Jharkhand Litti Chokha Baked Wheat Ball Roasted Vegetable

Method

1. 1

   Make the sattu filling: Sattu is roasted gram flour with a distinctly nutty flavour. If you cannot find it at stores, make it yourself: dry roast 1 cup besan (chickpea flour) in a pan without oil on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 12 to 15 minutes until it turns deep golden and smells intensely nutty. Cool completely. In a bowl mix the sattu, finely chopped onion, garlic, grated ginger, green chillies, ajwain, kalonji, lemon juice, 1 tbsp mustard oil and salt. Mix well. The filling should be dry and crumbly — not wet. If it feels too dry add 1 tsp more lemon juice or water.

2. 2

   Make the litti dough: Combine 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsp ghee. Rub the ghee into the flour. Add water gradually and knead into a firm, smooth dough — firmer than chapati dough. Cover and rest 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Roast the chokha vegetables: For the chokha, you need to roast the brinjal, tomatoes, garlic and green chillies directly over a gas flame. Hold each brinjal with tongs over the flame, turning every 2 minutes for 15 to 20 minutes until completely charred outside and collapsed inside. Do the same with the tomatoes for 5 minutes. Place unpeeled garlic and green chillies on a hot dry griddle and roast until charred.

4. 4

   Prepare the chokha: Peel and discard all charred skin from the roasted brinjal and tomatoes. Mash the flesh together in a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins. Chop the roasted chillies. Add everything to the mashed mixture. Add 1 finely chopped raw onion, 2 tbsp mustard oil, salt and fresh coriander. Mix well. This is the chokha — it should taste smoky, tangy and sharp.

5. 5

   Shape and fill the litti: Divide the dough into 12 equal balls. Take one ball, flatten it into a cup shape in your palm. Place 1 to 2 tbsp of sattu filling in the centre. Gather the edges of the dough up around the filling and pinch firmly at the top to seal. Roll gently between palms into a smooth round ball. Repeat with all the dough.

6. 6

   Bake the litti: There are two traditional methods. Method 1 — Wood fire or tandoor: Place the litti directly on hot embers or in a tandoor and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until charred and cooked through. Method 2 — Gas flame: Hold each litti with tongs directly over a medium gas flame, rotating every 30 seconds for 8 to 10 minutes until it is charred and hard. Method 3 — Oven: Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Place litti on a baking tray. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until hard and golden, turning once.

7. 7

   Apply ghee: As soon as the litti come off the heat, crack them open slightly with your thumb and pour a generous amount of ghee inside and over the top. The hot litti absorbs the ghee.

8. 8

   Serve: Place 3 litti on a plate alongside a generous portion of chokha. Break open the litti, dip into the chokha and eat together. Also serve with a small bowl of ghee for additional dipping.

9. 9

   A note on sattu: Sattu is the defining ingredient of Jharkhand and Bihar cuisine. It is sold at Indian stores in the flour section. If unavailable, roasting regular besan works as a substitute though the flavour is slightly different.

10. 10

    Leftovers: Litti can be stored at room temperature for 2 days and reheated over a flame or in the oven. The chokha keeps in the refrigerator for 2 days.