Bihari Litti Recipe | Easy Traditional Indian Food | Step-by-Step

Crispy litti… hot melted ghee… smoky baingan chokha…
If that description made your heart (and stomach) happy, wait till you make this recipe!
This is the easiest and most authentic Bihari Litti you can make right at home — no tandoor, no fancy tools, just real flavours.

There was a time when winter evenings in northern India meant gathering around a warm alav (bonfire). People sat together, shared stories, and roasted food right in the fire. Simple things tasted magical roasted potatoes mashed into chokha, eggplants turned into smoky bharta, sweet potatoes eaten right from the embers. 

And in that same fire, litti was made. Golden, crisp, filled with flavorful sattu, dipped in hot melted ghee… eaten with roasted tomato chutney and smoky baingan bharta. A meal so rustic and comforting that it warms not just the stomach, but the soul.

Even today, whenever we make litti on an open flame, that old charm returns. But on busy days, we prepare it on the gas stove quicker but just as delicious.

In this version, I’ve used lemon juice instead of pickle masala. Traditionally, achaar masala is added, but sometimes its strong flavor overpowers the delicate smoky taste so lemon keeps it fresh and balanced.

(You can still add pickle masala if you like!)

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WATCH THE RECIPE VIDEO

Here is the full Litti Chutney recipe video from our YouTube channel:

Bihari Litti Recipe

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Ingredients (Serves 8–10)

For the dough

• 750 g whole wheat flour
• 4 tbsp refined oil
• Water as needed
• Salt to taste

For the stuffing

• 250 g sattu (roasted gram flour)
• 100 g fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 20 cloves garlic (10 finely chopped, 10 crushed)
• 1-inch ginger (finely chopped)
• 8 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 2–3 tbsp mustard oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp ajwain (optional but recommended)

For frying

• 500 ml mustard oil (or any oil of your choice)

For serving

• Baingan bharta
• Roasted tomato chutney
• Melted ghee (lots of it!)

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Instructions

1. Prepare the dough

1. Add refined oil and salt to the wheat flour.
2. Mix lightly — do not mash the flour.
3. Add water gradually and knead into a soft dough, softer than roti dough.
4. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the stuffing

1. In a bowl, add sattu, coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger, chopped garlic, and crushed garlic.
2. Add mustard oil, lemon juice, salt, and ajwain (if using).
3. Mix everything well.
4. Let this mixture rest for at least 30 minutes — the flavors become deeper and richer.

3. Shape the litti

1. Make medium-sized balls of the dough.
2. Flatten each ball and add 1–2 tbsp of stuffing.
3. Seal the edges and shape it into a smooth round ball.
4. Gently flatten with your palm or with a rolling pin.

4. Fry the litti

1. Heat mustard oil in a kadhai.
2. Add the littis and fry on medium flame.
3. Cook until golden brown and crisp from all sides.
4. Remove and place on a plate.

(If you prefer, you can roast the litti on a gas stove grill or in an oven.)

5. Serve

Serve hot littis with:

• smoky baingan bharta
• roasted tomato chutney
• a big spoonful of melted ghee

Trust me — this combination will make your heart happy.

Learn more about traditional Bihari cuisine here - Bihari Cuisines

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Tools needed - 

For Dough & Stuffing

• Mixing bowl (Large steel or glass bowl)
• Measuring spoons
• Rolling board + rolling pin (Chakla Belan)

For Making Litti

• Small bowl for brushing ghee
• Steel/wooden plate for resting litti
• Tongs (chimta) for roasting on gas

For Frying 

• Deep kadai
• Slotted frying spoon
• Oil container

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MISSED THE VIDEO? WATCH AGAIN - 

Bihari Litti Recipe

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Thanks for reading!

If you try this recipe, tell us how it turned out—we’d love to cheer on your cooking journey.

You can also email us at mishtichatori@gmail.com for any questions or suggestions.