Here’s an authentic and easy-to-follow Litti Chokha recipe, a beloved dish from Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh in India. It’s rustic, flavorful, and traditionally cooked over charcoal, but can be easily adapted to a gas stove or oven.
🥟 Part 1: LITTI (Stuffed Wheat Balls)
🌾 Ingredients for Litti Dough:
- Whole wheat flour – 2 cups
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Ghee or oil – 1 tbsp (for kneading)
- Water – as needed (for kneading)
🫘 Ingredients for Sattu Stuffing:
- Sattu (roasted gram flour) – 1 cup
- Finely chopped onion – 1 small
- Finely chopped garlic – 4–5 cloves
- Grated ginger – 1 tsp
- Finely chopped green chili – 1
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp (or dry mango powder – 1/2 tsp)
- Mustard oil – 2 tbsp
- Pickle masala – 1 tsp (optional but authentic)
- Carom seeds (ajwain) – 1/4 tsp
- Kalonji (optional) – 1/4 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Water – a few spoons (just to bind, optional)
👨🍳 How to Make Litti:
- Prepare the Dough:
- Mix wheat flour, salt, and ghee/oil.
- Add water and knead into a medium-firm dough.
- Cover and let it rest for 20–30 minutes.
- Make the Sattu Filling:
- Mix all stuffing ingredients in a bowl.
- Add a spoon of water only if it’s too dry, just enough to bind.
- Shape the Littis:
- Divide dough into equal lemon-sized balls.
- Flatten each ball, fill with sattu mix, and seal tightly.
- Shape into round balls again.
- Cook the Littis:
- Traditional method: Roast over hot charcoal or cow-dung fire.
- Home method:
- Oven: Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30–35 minutes, flipping in between.
- Stove-top: Roast on a tawa on low flame, rotating to cook evenly.
- Brush with ghee after cooking.
🍆 Chokha (Mashed Vegetable Side)
There are usually three types:
- Baingan Chokha (roasted eggplant)
- Aloo Chokha (boiled potatoes)
- Tamatar Chokha (roasted tomatoes)
🔥 Basic Ingredients (for each Chokha type):
- Roasted/brushed/boiled vegetable – 1-2 (as per type)
- Finely chopped onion – 1 small
- Finely chopped garlic – 3–4 cloves
- Grated ginger – 1 tsp
- Green chili – to taste
- Mustard oil – 1 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
- Coriander leaves – optional
🥣 Method (for any Chokha):
- Roast or boil the vegetables.
- Peel and mash them.
- Mix in all other ingredients.
- Drizzle mustard oil generously for that punchy, smoky flavor.
🥘 Serving:
- Serve hot Litti drizzled with ghee.
- Pair it with one or more types of Chokha.
- Optionally serve with papad, green chutney, or buttermilk.
🥟 Litti Chokha – FAQ
🔸 1. What is Litti Chokha?
Litti Chokha is a traditional dish from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
- Litti is a stuffed whole wheat ball filled with spiced sattu (roasted gram flour).
- Chokha is a mashed vegetable side dish made with roasted or boiled eggplant, potato, or tomato, mixed with raw spices and mustard oil.
🔸 2. What is sattu, and can I substitute it?
Sattu is roasted black gram (chana) flour. It gives a nutty, earthy flavor to Litti and is the heart of the dish.
Substitute?
- You can use besan (gram flour), but it should be dry-roasted to mimic sattu.
- However, the taste will not be the same as authentic sattu.
🔸 3. Is Litti Chokha healthy?
Yes, it’s quite nutritious:
- High in fiber & protein (thanks to sattu)
- Uses mustard oil, which is heart-healthy in moderation
- Often cooked without deep frying
But note: brushing with too much ghee can add extra calories (delicious though!).
🔸 4. Is Litti Chokha vegan or vegetarian?
- Yes, it’s vegetarian and can easily be made vegan by skipping ghee or replacing it with mustard oil.
🔸 5. Can I bake Litti instead of roasting over fire?
Yes! Here are modern options:
- Oven: Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30–35 minutes, flipping midway.
- Air fryer: 180°C for 15–20 mins, checking for even cooking.
- Tawa method: Roast on low flame, turning to cook all sides evenly.
🔸 6. Why is mustard oil used in chokha?
Mustard oil gives chokha its signature pungency and punch. It’s not just traditional—it’s essential for the flavor.
If you’re not used to mustard oil, start with a smaller amount.
🔸 7. Can I make the sattu filling in advance?
Yes, the sattu mixture can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just bring it to room temperature before using.
🔸 8. What to serve with Litti Chokha?
- Ghee (always poured over hot littis)
- Chutney – Tomato, garlic, or green chutney
- Chokha – One or all of baingan (eggplant), aloo (potato), and tamatar (tomato)
- Buttermilk or curd
🔸 9. Can I freeze Litti or Chokha?
- Litti: Can be frozen after baking. Reheat in oven or air fryer.
- Chokha: Not ideal to freeze, as raw onions and mustard oil lose freshness and texture.
🔸 10. Is Litti the same as Bati from Rajasthan?
Not quite. Though similar in appearance:
- Litti uses sattu stuffing and mustard oil.
- Baati (from Rajasthani Dal Baati) is usually plain and served with dal and lots of ghee.
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