Sattu, flour made from roasted chickpeas, is the protein staple of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Farmers and labourers carry it to the fields mixed with water and salt, and in homes it becomes litti, sharbat and these stuffed parathas. Cheap, filling and shelf-stable, it is one of the oldest convenience foods in India.
The filling is dry, savoury and sharp: sattu mixed with raw onion, garlic, green chilli, ajwain, kalonji, lemon and mustard oil, often with a spoon of masala from the mango pickle jar. Once rolled inside a wheat dough and cooked on a tawa with ghee, it gives a nutty, smoky paratha that keeps you going until lunch.
At a glance
| Region | Bihar |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Bihari |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Breakfast |
| Prep time | 25 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 50 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | sattu / whole wheat flour / onion / mustard oil |
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oil
- About 3/4 cup water
For the filling
- 1 cup sattu (roasted gram flour)
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1/2 tsp ajwain
- 1/2 tsp kalonji
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp mango pickle masala (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tbsp water if needed
For cooking
- Ghee or oil, as needed
Method
- Knead the atta with salt, oil and water into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl. Squeeze with your hand – the filling should hold together when pressed but crumble when poked. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp water if it is too dry.
- Divide the dough into 8 balls and the filling into 8 portions.
- Roll a ball into a 10 cm disc, place a portion of filling in the centre, bring the edges together and pinch to seal. Flatten gently.
- Dust with flour and roll carefully into an 18 cm paratha, applying light, even pressure so the filling does not break through.
- Cook on a hot tawa over medium heat for 1 minute until small bubbles appear, flip and cook another minute.
- Spread ghee on both sides and cook, pressing with a spatula, until both sides have golden-brown spots, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with the rest.
Tips
- Chop the onion very finely; large pieces tear the paratha while rolling.
- If the filling is too dry the paratha tastes powdery, too wet and it leaks – aim for damp sand.
- Wrap cooked parathas in a cloth to keep them soft if packing for travel.
Serve with
Curd, mango pickle and aloo chokha or a hot cup of tea.