Tisi (linseed/flaxseed; alsi in Hindi) is a signature Maithil and Bihari ingredient, and its dry chutney is a defining everyday relish. Brown linseed is dry-roasted until nutty, then ground — often with garlic, red chilli, cumin and salt — into a coarse powder eaten with rice and a spoon of mustard oil or ghee, or smeared on roti. It is valued both for its earthy, toasty flavour and as a warming winter food.
The same tisi turns up across the Maithil kitchen in other guises — notably tisauri (linseed mixed with ground lentils and spices, shaped and sun-dried into nuggets to be fried later). As a condiment, tisi ke chutney is the kind of humble, frugal preparation that locals will tell you marks an authentically Mithila meal. (Filed under “pickle” as the closest category — strictly it is a dry chutney-powder, not an oil pickle.)