A Bihari Delicacy!

Bihar is known for its litti – chokha. My fellowship experience, much like Aamir Khan's recent visit to Patna, would have been incomplete without a cooking lesson on making this favorite local treat! Recipe below for those that want to try it!!

Ingredients for approximately 40 littis (a minimum quantity @ the guesthouse!):

·         2 packets of Sattu (250gms each)
·         4 medium Onions
·         Handful Green Chilies
·         2 tbsp Garlic
·         2 Tomatoes
·         One large bunch of coriander
·         4 Lemons
·         4 cups Wheat Flour
·         2 tbsp of ajwain
·         Oil for frying
                     ·        Salt to taste

Step 1: Empty the sattu in a large bowl. Use your fingers to break up the mixture. Keep working your way through the bowl. When it is adequately broken up, you’ll notice you can form shapes  and it begins to stick together.

Step 2: Add diced chilies, garlic, onions to this mixture. Mix well. Squeeze lemon juice onto the mixture. 

Step 3: Knead wheat dough into a thick consistency adding water, oil and salt. Add ajwain to the mix.

Step 4: Grab a generous amount of dough and roll into a smooth giant round ball.

Step 5: Next start pressing in the center of the dough to make a hollow center – so it starts to look like a bowl.

Step 6: Stuff a giant spoonful of the the sattu stuffing into the dough bowl.

Step 7: Bring in the sides of the wheat dough together. This will cover up the sattu completely with the wheat dough. The uncooked litti should look like this.

Step 8 : Heat the oil and fly until the cover is golden brown. (You can also cook the litti over an open fire for a healthier version).

Step 9: The finished litti will look like the picture below.  Serve them slightly warm. 

To accompany the litti – Biharies make a variety of sides chokha including chutney, eggplant, potatoes, a selection of sauces. We made simple yet tasty chutney to go along with our littis.

Steps for coriander chutney:

     1) Roast tomatoes over an open flame until the skin gets a little burnt

     2) Peel off the skin of the tomato.

     3) Roast garlic, coriander and chillies on a pan. Wait till they get a little brown. This gives the chutney a nice roasted flavor.

4)  Grind tomatoes, garlic, chilies, coriander in a mixer. Add salt. Don’t add too much water – you want the chutney to maintain a thick consistency.

 5)Serve with your Litti!

Munna ji:  My instructor & the cook at the guesthouse!