litti chokha

Tomato Chokha or Bharata is a simple, zestful, smoky relish, made with fire-roasted tomatoes, fresh herbs, and mustard oil.

TOMATO CHOKHA

tomatoes

garlic

medium onion, chopped (optional)

green chili, adjust

fresh cilantro, chopped

mint leaves, chopped (optional)

Garlic

Pink Himalayan salt

lemon juice, adjust to taste

mustard oil

salt

panch puran

red chili,

asafoetida

lemon,

Rinse the tomatoes well, pat dry the tomatoes with a clean kitchen or paper towel. Follow one of the methods discussed below to roast the veggies.

You will need Mealthy crisplid,  tongsIMPORTANT: Completely UNPLUG the Instant Pot unit, before proceeding with this recipe.

Using a pastry brush, grease the crispy basket with some cooking oil. Arrange the tomatoes and garlic in the crispy basket. Using a pastry brush, apply some oil over the tomatoes.

Depending upon the size of the tomatoes, arrange the tomatoes in the crispy basket. I could fit 4 large tomatoes.

Place the trivet (that comes with a crisp lid) inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place the crispy basket on top of the trivet. Now place the mealthy crisp lid on top of the inner pot. Plug the crisp lid and lower the handle.

Roast the tomatoes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, check halfway through.

Check if the tomatoes are done. The tomatoes will be soft and slightly charred. Insert a clean knife in the center of the tomatoes, if it goes through it without any resistance the tomatoes are cooked through. If required add a few more minutes of cooking time.Note: Please use timing as a guideline. Depending upon the size of the tomatoes, the cooking time will vary. 

Remove the crispy basket and allow the tomatoes to cool down for a few minutes.

AIR FRYER ROASTED TOMATOES

You will need 9*13 inches baking sheet, tongs

Preheat the oven at BROIL or 425 degree Fahrenheit.

Arrange the tomatoes and garlic on a 9*13 inches baking sheet. Brush the tomatoes with some oil.

Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven. Roast the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes, check halfway through.

Check if the tomatoes are done. The tomatoes will be soft and slightly charred. Insert a clean knife in the center of the tomatoes, if it goes through it without any resistance the tomatoes are cooked through. If required add a few more minutes of cooking time.Note: Please use timing as a guideline. Depending upon the size of the tomatoes, and also different ovens have different temperature settings, the cooking time will vary. 

Remove the tomatoes from the oven, and let them cool down for a few minutes. 

OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES

You will need roti jali, tongs

Place a roti jali on a stovetop. On medium heat, roast the tomatoes and garlic, until tomatoes are soft and charred.

Turn the tomatoes every few minutes for even roasting. 

Check if the tomatoes are done. The tomatoes will be soft and slightly charred. Insert a clean knife in the center of the tomatoes, if it goes through it without any resistance the tomatoes are cooked through. If required add a few more minutes of cooking time.

Remove from heat. Let tomatoes cool down for a few minutes. 

STOVETOP ROASTED TOMATOES

Using one of the methods discussed earlier, roast the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes are cool, remove the skin the tomatoes, and place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the garlic pods and add it to the bowl.

Using a potato masher, mash the tomatoes to the desired consistency. I prefer a mix of small and large chunks to add texture to the chokha.Note: You can use a handheld blender or a food processor, pulse a few times, or until desired consistency.

Next add raw onions (optional), green chili as per taste, grated ginger, green garlic (optional), and a handful of fresh cilantro. Some fresh lemon juice, and Pink Himalayan Salt,

SKIP THIS STEP IF ADDING TEMPERING – Add mustard oil or for milder flavor use olive oil, mix well.

HOW TO MAKE TOMATO CHOKHA (BHARTA)

Heat some mustard oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add panch puran spice mix, dried whole red chili, and asafoetida. Turn OFF the heat. Add the tempering over tomato chokha. Mix well. 

Garnish with some fresh cilantro and serve Tomato Chokha with some avocado litti, baingan chokha, and Dhaba (restaurant) style dal fry, green garlic cilantro chutney, jaggery, and some salad. YUM!!!

FOR TEMPERING (OPTIONAL)

Litti Chokha is a rustic and traditional dish of stuffed whole wheat dough balls, where the stuffing is a spiced mix of roasted gram flour or roasted black chickpea flour also called sattu. I also share the recipes for Baingan Chokha (made with eggplant) and Tomato Chokha.

Litti Chokha Recipe | Litti Recipe

whole wheat flour

Ghee (or oil)

water (or add as required)

black chickpea flour ((sattu))

cumin seeds

fennel seeds ((saunf, aniseeds))

carom seeds ((ajwain, bishops weed))

½ teaspoon nigella seeds ((kalonji))

red chilli powder

green chilies (- chopped)

ginger (- finely chopped)

garlic (- finely chopped)

coriander leaves (- chopped)

black salt

salt (as per taste)

lemon juice

eggplant (- large or 1 large bharta baingan)

onions

garlic (- chopped)

coriander leaves (- chopped, (cilantro))

lemon juice (- optional)

salt (as required)

tomatoes (or 2 medium to large tomatoes)

coriander leaves ( (cilantro), chopped)

Baingan Chokha (- recipe mentioned below)

Tomato Chokha (- recipe mentioned below)

Aloo Chokha (- recipe mentioned below)

ghee (or use as required)

In a mixing bowl, take the whole wheat flour (atta) and salt. Also add ghee or oil.

Now add water in parts and knead to a smooth soft dough. I added ¾ cup water. Depending on the quality of flour, you can add ¾ to 1 cup water.

Knead till smooth and soft. Cover the dough and keep aside to rest for 20 minutes.

Preparing litti dough

In a mortar-pestle take the cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Lightly crush them and keep aside.

Take the sattu or roasted black chickpea flour in a mixing bowl or pan.

Add the slightly crushed cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

Next add carom seeds, nigella seeds, red chilli powder, chopped green chilies, finely chopped ginger and garlic, chopped coriander leaves and black salt. Also add regular salt as per taste.

Add lemon juice and mustard oil.

Mix very well.

Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons water all over and mix the flour with water evenly. Do add more water if required. The sattu stuffing mixture should not be too dry or too wet. If the mixture is dry, then the dryness is felt when eating litti.

Making stuffing for litti

After 30 minutes, now make small or medium sized balls from the dough.

Sprinkling some flour, roll each dough ball to a circle of about 5 to 6 inches.

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the stuffing in the center.

Pleat and then join the edges. Press the joined part and lightly roll the stuffed dough balls in your palms, so as to get a round shape. Keep aside.

Another method is to flatten the the dough ball with your palms and make a shallow cup.

Now place the stuffing.

Gently bring together the outer dough cover in the center, while pressing the stuffing. Join and then seal the edges. This is a bit tricky method. So please use the method which suits you.

Keep the prepared littis under a cotton towel or napkin, so that the dough does not dry out.

Prepare all stuffed littis this way and place them on a baking tray, which has been greased with some oil. Do grease baking tray well, otherwise the littis can stuck to the tray.

Stuffing &amp; shaping litti

Place the littis in a preheated oven at 200° C/390° F. Preheat the oven for 20 minutes at 200° C/390° F prior to baking.

After 10 to 15 minutes of baking, remove the tray and flip each litti. Keep the tray back in the oven.

Again after 10 to 15 minutes, remove the baking tray and flip each litti. Place the tray back in the oven. This has to be done once or twice more for even baking of littis.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or till the crust looks done with some light brown or golden brown spots on them. Timing will vary upon the size and litres of the oven. It took me about 40 minutes for these to bake.

Brush the littis with some melted ghee all over.

This particular step is optional and only to get charred spots on the litti. Secure the baked litti in a pair of tongs and place it on fire. Rotate for a few seconds till you see some charred spots on litti.

Serve these Bihari style litti with baingan chokha, aloo chokha and tomato chokha accompanied with a small bowl of melted ghee. The litti is broken, dipped in ghee and then eaten with the chokha.

Baking litti

Rinse the bainga/eggplant/aubergine in water a few times. Place it on a wired rack on a stovetop or you can place it directly on the stovetop flame.

Keep turning the eggplant after 2 to 3 minutes on the flame, so that it is evenly cooked.

Roast the eggplant till its completely cooked and tender. With a knife check the doneness. The knife should slid easily in the eggplant. Remove the eggplant and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools.

Then peel it and chop.

Add the chopped baingan in a mixing bowl along with its juices.

Then add the finely chopped onions, chopped green chilies, chopped garlic and chopped coriander leaves.

Add mustard oil. If you want, you can add ¼ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice for a slight tang. Season with salt.

Mix everything very well.

Making baingan chokha

Rinse tomatoes very well in water first. Then place them on a wired grill rack placed on the stovetop and begin to roast the tomatoes. You can also place them directly on the stovetop flame. You can also grill the tomatoes or roast in the oven. But then you won&#39;t get the smoky flavor.

Turn them after a few minutes for even roasting. The tomatoes should get charred.

Roast the tomatoes till they are completely cooked from within. With a knife check the doneness. The knife should slid easily in the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes cool, then peel them and remove the charred skin. Chop them and add the chopped tomatoes along with its juices in a mixing bowl.

Add chopped green chilies, finely chopped garlic, chopped coriander leaves, mustard oil and lemon juice.

Season with salt as per taste. Mix very well.

Check the taste and add more lemon juice or mustard oil or green chilies or salt if required.

Making tomato chokha

First boil or steam 2 medium potatoes (160 grams) adding water as needed. till they are thoroughly cooked.

You can steam them in a pan or electric rice cooker or pressure cook them in 1.25 to 1.5 cups water for 5 to 6 whistles in a 2 litre pressure cooker.

Allow them to become warm.

When the potatoes become warm, peel and mash them.

Add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions, ½ teaspoon chopped green chilies, ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic, ½ teaspoon mustard oil and ½ teaspoon lemon juice.

Mix very well. Check the taste and add more salt, lemon juice or green chilies if required. Serve with litti.

Making aloo chokha

Litti Chokha is a traditional Bihari and Jharkhandi dish that is quite similar to Rajasthani Baati but still very different.

Litti Chokha Recipe

Whole Wheat Flour

Salt

tbsp Ghee

Cooking Soda

Sattu

tbsp Mustard Oil

tsp Ginger (Grated)

tsp Green Chilli (Finely Chopped)

tbsp Fresh Coriander (Finely Chopped)

tbsp Pickle Masala

Lemon

tsp Red Chilli Powder

Brinjal (Large)

Tomato (Medium)

Onion (Chopped)

tsp Green Chilli (Chopped)

tbsp Fresh Coriander (Chopped)

Add whole wheat flour, salt, ghee and cooking soda in a  bowl and mix well.

Add water and knead to make a medium soft dough.

Cover the dough and keep aside for 30 minutes.

For Litti

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Add some more oil if the filling is too dry.

You should be able to bind the filling in your fist.&nbsp;

For the Filling

Take out a large lemon sized dough and make it into a ball.

Roll the dough ball to make a 4-5 inch circle.

Keep 2 tbsp of filling in the centre of the dough and bring the ends together.

Nicely seal the ends.

Make all the lit in the same manner.

Keep the litti covered with a cloth.

Pre heat an oven to 180 degrees C.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned from the top.

Flip the litti upside down and bake for another 10-12 minutes.

They should be evenly browned from all the sides.

Hold the litti with a  tong and roast them over direct flame so that brown spots appears all over them.

Top 3 litti chokha recipes from across the web

The most viewed litti chokha recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

TOMATO CHOKHA

Litti Chokha Recipe | Litti Recipe

Litti Chokha Recipe

Top 3 litti chokha recipes from across the web

The most viewed litti chokha recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

TOMATO CHOKHA

Litti Chokha Recipe | Litti Recipe

Litti Chokha Recipe

The most viewed litti chokha recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine