Litti Chokha Katoris –Baked
Litii Chokha, a delicacy from Bihar,India. Fried/Cooked on coal balls stuffed with an eggplant based filling.Here is healthy twist to our very popular snack. Littis made in shape of cannapes/Katoris and filled with the same eggplant filling.
Who hasn’t heard about, witnessed and relished this very famous delicacy from the east of India, Bihar. I had seen this dish in many tempting pics floating around the web and tasted this at a friend’s place once. Since then, I was eager to try this in my kitchen .Although this is a complete dish but I gave it a twist by adding a few taste changers or may I say taste enhancers according to my taste buds.
And I just loved this Litii Katoris with my mint and coriander pesto twist.
I wanted to make this on my coal fired barbeque but, the Delhi heat is killing these days, so I compromised on my domestic oven instead. The flavors were just amazing. The crispy Katoris filled with the gooey tomato, onion, potato and Brinjal chokha. I so felt like am making a salsa. The world cuisines are so interconnected.
And within our own boundaries we see, how one dish subscribes to many different ways of cooking in different parts of the country. This Litii chokha becomes Sattu ka paranthas with bharta when it goes to Banaras and of course you must have heard of the famous Dal Batti Churma.
Its the same Litii which travelled and got adapted into another form in another state with different vegetation.
India is truly amazing and so amazing are its cuisines.
I loved making these Litti Katoris with Chokha filling and I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did.
This is how you make them.
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Ingredients
For Litti-
- 2 cups Wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp seeds / Ajwain Carom : . (crushed btw palms)
- 3 tbsp butter / ghee Clarified /Desi : .
- 2 pinch baking soda : /1/2 tsp.
- 1/2 tsp salt : .
- water to knead
For Litti Filling:
- 1 1 tsp Lemon Juice lemon of small or .
- 3 - 4 tbsp Mango Pickle Masala Achaar/ : .
- 2 - 3 Chilies Green chopped:
- 2 - 3 tbsp water . to have a dry but binding consistency
- 2 - 3 tbsp mustard oil :
- 1 tbsp ginger : . grated
For Chokha:
- 5 Tomatoes : medium sized roasted on gas and chopped
- 1 cup onion : medium sized chopped
- Brinjal I (small) roasted on Gastop.Skin removed and chopped
- 1 potato medium sized Boiled crumbled
- to taste salt
- 1 tbsp ginger : . grated
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds : .
- 2 tbsp mustard oil :
- 1/2 tsp chili powder Red : . or to taste
- 1/2 cup Mint coriander green chili Pesto Green and :
- coriander leaves
Servings: number
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at grill option @ 200 degrees Celsius.
- How to Make Litti Dough: Take flour, soda, salt and ghee in a bowl. Mix well to incorporate the ghee. It will look like a crumble. Crush the carom seeds between your palms and add to this mixture.Now, add very little water at a time to knead this into medium soft flour. Remember it should be softer than Puri flour but harder than roti flour. Cover this with a damp kitchen towel and keep aside too rest.
- Now make the Filling: In a bowl take all the ingredients and mix well.
- How to make Litti balls: Take the litti dough which we had kept aside. Knead it roughly to mix the salt together and to smoothen the dough a bit. Now roll the dough length wise and cut out equal portions to make balls. Take one portion in your hands. Roll into a ball. Now, with the ball in one hand, Start making a cavity into the ball by pressing with the other hand. Now, put 1 tbsp. of filling into the cavity and close the opening by pressing all sides together. Press nicely and roll between your hands again. Make the rest of the balls with filling just like this. Cover with a cloth and keep aside.
- Making the Chokha: Heat mustard oil in pan. Add cumin seeds and ginger. Let them splutter. Add peeled boiled and mashed potatoes, tomatoes and Brinjal. Keep the flame on high. Add salt, red chili powder and cook till nicely mixed. Remember all the three ingredients are cooked and need not be on flame for a very long time. Cook for 3-4 minutes and remove from flame. At this point add some coriander leaves for a goof color.
- Baking the Litti Katoris: Take your muffin pan. Take the reverse side. Grease all the toppers. Now, take one ball at a time, keep on one topper and press with your palms or fingers. We need to cover the toppers with the balls, like a cap. Press in the middle to evenly distribute the flour on all sides.Now, with a folk, make impressions on the Katoris .The edge is facing down right now and you need to press with the folk to make a nice design. Once you have covered all the tops of the muffin tray, put this in the oven to cook. Increase the temp to 250 degrees Celsius and grill these till nice brown. This took 20 minutes in my oven.
- Once the Katoris are nicely golden brown, take them out and grease them /brush them while hot with a little Desi ghee or clarified butter. Let them cool and then assemble.
- How to Assemble the Litti Katoris: Fill the Katoris with chokha.Then put 1 tsp. green mint coriander green chili pesto and garnish with coriander leaves. You may serve them hot as well.
Hi Aditi,
Have fallen in love with your recipe. I am about to host a party and am wondering if the litti cups/katoris can be baked a day ahead and warmed later for serving with the chokha? If yes, then do i microwave them or warm them in the oven for how long? If this is not possible, then doyou think your chola bhature katori/cups would be better to make ahead? Look forward to your guidance and response Thank you and please keep up your good work and inspiring us 🙂
Hi Sulekha, yes you can make aheah them. Actually both chola bhatura mini bites and litti katoris you can make ahead. You may rewarm in otg before serving.
Hi Aditi,
Wondering if my previous email request for some guidance on this recipe has reached you ? Will truly-truly appreciate a response 🙂
Thank you in advance.
sorry…😁 i have another doubt…you mention that litti dough should be harder than roti, but softer than poori…am not a great cook, so how much water approximately you used to knead the dough ?
look forward to hearing from you.
Sulekha, if you want the katoris to be crispy then the dough should be firm. All flours are different so you will have to judge the consistency. It should be as hard as kneadable. When you poke a finger it shldnt digin easily.more water will make the dough soggy.hope it clarifies
Thank you! Thank you….many times over! As you can see, i was desperate for a response 😉
Best wishes and Regards