What to Eat in Netarhat Today?

Breakfast after sunrise

Dhuska is what you want after a cold dawn at the viewpoint. A batter of rice and chana dal is deep-fried into thick, crisp discs and served with ghugni or potato curry. Small stalls and dhabas fry it in the morning.

The Jharkhandi thali

The everyday meal on the plateau is a thali of rice, dal, a seasonal saag (leafy greens), a potato dish and sometimes a dhuska or litti on the side. It is simple, cheap and made with what grows locally. Lodges often serve it as a fixed lunch or dinner.

Litti chokha

Baked wheat balls stuffed with spiced sattu, served with chokha — roasted brinjal, tomato and potato mashed with mustard oil. It is heavy and warming, and good on a cold evening.

Rugra

Rugra, also called putu, is a wild mushroom foraged in sal forests after the first monsoon rains, usually around June and July. It is cooked simply with onion and spices and has an earthy taste. It is seasonal and scarce, so if you are on the plateau in the early monsoon, ask for it.

Thekua

A hard, sweet biscuit of wheat flour and jaggery, fried and flavoured with fennel or coconut. It is the classic offering at Chhath and goes well with tea at the sunset point.

Things to know

Netarhat has only a handful of places to eat, most of them attached to lodges or at the small market. Menus are short, and kitchens close early — often by 9 pm. If you plan to watch the sunset and then eat, tell your lodge in advance. Carry water and snacks to the viewpoints and falls, where there are few or no stalls.

For where to find each dish, see where to eat.