Litti Chokha

Start with the chokha vegetables, since they need to roast while you prepare everything else. Pierce the whole eggplant all over with a fork (10–12 times) to prevent it from bursting, then place it directly over a gas burner on its highest flame — or under a broiler on a wire rack as close to the element as possible. Do the same with the whole tomatoes. Turn them with tongs every 2–3 minutes. The eggplant is done when it has completely collapsed, feels hollow, and the skin is black and paper-thin on all sides — about 15–18 minutes. The tomatoes need 8–10 minutes until the skins blister and split. Set both aside to cool. This direct-flame char is non-negotiable: it gives chokha its defining smokiness.

About 18 min

Make the sattu filling while the vegetables cool. In a wide bowl, combine the sattu flour, ajwain seeds, kalonji seeds, half the minced garlic, the minced ginger, and 2 of the minced green chillies. Drizzle in 30 ml of the mustard oil — it should smell pungent and sharp. Add the lemon juice and season generously with salt. Mix with your hands until it clumps into rough, sandy lumps when squeezed: if it feels completely dry and dusty, add a teaspoon of water. It should hold its shape when pressed but crumble apart when you let go. Taste it: it should be aggressively flavoured, salty, tangy, and spiced. This filling is eaten raw inside the roasted litti, so it needs to punch hard.

About 8 min

Make the litti dough: in a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon of oil. Add water gradually — about 180–200 ml — kneading as you go, until you have a firm, smooth dough. It should be noticeably stiffer than roti dough; it needs structural integrity to hold the filling as it roasts. Divide into 12 equal balls. Flatten each ball in your palm into a 7–8 cm disc, place a heaped tablespoon of sattu filling in the centre, then gather the edges up around the filling and pinch them firmly closed. Roll gently back into a smooth, sealed ball. Press each ball slightly between your palms to flatten to about 4 cm thick — this gives them a better surface area for even roasting.

About 15 min

Roast the litti: ideally over live coals in a grill or charcoal sigri — place them directly in the hot coals and turn every 4–5 minutes. At home, use your oven's broiler on maximum heat with a wire rack close to the element, or a cast-iron pan over a high flame. Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning regularly, until the litti are deep brown with dark charred patches all over and they make a hollow sound when tapped. The crust will be hard and cracked. While they're still piping hot, drop them immediately into the bowl of warm melted ghee and roll them around — the ghee seeps through the cracks and into the filling, transforming the texture completely.

About 28 min

Finish the chokha: peel the charred skins off the cooled eggplant and tomatoes — they should slide off easily. Discard all skin. Roughly chop the eggplant flesh, then add the tomato and mash everything together coarsely with a fork — chokha should be textured, not smooth. Add the finely chopped raw red onion, remaining raw garlic, remaining 2 minced green chillies, the fresh cilantro, and the remaining 30 ml of raw mustard oil. Season generously with salt and mix. Taste: it should be smoky, pungent from the raw mustard oil and garlic, fiery, and slightly sweet from the roasted tomato. Serve the ghee-soaked litti alongside a generous mound of chokha — eat by tearing pieces of litti and dragging them through the bowl.

About 8 min