A nutritious yet delicious dish

Traditional Fare

Consisting of atta dumplings stuffed with a mixture called sattu, it was considered a celebratory meal, generally grilled and cooked around bonfires during small gatherings of friends and families. As an attempt to recreate this magic, Litti Chokha, a small eatery near Total Mall on Sarjapur Road, was established.

Manoj, the proprietor of this joint, says that this is the first food-related enterprise that he has been a part of. “This joint used to belong to someone else, but I purchased it last September. I’m from Ranchi, so I know the traditional methods of making this dish. I have also hired two cooks who are well-trained in the art of preparing authentic litti chokha,” he explains.

A plate of litti chokha as offered by this eatery consists of two littis, which are made of wheat flour and stuffed with sattu. The sattu is prepared by baking chana and then powdering it. “It is made spicy by adding some chopped onions and garlic, chilli, ginger and mustard oil,” says Manoj, adding that the preparation is then grilled in a tandoor oven. The chokha, on the other hand, is a gravy-like dish made with eggplant and potato. It is served with a coriander chutney, which is the traditional accompaniment to this dish.

Although the main focus of this eatery is on its namesake dish, it also offers other meals like dal bhati. Manoj explains that he picked up the art of making perfect dal bhati on a trip to Rajasthan in 1998. “Both the litti chokha and the dal bhati are made with very rich ingredients, and so they’re extremely filling. In addition to this, they’re very nutritious,” he says, adding that he always stocks the freshest of ingredients that he picks up from Total Mall itself.

Litti Chokha also offers a variety of quick snacks, including vada pav, sabudana vada and sabudana khichdi. The hot favourite amongst most of his customers, maintains Manoj, is the onion pakoda. He explains that most of the dishes he serves, especially the litti chokha, are perfect for cool and temperate weather, which is why they are such big hits in the City.

Thirsty customers can choose between tea and coffee, both very moderately priced, or a glass of cold chhanch, which is buttermilk mixed with a few spices.  Manoj explains that most of his customers consist of families, which stop by his eatery for lunch. “Litti Chokha is such a filling dish, it can be consumed as an entire meal. We also get some professionals, since many of the offices nearby have North Indian employees who crave for a bite of their native food,” he says, adding that college students also frequent his joint for a quick meal between classes.

Call 8892959723 for further information.