Litti chokha

Step 1: Mix 10 ½ oz whole wheat flour (atta), ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) and ½ tsp salt, rub in 2 tbsp vegetable oil, then knead with ¾ cup water to a firm but smooth dough, a little stiffer than chapati dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile mix 5 ½ oz sattu (roasted gram flour), 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger, 2 green chillies, ½ oz fresh coriander, ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds), ½ tsp nigella seeds (kalonji), 1 tbsp mango pickle masala, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp mustard oil and ¾ tsp salt. Sprinkle over 3 tbsp water and rub with your fingertips until it feels like damp sand and holds when pressed. Too dry and it falls out; too wet and the litti go soggy.

Step 3: Heat the oven to 400°F. Divide the dough into 12 balls. Flatten each into a 9 cm cup, fill with a heaped tablespoon of sattu, pull the edges up and pinch firmly to seal, then roll smooth between your palms.

Step 4: Put the litti on a tray and bake for 30–35 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until golden brown, with small cracks on the surface and a hollow sound when tapped. They should feel light, not heavy and dense.

Step 5: While they bake, make the chokha. Rub 1 large aubergine and 2 tomatoes with a few drops of oil, poke the aubergine in a few places and push 3 cloves garlic into the slits. Roast directly over a gas flame on medium, turning with tongs, for 10–12 minutes for the aubergine and 4–5 for the tomatoes, until the skins are blackened and the flesh is completely soft. (No gas? Grill as close to the element as possible.)

Step 6: Put the aubergine in a covered bowl for 5 minutes so the steam loosens the skin, then peel both aubergine and tomatoes; a few black flecks add smokiness. Peel 2 potatoes.

Step 7: Mash aubergine, tomatoes, roasted garlic and potatoes together roughly with a fork; it should be coarse, not a purée. Stir in 1 green chilli, ½ small onion, 2 tbsp fresh coriander, ¾ tsp salt and the raw 2 tbsp mustard oil, which gives chokha its pungent kick.

Step 8: When the litti come out, crack each one slightly and brush with 2 tbsp mustard oil (or dunk in melted ghee, if you eat dairy). Serve hot with the chokha and some extra raw onion and green chillies.