Baliya: Litti Chokha of Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh is as famous as it has a long and wide history. Its history is quite interesting. In this Bhrigu city, people eating vegetarian food have been liking roti, dal, rice, vegetables, chutney, pickles, salad, papad and halwa since ancient times. Litti-Chokha, which has given Ballia district a global status in terms of food, also has its own special identity. In Ballia, wonderful dishes made from satua, gram, barley, maize and unseeded grains are still prepared and eaten with great pleasure. The correct name of Litti Chokha is Bhauri Chokha.
Renowned historian Dr. Shivkumar Singh Kaushikeya said, “The sound of Litti-Chokha of Ballia is heard all over the world today. Although the custom of eating Baati-Chokha with dal and churma is prevalent in many states of the country, Litti-Chokha of Ballia has a specialty from inside to outside.
What is the specialty of Litti Chokha of Ballia?
The gram sattu added inside this Litti is the purest, hence it has also been included in One Distic One product. Bhabhari i.e. stuffed is made by mixing many things like carom seeds, mangreyla, asafoetida, lemon, ginger, mustard oil, black salt, rock salt, garlic etc. in Sattu. This stuffing is filled with kneaded dough and cooked on Gointha (dung cakes). Then it is served with desi ghee, curd, potato, tomato and brinjal chokha.
Litti Chokha has a deep connection with Ballia
It is a story of ancient times when Bhrigu was going to Ghazni after looting the Somnath temple in the Rann of Kutch. At that time the armies of Rajputs had chased him. Once, while cooking food, the army of Ghazni attacked the army of Rajputs. The soldiers broke the kneaded dough into small pieces and threw them into the hot sand. When he returned late at night, the dough balls were completely cooked and looked delicious to eat.
Ballia people did second experiment, gave expansion
The people of Ballia first tried this experiment in the white sand of the banks of Ganga-Saryu river. Later it was made on the dung cake found on the arrow. Then the taste lovers started making it at home on steamed upla i.e. Gointha. At present, some people have started cooking on electronic ovens and also on coal, but there is no answer to the litti cooked in the fire of Gointha, Bharsai (big furnace for roasting grains) and brick kilns.
Tags: Ballia news, Local18
FIRST PUBLISHED: November 5, 2024, 20:05 IST
