flipSattu, Roasted Barley and Chickpea Flour of the Traveler
Sattu, Roasted Barley and Chickpea Flour of the Traveler
Why this dish? Nanak traveled thousands of leagues on his Udasis — to Mecca, Hardwar, Assam. Sattu, flour of roasted grains that keeps for months and is prepared with just a little water, was the companion of walkers and ascetics on the long dusty roads.
Barley and chickpeas roasted then ground into flour, mixed with water, salt, and cumin into a paste or thick instant drink. The ultimate road food: zero cooking, instant energy, the deep roasted taste of grains.
On the long roads, I carried only a staff, a cloak, and a pouch of this roasted flour — and it was enough. First roast the barley and chickpeas until they brown and crack between the teeth, then grind them fine. When hunger overtakes you by a well, mix a handful in cool water with a grain of salt and a little cumin, drink or eat as you please, and resume the journey. The pilgrim who is content with little carries his kitchen in his hand and his temple in his heart.
- •Barley — two parts (roasted base)
- •Chickpeas — one part (strength, protein)
- •Cumin — a pinch (fragrance)
- •Rock salt — a grain (seasoning)
- •Well water — as needed (liquid)
Sattu, Roasted Barley and Chickpea Flour of the Traveler
Barley and chickpeas roasted then ground into flour, mixed with water, salt, and cumin into a paste or thick instant drink. The ultimate road food: zero cooking, instant energy, the deep roasted taste of grains.
Why this dish? Nanak traveled thousands of leagues on his Udasis — to Mecca, Hardwar, Assam. Sattu, flour of roasted grains that keeps for months and is prepared with just a little water, was the companion of walkers and ascetics on the long dusty roads.
On the long roads, I carried only a staff, a cloak, and a pouch of this roasted flour — and it was enough. First roast the barley and chickpeas until they brown and crack between the teeth, then grind them fine. When hunger overtakes you by a well, mix a handful in cool water with a grain of salt and a little cumin, drink or eat as you please, and resume the journey. The pilgrim who is content with little carries his kitchen in his hand and his temple in his heart.
Ingredients (period version)
- Barley — two parts (roasted base)
- Chickpeas — one part (strength, protein)
- Cumin — a pinch (fragrance)
- Rock salt — a grain (seasoning)
- Well water — as needed (liquid)
Ingredients
- Roasted barley flour (or barley to toast) — 120 g (base)
- Roasted chickpea flour (sattu chana) — 60 g (protein)
- Ground cumin — 1/2 tsp (fragrance)
- Salt — 1 pinch (seasoning)
- Cool water — 150-200 ml (liquid)
Method
- If starting from whole grains: dry-roast barley and chickpeas in a pan until colored and fragrant, let cool, grind finely and sift.
- When ready to consume, mix the sattu flour with cumin and salt.
- Add water little by little, whisking: more for a refreshing drink, less for a paste that can be rolled into balls.
- Consume immediately — the magic of sattu is that it requires no cooking.
- For the road, carry the dry flour in a pouch and add water only at the stop.
How it was made : Sattu is one of the oldest travel foods of the subcontinent: roasted grains (barley, chickpeas, sometimes millet) ground, which keep for months without spoiling. Ascetics, soldiers, and merchants filled their pouches with it. Salted with cumin or sweetened with jaggery, it is prepared in seconds with a little water — an 'instant meal' before history.
The contemporary twist : A 'today's walker' version: salted sattu whisked very cold with a squeeze of lime and mint — a millennial energy drink in a frosted glass.
Guru Nanak · Charactorium
