Bihari litti chokha

Litti Chokha pairs stuffed whole-wheat dough balls with a vegetable mash in Bihari cooking. Dassana Amit’s selected oven preparation uses a spiced sattu filling and one baingan chokha, made from roasted eggplant.

Whole-wheat flour, salt, ghee and water are kneaded into a soft dough and rested. The filling mixes sattu with lightly crushed cumin and fennel seeds, carom and nigella seeds, chilli powder, green chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, black salt, regular salt, lemon juice, mustard oil and water.

Dough portions are rolled with a little flour, filled, pleated and sealed into balls. They are kept covered, placed on an oiled tray and baked, turning them for an even finish, then brushed with melted ghee.

For the chokha, an eggplant is rinsed and flame-roasted, turning it until tender. It cools in water before being peeled and chopped, with its juices retained; onion, green chilli, garlic, coriander leaves, mustard oil, optional lemon juice and salt are mixed in.

The baked litti develops light brown or golden-brown spots. It is broken and dipped in melted ghee, then eaten with the eggplant chokha, whose flame-roasting gives it a smoky flavour.