Lucknowi Baati Chokha

Baati is one dish with many versions. In Rajasthan it is savored as daal baati churma. In Bihar this rustic dish has found a delightful place in every heart as litti chokha. And in the nawabi town of Lucknow this   provincial cuisine transforms itself into Baati Chokha. On my recent visit to Lucknow I got to taste the lip smacking baati chokha that sells on the road side stalls like hot cakes...well no… like hot baati chokhas ;) After coming back I thought of giving this Lucknowi delicacy a try in my kitchen here in Chennai. This recipe is divided into three steps- first making the ‘Chokha’, then the sattu filling that goes inside the baati and finally making the baati. So here I go…

What you need?

For the chokha:

Tomatoes: 2

Brinjal (medium sized): 2

Boiled Potatoes: 2

Roasted dried red chillis: 2 (I used roasted red chilli as they give a nice smokey flavor to the dish, you can go for green chillis also if you like)

Onion: 1

Chopped coriander leaves: 2 tbsp

Mustard oil or extra virgin olive oil- 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Filling for the baati:

Sattu (roasted gram powder): 1 cup

Garlic & green chilli paste: 2 tbsp

Ginger paste: 1 tsp

Caron seeds: 1 tsp

Clarified butter (ghee): 1 tbsp

Pickle masala: 1 tsp

Salt: ½ tsp

For the Baati:

Wheat flour: 2 cups

Baking Soda: ¼ tsp

Clarified butter (ghee): 2 tbsp and some more for greasing

Carom seeds: 1 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

How to create it?

The chokha:

Roast the tomato in your gas until the skin turns black

Similarly roast the brinjal

Once the tomatoes and brinjals are cool. Peel off and put them together in a big bowl along with the boiled potatoes.

Mash them with a fork or even better with your hands

Roast the red chillies in the gas oven and crush them into the mash. By now your kitchen would already flood with an awesome smokey aroma

Next add the chopped onion, coriander and salt.

Mix it all into a nice mash and your chokha is ready!

Filling for The baati:

Dry mix sattu, garlic- green chilli paste, caron seeds, ghee, ginger paste, salt and pickle masala in a bowl.

Now add little water to form a coarse powdery texture. Your baati filling is ready. Now lets get to making the baati.

Baati:

Mix  all the ingredients mentioned for the baati together in a bowl

Add water and make a dough just the way you do for chapatti

Now take a small portion of the down and make a cavity in the centre like you do while making aloo parathas.

Stuff the cavity with the filling and seal the edges properly.

Shape it into a ball.

Repeat the process for all.

Grease the over portion of the baati with ghee and bake in a pre-heated oven. The baking time varies from oven to oven. Mine is a convection microwave and it took me 15 min at 100 degrees. Serve the baati hot with the yummy chokha. Bon appétit! 

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