TASTES LIKE HOME
“I hold many culinary memories dear to me, but this rather basic, rustic meal is one that was my dad’s signature dish, and I think of it as my inheritance recipe. The dish, originally from the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, was often cooked for us by Dad when we were growing up. It’s funny – my mother cooked three meals a day for the five of us in the family, 364 days a year, and we hardly noticed them; whereas Dad cooked one meal a year and it has stuck with me!
The littis (little dough balls) are filled with a spicy relish. It’s extremely versatile – if you like, you can even make the relish on its own and serve it as an accompaniment to a simple meal of steamed rice and vegetables.
I cherish the memories of making this dish with Dad, participating in the different stages of filling, baking, then finally shaking the dough balls in a closed pot with ghee to give them a shiny finish. I make the littis from time to time with my own kids now, hoping to make this something of a family tradition – one that reminds us all of childhood and home.”
VIVEK SINGH WAS BORN IN INDIA AND LIVES IN LONDON. HE’S EXECUTIVE CHEF AND CEO OF THE CINNAMON CLUB, CINNAMON KITCHEN AND CINNAMON SOHO. THE CINNAMON CLUB (CINNAMON CLUB.COM) CELEBRATES ITS 15TH ANNIVERSARY THIS MONTH
Litti chokha