What is the first thing that comes to your mind when we say Litti-Chokha? We bet it’s a childhood memory of yours, relishing this comfort meal with your friends and family. Litti - Chokha, is a complete meal that originated from the Indian state of Bihar. Today it’s spread and become famous in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of Northern India too. Litti is a dough ball made up of whole wheat flour and stuffed with gram flour, pulses and mixed with herbs and spices. It is baked over coal or wood and cooked with large amounts of ghee. The litti are traditionally baked over a wood fire. Many people from B-town have taken a liking for this dish and stars are often seeing relishing it. (Read: Move Over Litti Chokha: 4 Bihari Drinks That Are Perfect For A Summer Indulgence). The latest star to do is Pankaj Tripathi. The actor recently went to his village in Gopalganj district and was seen preparing litti-chokha, sitting with his friends and family on the ground and cooking. A video is currently going around the internet which shows the actor making the dish.
In the video Tripathi can be seen deep in concentration while he prepares the littis. Pankaj’s fan uploaded this video to social media and captioned it in hindi writing, "This is the love for a village...it doesn't change colours with money)." The video has since then gone viral on social media with other users also reacting to the video with heart emojis. If you’re tempted to taste this regional Bihari dish, here’s a recipe of Litti, from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor for you:
Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta) kneaded into a dough with ghee, salt and sufficien 2 cups
Roasted chana flour (sattu) 1/2 cup
Medium onion finely chopped 1
Garlic finely chopped 1 tablespoon
Ginger finely chopped 1 teaspoon
Green chillies finely chopped 2-3
Carom seeds (ajwain) 1/4 teaspoon
Onion seeds (kalonji) 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves chopped 2 tablespoons
Red chilli pickle masala 2 teaspoons
Mustard oil 1 teaspoon
Ghee to serve
Method:
Preheat the air-fryer to 180º C.
To make the stuffing, take sattu in a bowl, add onion, ginger and green chillies in a bowl. Add carom seeds, onion seeds, salt, coriander leaves, red chilli pickle masala and mustard oil and mix well. Also add 2-3 tsps water and mix well.
Divide the dough into equal portions and roll them into balls. Spread each ball in your palm keeping the edges thinner than the centre. Place a little stuffing in the centre of each ball, gather the edges and seal. Roll into balls again.
Place the prepared balls in an air fryer basket, fit it to the air-fryer and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Pour hot ghee over the litti and serve hot with chokha.
