Litti chokha is humble, ancient Bihari and Jharkhandi cooking. Litti are wheat-dough balls packed with a tangy, spiced filling of sattu (roasted gram flour) and roasted hard over coals; chokha is a smoky mash of fire-roasted eggplant, tomato and potato. Together with a pool of ghee, it's pure comfort — no fancy equipment needed.
Ingredients
- Dough: 2 cups whole-wheat flour (atta) · water · salt
- Filling: 1 cup sattu · 1 tbsp mustard oil · ajwain · nigella seeds
- Ginger, garlic, green chili, pickle masala, lemon
- Chokha: 2 eggplants · 3 tomatoes · 2 potatoes
- 1 onion · garlic · green chili · mustard oil · cilantro
- Ghee for dipping · salt
Method
- Make a firm dough with the atta, a little salt and water. Rest 20 minutes.
- Mix the sattu with mustard oil, ajwain, nigella, minced ginger-garlic-chili, a spoon of pickle masala, lemon juice and salt until crumbly but holding together.
- Divide the dough into balls, flatten each, add a spoon of sattu filling, and seal into a smooth ball.
- Roast the litti directly over coals (traditional) or in a 220°C (425°F) oven for 25–30 minutes, turning, until cracked and deep golden.
- For chokha, char the eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes over flame or under a broiler until soft and smoky. Peel and mash with chopped onion, garlic, green chili, mustard oil, cilantro and salt.
- Dip the hot litti generously in ghee and serve alongside the chokha.
🔥 Char for the smoke
The smoky flavor is everything in chokha. Blacken the eggplant and tomatoes directly over a gas flame (or under a hot broiler) until the skins blister — that char is what makes it taste authentic.
Bihar’s rustic classic
Litti chokha is the signature dish of Bihar and Jharkhand — round wheat balls (litti) stuffed with spiced roasted gram flour (sattu), baked or roasted over coals until smoky, then dunked in ghee and served with chokha, a mash of fire-roasted aubergine, tomato and potato.
Rustic, smoky and enormously satisfying — proper country cooking.
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Litti dough — whole wheat flour.
- Sattu — roasted gram (chickpea) flour, the essential stuffing. There's no true substitute.
- Stuffing seasoning — ajwain, mustard oil, lemon, green chilli, ginger and pickle masala.
- Chokha — aubergine, tomato and potato, roasted over an open flame.
- Ghee — for dunking the hot litti; traditional and non-negotiable.
🔥 Pro tips
Roast the chokha vegetables directly over a flame until the skins blacken — that smokiness is the entire point, and an oven simply won't deliver it. Seal the litti well so the sattu stuffing doesn't leak out. Bake or roast until they crack slightly and turn golden, then dunk them straight into ghee.
Common mistakes to avoid
- No smoke on the chokha. Roast over a flame; without char it tastes flat.
- Leaking litti. Seal the dough around the stuffing properly.
- Dry litti. The ghee dunk isn't optional.
- Dry stuffing. Moisten the sattu with mustard oil and lemon.
What to serve with litti chokha
- Litti dunked in ghee, with chokha alongside.
- With a raw onion and a green chilli, country style.
Storage & reheating
Litti keep for a couple of days and reheat well in an oven. Chokha is best fresh but keeps a day or two refrigerated. Serve both warm.
Litti chokha FAQ
What is sattu?
Roasted gram (chickpea) flour. It's the stuffing for litti and there's no real substitute for its nutty flavour.
Can I make it without a fire or coals?
You can bake the litti in an oven, but for chokha, roasting the vegetables directly over a gas flame is the best way to get the essential smokiness.
Why is my litti dry?
It needs the ghee dunk, and the sattu stuffing should be moistened with mustard oil and lemon.
What is chokha?
A rustic mash of fire-roasted aubergine, tomato and potato, seasoned simply. It's the essential partner to litti.
Is it vegan?
The litti and chokha are, if you use oil instead of ghee — though ghee is the traditional finish.