In Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of India: Science History and Culture. Ed. Jyoti Prakash Tamang. Singapore: Springer, 2020, p. 113