RAG Demo

Tag: Rustic

  • Litti Chokha

    Litti chokha is the signature dish of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, once a travellers' meal because it keeps well and needs no utensils to cook. It is said that soldiers and farmers baked littis in the embers of cow-dung fires, and today the street vendors of Patna still roast them over coal in wide clay ovens.

    The litti is a ball of whole wheat dough stuffed with sattu, roasted gram flour, mixed with mustard oil, garlic, ginger, ajwain, lemon, green chillies and the sour tang of pickle masala. Roasted until the crust is firm and slightly charred, it is cracked and dipped in ghee. Chokha is the smoky accompaniment: fire-roasted brinjal, tomato and boiled potato mashed with raw mustard oil, garlic and onion.

    It is eaten for lunch or dinner, at festivals and picnics, and has become popular across North India. The pungency of raw mustard oil is essential to both parts. An oven gives good results at home, though nothing quite matches the smoky flavour of coal-roasted littis. The chokha can be made while the littis bake, so both are ready together and can be served piping hot.

    At a glance

    RegionBihar
    CuisineBihari
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time45 minutes
    Total time85 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswhole wheat flour / sattu / brinjal / tomato / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    For the litti dough

    • 2 cups whole wheat atta
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • About 3/4 cup water

    For the sattu filling

    • 1 1/2 cups chana sattu
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 inch ginger, grated
    • 2 green chillies, chopped
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain
    • 1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella)
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp achar masala from mango pickle
    • 3 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 2 to 3 tbsp water

    For the chokha

    • 1 large brinjal (about 400 g)
    • 3 tomatoes
    • 2 potatoes, boiled and peeled
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 green chillies, chopped
    • 2 tbsp raw mustard oil
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • Salt to taste

    To serve

    • 1/2 cup melted ghee

    Method

    1. Knead atta, ajwain, salt, ghee and water into a stiff, smooth dough. Rest 20 minutes.
    2. Mix all filling ingredients, adding water a spoon at a time until the sattu holds together when pressed but is still crumbly.
    3. Divide the dough into 10 balls. Flatten each into a cup, fill with 2 tbsp sattu, seal and roll into a smooth ball.
    4. Bake on coals or in an oven preheated to 200 C for 30 to 35 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until the littis are firm, golden-brown and sound hollow when tapped. A gas tandoor or appe pan on low heat also works.
    5. For the chokha, rub the brinjal and tomatoes with a little oil and roast directly on a gas flame, turning often, until charred all over – about 12 minutes for the brinjal, 5 for the tomatoes. Cover to steam, then peel.
    6. Mash the brinjal, tomatoes and potatoes together. Mix in onion, garlic, green chillies, raw mustard oil, coriander and salt.
    7. Crack each hot litti slightly with your fingers and dip it in or brush generously with melted ghee. Serve with chokha.

    Tips

    • Raw mustard oil in both the filling and the chokha gives the authentic pungency; do not cook it.
    • If the sattu filling is too dry, the litti will taste dusty; it should clump when squeezed.
    • Achar masala from the pickle jar adds the characteristic tang – use a little oil from the pickle too.

    Serve with

    Baingan-tomato chokha, green chutney and ghee.

  • Sarson da Saag

    Sarson da saag is the taste of a Punjabi winter. When the fields turn yellow with mustard flowers between November and February, the tender leaves are picked by the bundle and cooked for hours in clay pots over slow fires. It is a peasant dish that has become a symbol of rural Punjab, often mentioned in the same breath as makki di roti.

    The flavour is earthy, slightly bitter and peppery from the mustard, softened by spinach and bathua (chenopodium). Nothing about it is smooth like a puree; good saag is coarsely churned with a wooden mathani so it keeps some texture. A generous tadka of ghee, garlic, ginger and green chillies brings it alive.

    It is eaten for lunch with makki di roti topped with white butter, a piece of jaggery, raw onion and a glass of lassi. Families often cook a big batch and reheat it over several days, since the flavour deepens with time. In village homes the leftover saag is also eaten cold with a fresh roti and a spoon of butter for breakfast.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time115 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmustard greens / spinach / bathua / makki atta / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the saag

    • 1 kg sarson (mustard greens), tender leaves and stems
    • 300 g palak (spinach)
    • 150 g bathua (or extra spinach)
    • 2 inch ginger, chopped
    • 8 garlic cloves
    • 3 to 4 green chillies
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 3 tbsp makki atta (maize flour)

    For the tadka

    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • White butter to serve

    Method

    1. Strip the mustard leaves, peel the thick lower stems and chop everything finely. Chop spinach and bathua. Wash in several changes of water, lifting the greens out so grit stays behind.
    2. Put the greens in a large pressure cooker or heavy pot with ginger, garlic, green chillies, salt and water. Pressure cook 3 whistles on medium, or simmer covered in a pot for 45 minutes, until the stems are completely soft.
    3. Mash the greens with a wooden churner or pulse briefly with a hand blender to a coarse texture – not a smooth puree.
    4. Return the pot to low heat. Whisk the makki atta with 1/4 cup water and stir it in gradually. Cook uncovered on low for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the saag thickens and loses its raw flour taste.
    5. For the tadka, heat ghee in a pan on medium. Fry the onion until golden, about 6 minutes, then add garlic and ginger and cook until the garlic turns light brown.
    6. Add tomato if using and cook 3 minutes until soft, then the chilli powder. Pour the tadka over the saag, stir and simmer 5 more minutes.
    7. Serve hot with a generous dollop of white butter on top.

    Tips

    • If the mustard is very bitter, increase the spinach share or add a small piece of jaggery.
    • Saag freezes well in portions; make the tadka fresh when reheating.
    • Choose bunches with thin stems and no yellowing – older mustard is fibrous and pungent.

    Serve with

    Makki di roti with white butter, jaggery, raw onion and lassi.

  • Thalipeeth

    Thalipeeth is a rustic, savoury multigrain pancake from Maharashtra, made from bhajani, a flour of roasted grains and lentils such as jowar, bajra, rice, wheat, chana dal, urad dal and coriander seeds. Families roast and mill a batch of bhajani every few months, so thalipeeth can be made at short notice for breakfast or a light dinner.

    The dough is mixed with chopped onion, coriander, chilli and spices, then patted thin directly onto the tawa or onto a wet cloth, with a few holes poked in it so oil can seep through. It cooks slowly under a lid until the base is crisp and dark golden and the top is cooked through. The flavour is nutty and earthy, with a toasty aroma from the roasted grains.

    It is eaten hot with a dollop of white butter or ghee, fresh curd and a spicy thecha or lime pickle. During fasts a version is made with sabudana and rajgira flour instead. Leftover vegetables or grated cucumber can also be added to the dough, and many homes make thalipeeth with whatever is in the fridge.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMaharashtrian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsbhajani flour / onion / jowar / coriander

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (240 g) thalipeeth bhajani flour
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 1/2 cup chopped coriander
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • 1/4 tsp ajwain
    • 1 tsp salt
    • About 3/4 cup water
    • Oil for cooking
    • White butter or ghee to serve

    Method

    1. Combine the bhajani, onion, coriander, chillies, spices, sesame, ajwain and salt in a bowl and mix well. The onion will release some moisture.
    2. Add water gradually and knead into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Divide into 6 portions.
    3. Grease a cold, heavy tawa or wet a clean cotton cloth or a sheet of plastic. Place a portion of dough on it and pat with wet fingers into a round about 6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.
    4. Make 4-5 holes in the thalipeeth with your finger, one in the centre and the rest around it.
    5. If patted on cloth, flip it onto a hot tawa and peel the cloth away. Place the tawa on medium heat and drizzle 1/2 tsp oil into each hole and around the edges.
    6. Cover and cook on medium-low for 4-5 minutes until the underside is crisp and dark golden.
    7. Flip, drizzle a little more oil and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes until spotted brown. If patting directly on the tawa, let it cool slightly with a splash of water before making the next one.

    Tips

    • Patting on a cool tawa is easier; heat it after shaping. Cool the tawa with water between batches.
    • No bhajani? Mix equal parts jowar, bajra and besan with a little rice flour and roasted coriander-cumin powder.
    • Bhajani contains wheat; leave it out of your mix for a gluten-free version.

    Serve with

    White butter, thick curd and shengdana or green chilli thecha.

  • Ulava Charu

    Ulava charu is an old, rustic dish from the Krishna and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh, made from horse gram, a hardy lentil grown in dry areas. Traditionally the horse gram was boiled for hours and the cooking liquid strained off, then simmered down with tamarind and spices. It is believed to warm the body and was popular in winter, and it has since become a speciality of upscale Andhra restaurants.

    The charu is dark brown, thick and glossy, with an earthy, nutty, slightly smoky flavour balanced by the sourness of tamarind. It is mixed with hot rice and finished with a spoon of fresh cream or butter, which mellows the tang. Some people eat it like a soup. It is also sold in jars at some Andhra sweet and pickle shops.

    At a glance

    RegionAndhra Pradesh
    CuisineAndhra
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSoup
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time105 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientshorse gram / tamarind / onion / garlic / cream

    Ingredients

    For the horse gram stock

    • 1 cup horse gram (ulavalu), soaked overnight
    • 6 cups water
    • 1/2 tsp salt

    For the charu

    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
    • lemon-sized tamarind, soaked in 1 cup water
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • salt to taste

    To serve

    • fresh cream or white butter
    • finely chopped onion

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked horse gram with salt and 6 cups water for 10-12 whistles on medium heat, or simmer in an open pot for 2-3 hours, until very soft.
    2. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl, pressing the beans lightly. Keep the cooked horse gram for a sundal or salad. Grind 2-3 tbsp of the cooked beans with a little stock and add to the liquid for body.
    3. Squeeze and strain the tamarind to get thick extract.
    4. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Splutter mustard seeds, then add cumin, fenugreek and red chillies. Add curry leaves, onion, garlic and green chillies and fry on medium heat for 5 minutes until golden.
    5. Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander and cumin powder and fry for 30 seconds.
    6. Pour in the horse gram stock and tamarind extract, add jaggery and salt, and bring to a boil.
    7. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to a thick, dark, glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
    8. Serve hot over rice, topped with a spoon of cream or butter and chopped onion.

    Tips

    • Long, slow reduction is what develops the deep colour and flavour; do not rush it.
    • The charu keeps well for 3-4 days in the fridge and thickens further.
    • Horse gram must be well soaked and fully cooked; it is a very hard lentil.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with fresh cream and onions, or as a soup with a dollop of butter.