London-based chef prepares Bihar’s famous sattu paratha. Foodies want him to cook puran poli next

A traditional breakfast staple that captures the simplicity and strength of Indian kitchens has to be sattu paratha. This crispy and flavourful flatbread, enjoyed across major parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, is typically prepared with sattu, aka flour made by grinding roasted chana. For those unaware, long before energy bars and protein shakes were the norm, those living in rural India relied on sattu to keep their stomachs full for longer. Over time, the humble sattu was stuffed inside soft wheat dough, turning into the now-popular sattu paratha, which is equally delicious and nutritious.

Bihar’s sattu paratha recipe

Recently, UK-based chef and food vlogger Jake Dryan took it upon himself to cook the tasty sattu paratha at home, leaving culinary enthusiasts delighted. In the first step, he added a spoonful of ajwain and nigella seeds into a bowl of flour, followed by a sprinkle of salt and a dash of water. He mixed the ingredients uniformly with his hands until they transformed into a thick and starchy dough.

After that, Jake Dryan scooped some chana from a container and added them to a blender to create a powdered residue. Grated garlic and ginger, diced onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, and ground cumin went into a separate bowl, followed by some mustard oil, a squeeze of lime and some salt. All the ingredients were blended thoroughly and the puree was spread evenly in the middle of the dough before Jake folded it from all sides. He rolled out the flatbread, cooked it in a pan until golden brown and coated the paratha with ghee. And voila! Sattu paratha was ready to be savoured.

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Foodies love London chef's sattu paratha

Foodies queued up in the comments section, reacting to the post. One user wanted Jake Dryan to try ‘puran poli (Indian sweet flatbread) next’. Another suggested that he should try the paratha with aloo chokha (mashed potatoes). A second recommendation was to enjoy it with mango pickle. An individual jokingly called him a certified Indian.

Jake Dryan started his food page on Instagram in 2018, but he wasn’t solely focused on Indian dishes. However, in 2022, his Indian recipes started to resonate with many across the world and he found himself posting more and more on varied Indian cuisines, admitting to being fascinated by the lip-smacking dishes. Jake enjoys 9.1 million followers on Instagram.