Why this recipe works
Litti chokha is quietly excellent nutrition. The shell is whole-wheat, and the stuffing is sattu, roasted gram flour that is remarkably high in protein and fibre and low on the glycaemic index. Crucially, the littis are roasted, not fried, over coals or in an oven, so all that goodness comes with very little added fat. The chokha adds smoky roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
Method
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1
Mix the sattu with ajwain, ginger-garlic, mustard oil and salt into a crumbly, spiced stuffing.
Why sattu: roasted gram flour is a genuine protein powerhouse, high in protein and fibre and low-GI, which makes this humble food seriously nourishing.
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2
Stuff balls of whole-wheat dough with the sattu and seal them (these are the littis).
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3
Roast the littis over coals or in a hot oven until cooked and crisp.
Why roast, not fry: roasting cooks the littis with almost no added fat, keeping the whole-wheat and sattu wholesome rather than greasy.
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4
For the chokha, roast the brinjal, potato and tomato, then mash with onion, chilli, mustard oil and coriander. Serve the littis dipped in ghee.
An honest word
Litti chokha is genuinely nourishing rustic food: whole-wheat, high-protein roasted sattu, and a pile of smoky roasted vegetables, all with very little fat because it is roasted, not fried. The one indulgence is the ghee the littis are traditionally dipped in, easy to keep modest. Few traditional dishes pack this much protein, fibre and vegetables so cheaply.