Lithi Chokha is a Bihari dish which has gained a lot of popularity not only across the country but abroad as well in recent years. This mouth-watering traditional dish is the best way to enjoy with your family. When Lithi Chokha is around, one does not need an occasion to celebrate.
The Bihari food is influenced by the Buddhist and Hindu values back in old times. In those days people used to believe in nonviolence, i.e not eating eggs, chicken or fish.
As many years have passed, Lithi Chokha has added more to flavours and spices. This delicious dish could be best enjoyed in the monsoon season. When you are home locked due to heavy rain, have a plate full of luscious Lithi Chokha and enjoy having it while sitting back and cherishing the weather .
Ingredients
Below is the list of ingredients that you need to have handy before you start preparation of Lithi Chokha. Most of the ingredients would easily be available in a local kirana shop, or you can simply go to online grocery stores like Grofers, Nature’s Basket or Big Basket to get them.
- Sattu ½ cup
- Knead a whole wheat flour 3 cups
- Ginger finely chopped 1 teaspoon
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- Green chillies finely chopped
- Onion seeds (Kalonji) ¼ teaspoon
- Carom seeds (ajwain) ½ teaspoon
- Fresh coriander leaves chopped 1 tablespoon
- Red chilli pickle masala 2 teaspoon
- Mustard oil 1 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Ghee to serve
Preparation
Once the ingredients are ready, follow this step by step process to make delicious Lithi Chokha at home. The average preparation time should be between 40 minutes to an hour.
Step 1- The Dough
- Mix the Sattu, whole wheat flour, ghee and salt
- Add appropriate amount of water to knead the dough
- The consistency of the dough needs to be harder than a regular roti dough
- Divide the dough into 10 equal parts
Step 2- The Stuffing
- Using very less amount of water, mix all the ingredients in a bowl (sattu, onion, ginger, green chillies)
- After the first mix, add the rest ingredients and mix well. (carom seeds, onion seeds, salt, coriander leaves, red chilli pickle masala, mustard oil and 2-3 tablespoon of water)
- Make sure the mixture is powdery but damp (not too dry or too wet)
Step 3- The Lithi
- Take one piece of dough and make it into a ball
- Hold the dough ball in your palm and press it with your thumb to create a depression in the center
- Now fill generous amount of mixture into the center of the dough
- Close the edges of the dough so that it is sealed completely and make it a round ball
- Seal the dough properly so that the stuffing does not come out
- Make 10 small lithi balls
- Now you can roast these balls in different medium
- If like to get the earthy feeling and want to go traditional then you can use cow dung cake or charcoal fire.
- But being in cities it is difficult to get the authentic aroma
- So you can grill the balls
- Put the lithi balls in the pre-heated oven for around 20 to 25 minutes
- Don’t forget to turn the lithi on time to time otherwise, the lithi will not become crispy
- You can also grill the lithi halfway and then fry it in a pan with ghee for extra crispness
- Once the lithi is roasted properly, take out the lithi and apply little pressure until it gets open
Step 4- The Serving
- Now dip each lithi into ghee and make sure the stuffing has also ghee on it
- Place it on the plate and pour generous amount of hot ghee over it and serve it with the chokha
- If you want you can also garnish it with coriander leaves
Final Words
Follow the above steps and you’ll be just minutes away from an irresistible cuisine. You can even watch the video regarding the same and quell any doubt that you may have related to the cooking process.And if you are a lazy bone, you can order it online. There are many online sites like Zomato, Foodpanda, Swiggy and Faasos from where you can order this dish and relish it. However, order it from Faasos, using Faasos coupons, and avail 100% cashback up to Rs 150 on your order.
Go back to your childhood memories and dig into the flavours of Lithi Chokha. This traditional food fits into all type of occasion and seasons, whether it be Rakhi, or Diwali, enjoy having it with your family. See more tips here.