Litti

Bihari cuisine is not as famous as cuisines of few other states of  India, but there is one dish from Bihar which is synonymous with Bihar and that is Litti .It is a crusted ball of wheat flour stuffed with spiced Sattu [roasted gram flour], traditionally made in an open fire but now is commonly baked in oven due to ease and feasibility.
Sattu is extensively used in Bihari dishes in form of Littis,Sattu Paratha,Satttu ka namkeen sharbat [Salted Sattu drink with lime or aam panna], Sattu ka meetha sharbat[Sweetened Sattu drink],and sometimes simply spiced sattu dough is eaten all alone or accompanied with plain rice or rotis.

If you are in Bihar ,Sattu means flour of Roasted gram flour, but in other states it can mean flour of other cereals too. I have tried searching for it in Bombay at few places without any luck. Though it is available easily in Delhi. So whenever we make a trip to Bihar or Delhi we stock up our Sattu, because life of a bihari is unimaginable without the constant dose of Sattu paratha or littis. And while I am writing this ,I am craving for the salted sattu drink which I haven't had for quite sometime. That for me is one of the most delicious and lip-smacking drink.
Litti and Sattu Paratha have the same stuffing. Though I like sattu parathas more, there is a romantic charm in making littis in the open fire apart from the additional smoked flavour. I have done that only once at my in-laws place .It was slightly cold night.and a brick oven was specially set up that day on the terrace to make littis. My mom-in-law was the main chef , i was only a helper :-) .
I never had courage to make littis in the oven . I had it on my mind since I saw it there and decided to make it for dinner last night. The recipe which I have followed is the way I have seen at home, though the instructions on how to make them in an oven is mainly from Aipi's blog. Since I use a microwave oven in convection mode, I was wary of using aluminum foil as I have heard it causes sparks, so I didn't use the aluminum foil. Greasing the baking dish worked fine for me.

Ingredients
 For Dough:
1 and 1/2 cup Whole wheat Flour
3/4  up Curd[yogurt]
1/2 tsp Baking soda
2 pinch of salt

For Stuffing
1 cup Sattu (roasted gram flour)
1 small onion, finely chopped
7-8 big Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 inch Ginger finely chopped
2  Green chilies, finely chopped
2 tsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds (Mangrella or kalonji)
1 and 1/2  tsp Carom seeds [Ajwain]
 Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp Mirch achar masala (stuffing of the red chili pickle) I use the cover too by chopping it
1 tbsp Mango achaar masala [optional]
Mustard oil [ preferably the oil in which Achar/Pickle has been made]

Salt to taste [ add after adding Achar Masala which has salt too ]

Preparation

1. Mix all the stuffing ingredients with Sattu together. Sprinkle some drops of water to make it crumbly.
2. Preheat oven to 185 C.
3. Grease the baking dish with some ghee /oil.
4. With the dough  ingredients, knead the dough. Don't put all the curd at once. Keep adding little by little till a soft dough forms.Make 8 -9 balls slightly bigger than a lemon. Flatten each ball in your palm to make and make a  3 to 3 1/2  inch diameter  circle. Dust with flour if it is sticky.  
5. Stuff 2 to 3 tsp sattu filling in the center of the circle and close it from all sides.
6. Line the littis on the baking dish and bake till it is golden brown. It will take around 35-45 minutes and it differs from oven to oven so keep an eye otherwise it might get burnt. keep aside once done.
7. To give a smokey touch, you can put them on gas flame  for few seconds by holding them with tongs.
8. To serve, apply some ghee on them, you can also break them into half and put a teaspoon of ghee inside. Serve it hot with Brinjal bharta/Chokha.

I have served it with a different  spiced Brinjal bharta which was already cooked in the morning, but traditionally it is served with bharta/choka of boiled Potatoes,roasted tomatoes and roasted brinjal to which mustard oil,chopped onion,garlic and green chillies are added.

Linking this to Aipi and Priya's Bookmarked recipe and Hearth and Soul Hop

Matar Kachauri/Green Peas stuffed

This was another Kachauri that was made on Holi. The recipe is by my mother-in-law and the kachauris in the pic above is also made by her. It is another yummy recipe.You can use this stuffing for kachauris/stuffed puris or parathas. I also add some boiled potatoes to the peas stuffing and use it as stuffing for sandwiches.


Ingredients

For the dough 

2 cups wheat flour or all purpose flour
1/4 cup refined oil or ghee/clarified butter
1/2 tsp salt

  
For the Stuffing
 2 cups green peas.
2-3 green chillies chopped
1 tsp Cumin seeds [Jeera]
1 pinch asafoetida [Hing]
2 tsp oil
2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala.
Salt to taste
Oil for frying.

Preparation 
For the Dough

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into semi-soft dough using enough water. Knead well for 5 to 7 minutes.  
2. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and keep covered under a wet cloth. 

For the Peas stuffing  

• 1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.When it starts spluttering add green peas,salt to taste and chopped chillies .Sauté over slow flame for 8 to 10 minutes

      
  2. Take it off stove and let it cool. Once cooled coarsely grind it in mixture-grinder.
  3. Add roasted cumin powder and garam masala and mix well. 
  4. Divide into 12 equal portions and keep aside. 
  5. Roll out each portion of the dough into a 2 inches diameter circle.Place one portion of the onion filling in the centre of the rolled dough circle and close it from all sides.
  6. Roll each filled portion into a 3" diameter circle taking care to ensure that the filling does not spill out.Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 11 more kachauris.
  7. Deep fry the kachauris in hot oil over a slow flame till golden brown.

Pyaaz Besan ki Kachauri/Onion and Bengal Gram Stuffed Kachauri

 

You have got to try this kachauri..It is  absolutely awesome. This is something which has made quite an impression on whoever has tried it. So much so, that the word has traveled  about it among my other relatives who haven't tasted it too. This recipe is adapted from Tarla Dalal's cookbook which was gifted to me by husband soon after marriage. I was such a novice with the Delhi food terminology that time , that I didn't know what kalonji [nigella seeds] was. I knew it by other name mangrail. For a long time I used Chironji instead of Kalonji and told this to others in office too with whom I had shared the recipe. :D

And yet again, the key here is "Fennel Seeds", big ones.The one in the pic is made of  wheat flour,so it is less crispier. You can make it with maida/All purpose flour for crispier version but it is heavy too. 

I have made it countless times, and with experience I have begun to add more fennel seeds and  Besan/Bengal gram flour for awesome taste. I use the same stuffing to make stuffed parathas too.

 

Ingredients

For the dough Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour or all purpose flour
1/4 cup refined oil or ghee/clarified butter
1/2 tsp salt

For the Stuffing

2 cups very finely chopped onions.
1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji/mangrail)
2  heaped TBSP fennel seeds[Big Saunf]
2 Bay leaves
2-3 tsp finely chopped green chillies
3-4 heaped  TBSP Bengal Gram flour [Besan]
2 tsp Coriander powder [Dhania powder]
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
3 TBSP chopped coriander Leaves
2 TBSP oil
Salt to taste
Oil  for deep-frying

 

 

Preparation 

For the Dough

• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into semi-soft dough using enough water. Knead well for 5 to 7 minutes. 

• Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and keep covered under a wet cloth.                                       

For the onion stuffing 

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the nigella seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaves, green chillies and onions and sauté till the onions turn light brown in colour.
2. Add the gram flour, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala and salt and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. 
3. Add the chopped coriander and mix well. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
4. Divide into 12 equal portions and keep aside. 
5. Roll out each portion of the dough into a 2 inches diameter circle.Place one portion of the onion filling in the centre of the rolled dough circle and close it from all sides.
6. Roll each filled portion into a 2 1/2" diameter circle taking care to ensure that the filling does not spill out.
7. Gently press the centre of the kachori with your thumb.Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 11 more kachauris.
8. Deep fry the kachauris in hot oil over a slow flame till golden brown.The kachoris should puff up like puris. These take a long time to fry as the crust is thick and needs to be cooked in the insides also.

 

Chana Dal Puri/Bengal Gram Dal stuffed Puris

It is back to the roots time. A traditional dish from the place where I hail. Dal Puri  is made in Bihar during any small or big festivities. Traditionally it is served with Rice Kheer and chutney. What makes it different from dal puris of other regions is that this is made from Bengal Gram/Chana Dal unlike Urad/Moong Dal. Having grown up on it since my childhood,it definetly scores over urad/moong dal puris for me.This is my mother's recipe,executed by me. Instead of Puris you can make parathas too with the same stuffing.                                                                            The painting that you see is the famous style of Madhubani painting which also originated from Bihar .It has gained a lot of popularity over the years and you can see them on wall paintings,sarees,lamp shades and what nots.

Ingredients[For 4 people]

For the Dough

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter or Oil 

1 tsp Salt

Water

For the Stuffing

2 cups chana dal (bengal gram)

1 Bay Leaf

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1-2 green Chilies

½ tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 and ½ tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Chopped ginger

4-5 Garlc cloves chopped

2 Tbsp Coriander Leaves -Finely chopped

Salt according to taste

1 tbsp Oil

Oil for frying

Preparation

1. Wash dal and boil with turmeric and salt till its soft (but not mushy) in just enough water (2 cups) so that water gets absorbed when its done.Strain it to remove any excess water and mash them to look like the picture above.
2. To make the dough, Mix flour,salt and oil and rub them for few minutes till it is crumbly. Add water little by little to knead into a firm dough. cover it with a damp cloth and keep aside.
3. To make the stuffing:-In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, Add cumin seeds,bayleaf. When the cumin seed splutters add, ginger,garlic,green chillies. Fry for a minute.
4. Add mashed Dal.
5. Add roasted cumin powder,corainder powder,chilli powder and cook till the dal becomes dry. It will take few minutes.
6. Before turing off the stove,add Garam masala,corainder leaves and mix well.
7. When the stuffing cools, make small balls [lemon size] of the dough. Roll it a a small circle.
8. Make smaller balls of Dal stuffing.Place it at the centre of the rolled dough and close it from all sides. Flatten this stuffed ball and roll it into puris of small size.
9. Deep fry these puris in hot oil till golden.
10. Do it for the rest of the dough.

I am sending this to gayathri's  Walking through the memory lane event.

Herbed Stuffed Mushrooms

This is the best Stuffed Mushroom I have ever tasted.

It just explodes in your mouth! And it is so easy to make them. This is again inspired 

from purplefoodie herb butter mushroom recipe.

As I didn't have some ingredients at home I replaced it with whatever I had that time.And the results were outstanding!!

Ingredients

Mushrooms -250gms [cleaned]

Garlic Cloves -5-6 minced

Thyme - 1 tbsp

Butter - 1tbsp,cut into small cubes

Olive oil -1 tbsp

Salt

Freshly grounded pepper

Coriander leaves or parsley

30gms Parmesan cheese sliced [The original recipes calls for Smoked mozzarella]

Preparation.

1.  Preheat oven to 200C
2. Remove the stems of the mushrooms.
3. Cut the stems into small pieces,Add sliced garlic,thyme.
4. Stuff the mushroom with the above mixture.
5. Push one small cube of butter in each mushroom.This is what makes the mushroom extremely juicy!!
6. Brush each mushroom with olive oil.
7. Add salt and pepper.
8. Put a slice of cheese on each mushroom to cover the openning
9. Sprinkle generous amount of coriander leaves [or parsely]
10. Brush the baking dish with Olive Oil
11. Grill the mushrooms for 7-8 minutes untill the cheese gets golden in color.
12. Serve it fresh from the oven.

Danish Stuffed Pastry

 

This one again is inspired from whiteonricecouple Strawberry Danish Recipe. 

It is such a beautiful looking recipe that I couldn't resist making it.

I wanted a salted recipe so, instead of  using the stuffing mentioned there, I used my earlier Feta cheese spinach stuffing recipe and added half a cup boiled corn kernels to it. 

Ingredients

• Puff Pastry

•  Feta cheese spinach stuffing + half cup boiled corn kernels

• How to assemble the pastry : whiteonricecouple Strawberry Danish Recipe

Personal Notes

When the dough is ready, it is really tough for beginners to cut a perfect long n wide even rectangle. And with high temperatures here in Mumbai, the butter keeps melting even before you can roll the whole dough. So, I made small individual rectangles and just trimmed its sides, It was easier , butter didn't melt that fast and it looked beautiful too.

Stuffed Onions

This recipe is inspired from stuffed onion recipe from 1001 Recipes by Martha Day

Ingredients

• Large Onions
• Stuffing: Your choice : I have tried two different fillings .One was Feta Cheese ,spinach and garlic. The other one was Sanjeev Kapoor's potato cups stuffing.
  

Preparation for Stuffed Onions

1. Peel the onions without cutting through the bases.Cook them in Large Pan of boiling water for 20 mins. Drain and refresh in plenty of cold water.
2. Using a small sharp knife,cut around and scoop out each central section. Keep 2-3 layers of Onion.
3. Lightly sprinkle with salt and leave onions to drain upside down.
   
4. Preheat oven to 200 C.
5. Dry the onions using tissue.
6. Fill in the stuffing of your choice using a small spoon.Arrange the onions in oiled baking tray. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese and oil. Bake for 45 min or until the onions are tender and gold.
7. Serve hot.

My personal Notes.

• If Onions are small reduce the boiling time. 10-12 mins would be enough.
• You can reuse the scooped out onions for your stuffing.
• Baking time can be reduced too.Mine were done in 30 mins. So check your onions after 30 mins if it is done.

Feta Cheese,Spinach,Garlic Stuffing

• 500g fresh spinach, blanched
• 250g Feta cheese
• Scooped out onions cut as small as you can.
• Cinnamon powder 1 and a half tsp

Reduce/Increase the above quantities according to the number onions to be stuffed.

1. Squeeze out excess water from spinach, and then roughly chop.
2. In a pan heat some oil; fry the onions until golden brown. Add the spinach, cinnamon powder. Make sure all ingredients are mixed well. cook for 1-2 mins.
3. take out from heat, mix in crumbled Feta cheese and garlic.
4. It doesn't need salt to be added. Taste first and add salt according to your taste.
   
5. Your stuffing is ready.

Stuffed Pastry

I loved these small cute little pastries and was really sad that I was all alone today and there was no one to taste these. So ,what could be a better beginning. Share something that I couldn't share :)
The recipe is inspired by the potato cups stuffing by Sanjeev Kapoor . And the puff pastry recipe was used from the site whiteonricecouple.

Recipe:
Puff Pastry from whiteonricecouple.
Stuffing from Sanjeev Kapoor

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Divide the puff pastry into 10cm circles [A bit thicker and smaller than Indian puris] . Take a round of puff pastry and lay it flat in your hand.
   
3. Put 2 tablespoon of the stuffing in the center.
   
4. To make a diamond shape, lift up two sides and pinch the neighboring edges together, similarly do it for other sides.
5. Place the pastries on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
6. Serve Warm.