Baked Litti Chokha

Have you ever tried a dish with raw mustard oil and garlic? I never did before I got married. It was after i got married that I started my experiments with different cuisines, both to satisfy my taste buds and to impress my husband. He, being from the eastern side of the country, enjoys the local food much more than any exotic dish. Would you believe that even though we had known each other for 6 years before marriage and were quite comfortable with each other, he never demanded any special dish. I had to coax him to tell me what he wants to eat; something different, something special. And, he is such a simple person that he asked (very politely with least expectations; or may be he was doubtful of my culinary skills ;)) for the desi food he had back in his home town. And, so I began searching for recipes online, tweaked them to what he told me from his best food memories and came up with my own version of Litti Chokha. The low fat, baked littis with the rustic chokha.

Litti

Filling

Ingredients:

• Sattu – 1 cup
• Ginger – 1 inch finely chopped
• Green chilli – 1 chopped
• Peas – 1/4 cup (thoroughly washed)
• Mustard Oil – 3 tbsp (mustard oil from mango pickle works best, but if you don’t have access to that, use raw mustard oil)
• Lemon Juice – Juice of 1 lemon
• Asafoetida – a pinch (optional)
• Salt – to taste
• Nigella Seeds  – 1 tbsp
• Carrom Seeds – 1 tbsp

Method:

Mix all ingredients and you are done

 

 

 

 

 

 

Litti

Ingredients:

wheat flour – 2 cups

semolina 2 Tbsp

baking soda – 1/4 tsp

oil – 4 Tbsp

salt – 1/2 tsp

carrom seeds – 1/2 tsp

luke warm water – 1 cup (approximately)

Ghee – to dip the littis after cooking

Method:

• Mix the dry ingredients and add oil.
• Knead it into dough using luke warm water. The dough should be of same consistency as we prepare for pooris.
• Cover with wet kitchen towel and set aside for 15-30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Once the dough is set, divide it into 7 portions. Take a one portion and make a golf sized ball. Press the ball at the center so as to make space for the filling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Add the filling and fold the sides to close the ball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Repeat the steps for remaining 7 portions and meanwhile preheat the oven at 180 C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Keep all the balls in the oven for 25-30 minutes flipping them mid-way.
• Take the littis out and dip them into ghee.

Littis are ready!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chokha

Ingredients

• Aubergine – 1 big
• Potatoes – 2
• Tomato – 2 medium
• Garlic – 4 cloves (finely chopped)
• Green Chili – 2 (finely chopped)
• Raw Mustard Oil – 2 tbsp
• Oil to grease
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnishing

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 220 C.
• Grease the Aubergine and roast them in oven for 30 – 40 minutes. Do the toothpick test to see if it is cooked from inside.
• Blanch or oven roast the tomatoes just to the level when they appear cooked. Peel off the skin and set aside.
• Boil or oven roast the potatoes (the authentic recipe calls for roast, but I generally microwave them for 7-10 minutes)
• Mash all the three ingredients and mix.
• Add mustard oil, salt, green chilies, and garlic and mix gently.
• Garnish with fresh coriander, and you are done!