This is Part 14 of Flavours of India, our series on India's regional cuisines. Start from Part 1: Chettinad or read the previous part, Part 13: Odisha.
Bihari food is simple, earthy and nourishing. It grew out of farming communities on the plains of the Ganga, where roasted gram flour (sattu), mustard oil, seasonal vegetables and cooking over open fires are everyday essentials. Today, dishes like litti chokha are loved far beyond Bihar, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and among the Bihari diaspora.
What makes Bihari cuisine special
- Sattu: protein-rich roasted gram flour, used in littis, parathas and the summer drink sattu sharbat.
- Mustard oil and pickles (achar) for pungency.
- Smoke: litti is traditionally roasted over cow-dung cakes or charcoal.
- Festival food: thekua, the crunchy jaggery cookie made for Chhath Puja.
Litti chokha recipe
Serves: 4 (makes 10-12 litti) · Prep: 30 minutes · Cook: 35 minutes
For the litti dough
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
- 2 tbsp ghee, 1/2 tsp ajwain and 1/2 tsp salt
- Water to knead
- Melted ghee for dipping
For the sattu filling
- 1 cup sattu (roasted gram flour)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 green chillies and 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 tsp ajwain and 1 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1-2 tbsp pickle masala (mango pickle oil or masala), optional
- Salt to taste and 2-3 tbsp water
For the chokha
- 1 large brinjal (baingan), 2 tomatoes and 2 boiled potatoes
- 4-5 garlic cloves, 2 green chillies, 1 small onion, all finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coriander, 2 tbsp mustard oil and salt to taste
Method
- Dough: mix flour, ajwain, salt and ghee, then knead with water into a firm, smooth dough. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Filling: mix all filling ingredients. It should hold together when pressed in your fist; add a few drops of water if needed.
- Shape: divide the dough into 10-12 balls. Flatten each, place a spoonful of filling inside, seal and roll back into a ball.
- Bake: bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and cracked. (Or roast over charcoal or a gas tandoor for the authentic smoky taste.)
- Crack each hot litti slightly and dip it in melted ghee.
- Chokha: roast the brinjal and tomatoes directly over a flame until charred and soft. Peel, then mash with the boiled potatoes, garlic, onion, green chillies, coriander, mustard oil and salt.
Tips
- Raw mustard oil in the chokha gives the authentic pungent kick; don't substitute.
- Keep the dough firm so the litti stays crisp outside.
- Sattu is available in most Indian grocery stores and online.
How to serve
Serve hot litti with chokha, extra ghee, green chillies, onion and a spoon of mango pickle.
Other Bihari dishes to try
- Champaran mutton (ahuna): mutton slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot.
- Sattu paratha and sattu sharbat
- Dal pitha: rice-flour dumplings with lentil filling.
- Thekua: jaggery cookies for Chhath Puja.
- Khaja: the flaky layered sweet from Silao.
Next in Flavours of India: Lucknow's melt-in-the-mouth galouti kebab.
