From Bihar to Your Plate: Discover the Irresistible Charm of Litti Chokha
By Jugnu Gupta
Pune, 2nd December 2023: Litti, paired with chokha, is a delectable and hearty meal originating from Bihar, with popularity extending to Jharkhand and the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. This dish, consisting of dough balls filled with sattu (roasted gram flour) and roasted over coal or wood, is a perfect addition to your lunch or dinner menu.
Litti is traditionally accompanied by chokha, a side dish made with roasted vegetables like potatoes, eggplant, and more. In this recipe, we will explore a variation using aloo bharta. Feel free to customize the spice levels and flavors to suit your preferences, providing a delightful change from your regular meals.
Let’s bring a taste of Eastern Indian cuisine to your table.
Ingredients:
For Litti Dough:
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tablespoons Oil
To Taste Salt
¾ Cup-1 Cup Water
For Filling:
1.5 Cup Sattu
2 Medium Onions
1 Inch Ginger
8-10 Cloves Garlic
2-3 Green Chillies
¼ Cup Fresh Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
1 Teaspoon Onion seeds (Kalonji)
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
To Taste Salt
1.5 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Mustard Oil
1 Tablespoon Mango Powder (Amchoor)
For Aloo Bharta (Chokha):
4 Potatoes
2 Dried Red Chillies
1 Small Chopped Onion
1 Tablespoon Mustard Oil
To Taste Salt
Steps:
In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and oil. Gradually add water to form a dough (ensuring it isn’t too soft). Rest the dough for some time.
For the filling, mix finely chopped onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies, and coriander leaves with sattu and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
Take small portions of the dough, hollow the center, fill it with the sattu mix, and roll into balls. Ensure the stuffing is well-contained. (Size of litti should be a medium-sized ball)
Roast the litti individually over an open flame until charred, or opt for deep-frying at low heat for 10-15 minutes, air frying at 170 °C for 15 minutes, or oven baking at 180 °C for 20 minutes in a preheated setting. Traditional littis are roasted on coals or wood for an authentic smoky flavor.
For Aloo Bharta, roast whole chillies in mustard oil, add onions, and sauté until pink. Lastly, add boiled and mashed potatoes, season with salt, and cook for a few minutes on medium heat.
Serve the crispy littis with hot chokha. It’s crucial to accompany them with ghee, adding softness to the litti and richness to the Indian dish.
(Jugnu Gupta is a chef, epicure, food consultant, influencer, blogger and recipe developer trained at Le Cordon Bleu Institutes, London and Paris. Visit her Instagram profile @taste_palate and website www.tastepalate.in )
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