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Tag: Smoky

  • 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.

  • Baingan Bharta

    Bharta simply means mashed, and Punjabi baingan bharta is the smoky, rustic way village kitchens dealt with the big purple eggplants of winter. Traditionally the baingan was buried in the embers of the chulha or tandoor until its skin blackened and the flesh collapsed, then peeled and cooked with onions and tomatoes.

    Everything depends on the char. Roasting directly over flame gives the flesh a deep smoky flavour that no amount of spice can replace. The cooked bharta is soft and slightly chunky, with sweetness from onions, tang from tomatoes, the bite of raw green chilli and garlic, and the freshness of coriander. Mustard oil, if you use it, adds a pungent edge.

    It is everyday food, eaten with hot phulkas or makki di roti, a bowl of dal and some curd. In winter, bharta and bajra roti is a common Punjabi village dinner. The smoky flavour also pairs well with plain parathas, and leftovers make a good filling for a sandwich or wrap. Large, light, shiny eggplants with few seeds give the best result.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientseggplant / onion / tomato / garlic

    Ingredients

    • 1 large bharta baingan (about 600 g)
    • 1 tsp oil for rubbing
    • 3 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • Salt to taste
    • 3 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Wash and dry the baingan, rub with a little oil and make 3 or 4 small slits; push a garlic clove into a couple of them if you like.
    2. Place directly on a gas flame on medium. Roast 12 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes with tongs, until the skin is charred and blistered all over and the baingan collapses when pressed.
    3. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let it steam 10 minutes. Peel off the burnt skin, discard the stem and mash the flesh roughly with a fork.
    4. Heat mustard oil until it smokes, then lower the heat to medium. Add cumin seeds, then onions, and cook 6 to 7 minutes until light golden.
    5. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and saute 2 minutes until the garlic smells cooked.
    6. Add tomatoes, turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. Cook 5 to 6 minutes until the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy.
    7. Add the mashed baingan and cook on medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring and mashing, so the flavours combine. Finish with garam masala and coriander.

    Tips

    • Pick a large, light eggplant with glossy skin – heavy ones are seedy.
    • No gas flame? Roast under a hot grill, turning often, for about 25 minutes.
    • Keep a few small pieces of charred skin in the bharta for extra smokiness.

    Serve with

    Hot phulkas or bajra roti with dal and curd.