Chokha is an important accompaniment from Bihar and Jharkhand in India. It generally serves with litti, though it can be taken with a wide range of main course foods, including rice, roti, and parathas. For chokha, vegetables are roasted and smashed in order to give it the smoky flavor and that goodness. The most typical chokha is an eggplant chokha which contains roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes.
Ingredients for Eggplant Chokha:
- 1 large Brinjal (baingan)
- 2 Big tomatoes
- large onion. It’s not mentioned here in the main recipe; however, different variations are there with this ingredient in this dish
- 2 long green chilies. More or less, you could add as you like.
- 2 cloves of garlic.
- Salt according to taste.
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil. But for other oils, you might prefer to use vegetable oils.
- Fresh coriander leaves For garnish Instructions
Instructions:
Roast the vegetables. There are three ways to do this:
On an open flame:
Poke the eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes with a fork. Roast them straight over a gas stove or in a barbecue flame. Roll them occasionally to make sure the roasting is even until they are charred on their skin and soft inside.
In oven: In the oven that is preheated, at 200°C (392°F), pierce the vegetables shall be placed in a tray to roast. Acceptable roasted about 30 to 40 minutes or well done and browned.
Microwave. Put the pierced vegetables on the oven’s turntable, poke several holes so the air will cook inside. Cover with wax paper, pierce some holes on top. Micro on high until the time has elapsed between 8-10 minutes or fully cooked.
When the vegetables have been roasted and cooked, let them cool a bit. Peel the burnt skins from the eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes. Discard the skin, transferring the roasted flesh to a mixing bowl.
MASH : Mix the roasted vegetables up so they become lumpy, but not totally pulverized. Some like it completely smooth; others want that tiny little texture. Chopp up the green chilies and onion if using (as fine as can be) and add with mashed veggies. Cracker press or mince garlic to get out all those pretty goodness inside the garlic bulbs; mix into mixture.
Season with salt to taste
Add some mustard oil and mix everything well. The smoky taste of mustard oil brings a true taste in chokha.
Garnish fresh coriander leaves to add freshness and fragrance to chokha.
Chokha is ready to be served. Chokha pairs extremely well with litti, though it can also be served with roti or paratha. Chokha gives you the flavors of the smoky and spicy earth that can complement almost every main course dish. End.
