A treat from the kitchens of Jamshedpur

When you ask someone what is the best food they have ever tasted, 99 per cent would refer to their mother’s cooking. A mother’s cooking was considered the epitome of perfection, be it in whatever shape, size or taste. However, these days, people are critical of food — the passion and awareness of different cuisines and food, and the need to eat healthy, has become a global phenomenon. My personal quest has always been travelling and discovering such cuisines and dishes and the  people who create them. Recently, I made a trip to Palani. With the eagerness of an ardent devotee, I offered my prayers and also learnt more about the prasad offered there. Before that, I also visited the Kurinji Andavar Temple, sitting in solitary splendour, on a peak in Kodaikanal. Speaking of Kodaikanal, I studied there and have pleasant memories of the place. 

April will see me cooking and demonstrating the authentic dishes of some of the states, celebrating Tamil New Year at the Sterling resort by the lake here. My stays at the resort have been memorable. 

This is where I met Chef Some Nath, who recreates heritage dishes with a contemporary touch.  My one day stint of cooking with him, had us creating some seven to eight dishes. But my personal favourite was the Litti Chokha .  The dish was not only very tasty, but also classy in appearance. It’s the presentation, which reveals the craftsmanship of a chef. Chef Some Nath with his years of experience known for his creativity, always combining and putting together different ingredients, to create an unusual yet tasty dish. 

Today, I’m sharing with you the recipe of Litti Chokha , a traditional dish originating in Jamshedpur. In West Bengal, the original version is eaten for breakfast every day, while the special one is made for festivals and weddings. It is a very healthy dish and contains carbohydrates, fat, protein and vitamins in the right balance. 

Preparation time — 40 minutes; serves — 3 to 4 ; calories — 65 per chokha

Whole-wheat flour: 400 gm 

Ghee: 50 gm 

Baking soda: 2 gm 

Curd: 40 ml (hung curd) 

Ajwain (carom seeds): 5 gm 

Salt: To taste 

Lukewarm water: To knead the flour

Roasted gram flour (sattu): 50 gm 

Ginger (chopped): 5 gm 

Garlic (Chopped): 5 gm 

Green chillies: 5 gm 

Coriander leaves: 10 gm 

Ajwain (carom seeds): 5 gm 

Kalonji (onion seeds): 5 gm 

Fennel seeds (pounded): 5 gm 

Mustard oil: 20 ml 

Salt: To taste 

Lemon juice: 1/2 tsp

In a large mixing bowl, sieve flour, salt and baking soda. Add ajwain and ghee and mix everything well until you get coarse crumbs. Add warm water and knead to make a firm yet smooth dough.

Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 20 minutes. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix sattu, ajwain, kalonji, fennel seeds, mustard oil, grated ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander, salt and lemon juice. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Check the salt and spices and adjust to suit your taste.

Place the earlier kneaded dough on a flat surface and knead again for five minutes.  

Make small lemonsized balls of 60-80 gm, from the dough and roll it like pooris. Hold the poori between your palms and add one large tablespoon of filling mixture into the dough. 

Gather the sides of the poori and bring them together on top and seal the ball. 

Proceed to make litti balls the similar way and arrange them on a greased tray. Brush the litti with ghee, so the tops get crisp while baking. Preheat the char grill oven to 180 degree celsius. Once the oven is preheated, place the litti on net grill, bake the littis till they turn golden. Once baked, remove the litti from the grill and allow them to cool for a bit before serving.

Serve the litti chokha along with aloo chokha and baingan (chokha) bharta , yogurt, green chillies and mint chutney.  

Aloo chokha is nothing but small aloo tikkis — a mixture of mashed potato, coriander, green chillies, salt and asafoetida made into flat tikkis and grilled on a flat non-stick pan.  

For the baigan bhartha, follow the regular method, but avoid adding oil. Do not fry the bharta. The curd is hung in a muslin cloth and after the whey is drained it is smashed into a smooth paste with salt and chilli powder and added on top. The final touch is given with a chutney made from mint and green chillies, with a dash of ginger and garlic.   

The little chokha is placed on a plate and the bhartha , curd and mint chutney is served over it (garnished). 

We often reuse cooking oil to avoid wastage. But, the problem with reusing oil is that it can create free radicals which cause ailments in the long run. To avoid this hazard, make a dough of maida and boil it in this oil. By doing so, all the harmful toxins are absorbed by maida. Remove the dough after the oil cools down. Your oil is now safe to reuse!