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Vegetarian, South and Southeast Asian

Litti chokha

Litti chokha is an Indian dish for 4 people made of whole wheat dough balls stuffed with chickpea flour, baked in the oven, served with a smoky mash of eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes. It takes 1 hour 20 minutes, is medium difficulty, and costs €1.60 per person. The key to getting it right is charring the skin of the roasted vegetables, which gives the chokha its smoky flavor.

Litti chokha tonight, golden wheat dough balls baked in the oven, with a smoky mashed eggplant and potato chokha.

Litti chokha
Total time
1 h 20
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.60
Calories per person
720 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Litti chokha plays on two textures that work off each other. On one side, the littis, whole wheat dough balls stuffed with a garlicky, chili spiked chickpea flour filling, baked until golden and slightly crisp outside. On the other, the chokha, a rustic mash of eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes roasted until charred, then coarsely crushed with garlic and cilantro. The smokiness of the charred vegetables plays against the crumbly filling of the littis.

This is a dish to plan for a Sunday or an evening when you have a bit of time, between kneading the dough and the two rounds of oven baking. It takes some hands on work but nothing technical, and the result is a nice change from the usual saucy Indian dishes. Serve it as is for a full vegetarian dinner, the melted butter on the side makes all the difference when you dip the littis in.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Whole wheat flouroften in the pantry 300 g
  • Chickpea flour 100 g
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 2
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Green chili 1
  • Lemon 1
  • Eggplant 1
  • Potatoes 3
  • Tomatoes 2
  • Fresh cilantro 4 sprigs

Dairy

  • Butter 40 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Knead the whole wheat flour with salt, a spoon of oil, and water, cover and let rest. 15 min

    The dough should be soft but firm.

  2. Mix the chickpea flour with one chopped onion, two cloves of garlic, the chili, lemon juice, and a spoon of oil to make the filling. 5 min

    The filling should be crumbly like damp sand. If you can't find sattu, dry roasted chickpea flour works as a substitute.

  3. Shape the dough into hollow balls, fill them with the stuffing, seal, and place on a baking sheet. 10 min

    Place them seam side down on the sheet so they don't pop open.

  4. Bake the littis at 200°C, flipping halfway through, along with the eggplant, potatoes, and whole tomatoes pricked with a fork. 35 min

    The vegetable skins should char, that's what gives the smoky flavor.

  5. Peel the roasted vegetables, crush them with the remaining chopped onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, and oil, and serve with the littis and melted butter. 10 min

    Don't blend it, the chokha stays rustic and roughly mashed.

Our tips to get it right

  • Prick the tomatoes and potatoes well before baking them, otherwise they can burst under their skin in the oven.
  • If the chickpea flour filling feels too dry and crumbles apart without holding together, add an extra spoon of water or lemon juice to bind it lightly.
  • Pinch the dough firmly closed around the filling, a poorly sealed litti will leak its filling during baking.

The variations

  • Swap the chickpea flour for sattu if you can find it, that's the traditional filling.
  • For a quicker version, finish the littis in a skillet after a first round in the oven, which shortens the total time a bit.
  • Add a pinch of ground cumin or garam masala to the filling for extra depth, without changing the dish too much.

What to serve it with

  • Plain yogurt to cool things down
  • Cilantro or mint chutney
  • A well spiced chai

Storage

Litti chokha keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, with littis and chokha stored separately. Reheat the littis in the oven so the crust crisps back up, and the chokha in a skillet or microwave. Freezing isn't recommended, the chokha's texture would suffer.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace the chickpea flour with something else?

The traditional version uses sattu, a flour made from roasted grains. If you can't find it, chickpea flour gives a close result and is much easier to source.

Can you make the litti dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can knead the dough the day before and keep it covered in the fridge. Let it sit out a bit before shaping the balls so it turns soft again.

Why do the chokha vegetables need to be charred?

That charred skin is what gives the chokha its signature smoky flavor. Without it, the mash tastes flat and loses its character.

Is litti chokha a good fit for kids?

The green chili can be too spicy for some kids, so you can remove it or cut back the amount in the filling. The rest of the dish is mild and usually goes down well.

How long does it take to make a litti chokha?

Count 1 h 20 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a litti chokha?

About 720 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a litti chokha cost?

About €1.60 per serving, or €6.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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