If you’re looking for something that is both easy to make and nourishing, then sattu might just be what you need this season. Imagine biting into a treat that’s not only light but also packed with the goodness of roasted grains! While most of us will immediately equate sattu with the Bengali chaatu, which is roasted gram flour, the term sattu actually applies to flour made from any roasted grains, pulses or legumes. In some western and north Indian regions, sattu is also the colloquial term for laddus made from roasted grain flour. A slightly grainy texture, a nutty flavour, and soft, these flavourful flours can be moulded into laddus or any shape you fancy.
My Kolkata reached out to two homemakers and home cooks, and a professional chef who shared their unique sattu recipes.
No-cook chana sattu
Bhuna Hua Chana Ka Sattu Courtesy Geeta Choudhury
For a quick, no-cook treat, give this Bhuna Hua Chana ka Sattu a try. The recipe by Geeta Choudhury, a 28 year old homemaker from Jodhpur, is simple and requires no stove time and is a nutritious snack that stays fresh for up to 15 days.
“Nowadays everybody wants shortcut methods, so I decided to prepare a special quick recipe. The good thing about this is one does not even have to go near the stove for this. One just has to remove the skin of bhuna hua chana (roasted chickpeas) and grind it with some sugar and ghee, without a single drop of water. You can then shape this into laddus. It can be stored for 10-15 days,” said Geeta.
Roasted chana is the main ingredient of this easy recipe iStock
Ingredients
- Roasted chickpeas (bhuna hua chana) - 500 gm
- Sugar - 500 gm
- Ghee - as needed to bring the mix together
- Elachi (cardamom) powder - 1 tsp (optional)
- Dry fruits - a handful (optional)
Method
- Take the skin off the roasted chickpeas and add them to a mixer-grinder
- Add equal parts ghee and sugar to the chickpeas and grind everything together
- Add a tsp of elaichi powder and a handful dry fruits and mix together before shaping into balls
‘Danedar’ besan sattu
Besan ka Sattu
For a slightly crunchy and flavourful sattu, try the besan sattu recipe by Geeta Choudhary. You can use ready-made besan or prepare it from scratch by grinding chana dal (split Bengal gram or chholar dal in Bengali).
“This sattu is for the ones who prefer something ‘danedar’. You can use chandi ka bark (silver leaf) and sprinkle some kesar (saffron) over the shaped sweet treats,” said Choudhary.
Ghee is used to bring together the dry flous mix so they can be shaped into laddus or any other shape Courtesy Geeta Choudhary
Ingredients
- Besan (chickpea flour) or chana dal (split Bengal gram/ scholar dal) - 500 gm
- Milk - 2 tbsp
- Ghee - as required
- Sugar powder - 500 gm
- Elachi (cardamom) powder - as per taste
- Chandi ka bark or silver leaf - for decoration
- Kesar (saffron) - a pinch (optional)
Method
- Wash and dry the chana dal before grinding or use ready made besan flour
- Add the milk and half of the ghee to make a crunchy or danedar paste, before passing the mixture through a sieve
- Lightly cook the paste with the rest of the ghee until it is slightly toasted
- Once cooled, add powdered sugar, elaichi powder and some more ghee if needed, and shape it according to your preference
Homemade rice sattu
Chawal ka Sattu
If you're in the mood to try something new, this chawal ka sattu or rice sattu, another recipe by Geeta Choudhary, is a great choice. While it needs only three easily available ingredients, the process is a bit more time consuming but the tasteful end result is worth it.
Ingredients
- Rice - 500 gm
- Powdered sugar - 500 gm
- Ghee - 500 gm
Method
- Wash the rice and let it dry completely before dry roasting it
- Grind the roasted rice and pass it through a sieve to get a fine powder
- Add powdered sugar and ghee in equal parts and shape it into laddus or barfis according to your preference.
Nutty wholewheat sattu
Gehu ka Sattu
If you like the nutty flavour of roasted pulses, try the gehu ka sattu. This recipe by Amrita Gandhi, a young homemaker from Kolkata’s Baguiati. The recipe involves roasting and grinding regular wheat or gehu. You can also add pistachios and almonds to the mix to make it a quick treat. This can be stored for 10-15 days.
Ingredients
- Wheat grains - 500 gm
- Powdered sugar - 500 gm
- Ghee - as needed to bring the mix together
- Pistachios and almonds - a handful (for decoration)
Method
- Wash and dry the what and dry roast it in a pan until half roasted
- Grind the roasted what and mix with sugar before adding ghee to bring the mix together
- Shape it into laddus or any other shape and decorate with pistachios and almonds
Chef’s special traditional sattu
If you're keen on trying a traditional sattu recipe, Chef Dheeraj Mathur the Cluster Executive Chef of Radisson Blu, Kaushambi has a recipe that offers a classic approach to sattu, blending together various flavours and textures.
Ingredients:
- Roasted Bengal gram (chana dal or chhola dal) - 200 gm
- Wheat flour - 50 gm (optional)
- Fennel seeds (saunf or mouri) - 10 gm
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - 5 gm
- Black salt -3 gm
- Regular salt - 3 gm (or to taste)
- Dry ginger powder - 5 gm
- Asafoetida (hing) - 1 gm
- Black pepper powder - 2 gm
Method:
- Begin by dry roasting the Bengal gram on low heat until it becomes golden brown and has a nutty aroma. If you're adding wheat flour, roast it separately until it lightly browns
- Once cooled, grind the roasted Bengal gram into a fine powder using a grinder. If using, mix the roasted wheat flour with the gram flour
- In a bowl, combine the ground gram flour with fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black salt, regular salt, dry ginger powder, asafoetida, and black pepper
- The mixture should be spread out on a clean cloth or tray in a dry place for about 6-8 hours to remove any remaining moisture
- After the sattu is fully dried, keep it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for 2-3 months if stored in a cool, dry place. You can then use this in a variety of ways