Bihari stuffed wholewheat dumplings with aubergine mash (Litti chokha)

1. Mix the flour with the ajwain, salt and ghee, then knead with the water into a firm, smooth dough and rest covered for 20 minutes. For the filling mix the sattu with the very finely chopped onion, garlic and green chillies, the ajwain, lemon juice, mustard oil, salt and just enough water for it to hold together when squeezed.

2. Divide the dough into 12 balls, press each into a small cup in your palm, fill with a tablespoon of filling and seal tightly into a ball.

3. Bake the litti in the oven at 200 °C for 30-35 minutes, turning halfway, until they have a hard, golden crust and sound hollow when tapped.

4. Meanwhile, for the chokha char the aubergine, tomatoes and garlic cloves over a gas flame or under the oven grill until blackened, and boil the potatoes in their skins until tender. Peel them.

5. Mash the aubergine flesh, tomatoes, potatoes and garlic with a fork and mix with the finely chopped green chilli, raw mustard oil and salt.

6. Lightly crack the hot litti, drizzle with melted ghee and serve with the smoky chokha.

Tip: The pride of Bihar: traditionally baked over cow-dung embers, which makes it smoky. Sattu is a protein-rich flour of roasted chickpeas; if you can't find it, use toasted chickpea flour instead.