A few dishes in history have had the kind of all-palate appeal the way Chhatua has. Consider this: In Odisha, a bowl of Chhatua can be a nourishing breakfast, lunch and even a lighter dinner; it is completely oil and allergen-free and just two spoons can sustain you for a good eight hours. And can be had 12 months a year.
In fact, Chhatua is India’s (and possibly world’s) oldest instant food with a possible origin in the 996 BC. In Ayurveda, it is an integral part of both the Rasayana (restorative) and the Pathya vyavastha (body balancing) therapy, and was the single, most effective antidote that was widely administered from a lactating mother to a patient recovering from surgery.
The famous Abul Fazal in one of his entries, in fact, mention how Chhatua (which then was made by mixing barley, maize and black gram) was the most important work meal at court.
It is said that Emperor Akbar considered it to be the one important ingredient that a warrior needed on his journey to victory. In fact, many historians have found mention of an interesting Saat-Annaj drink that the Mughal emperor took to drinking during his stay at Fatehpur Sikri.
Interestingly, Chhatua was also a part of Shah Jahan’s war food while he was advancing on the Deccan Empire and then when on a run after his failed attempt to take the throne. Fascinatingly, Mughals weren’t the first to rediscover the nourishing power of Chhatua, it was a popular food of the poor since the Indus Valley Civilisation. The probable origin of this Odia favourite was because of two factors: arid lands of the Kalinga-Gupta empire (essentially Bihar, Bengal and Odisha) where little grew in terms of produce and poverty, which led to the first kind of instant meal initially with Barley, according to Oxford Companion to Food.
Fascinatingly, it was Chhatua’s mobility (along with its nourishing nature) that became its reason to royal fame. Says seasoned hotelier Debashish Patnaik, “Chhatua began travelling first with the Brahmins and the Jains, who had their own strict code of dietary habits. Having this instant food in their sack allowed them the freedom to travel without worry.”
It was, adds Chef Ajay Sahoo of The Leela Ambience Gurugram, “the same reason that even armies took to the simple mix of black gram, wheat and in some cases puffed rice too. Of course, the taste of home was bonus. The other reason was, of course, the nourishment – Chhatua happens to be the best source of soluble protein with a low glycemic index, which meant that a little could go a long way.”
Agrees award-winning chef Sabyasachi Gorai who calls Chhatua, the palate restorative pill. "Chhatua", he says, “is in fact the finest example of minimalistic cooking. It can be had sweet or savoury and yet makes a delicious comfort meal that has all the virtues of nutrient, and is absolutely organic.”
One of the many reasons that legendary Chef Manish Mehrotra introduced it in his Indian Accent menu and calls it the ‘timeless ingredient that elevates any dish, including desserts.” But what really makes this roasted, ground powder that may give a sandy mouthfeel to a virgin palate, a food with such grandiose reputation.
It's culinary cleverness, says Patnaik, who has been studying the art of Chhatua making, which has over 40 variations in Odisha itself, and has been bewildered by the sheer marriage of localisation, science and taste. Says Arbind Sahoo (Director, Ruchi Foodline), “Think of it, Chhatua is local to the region it is had (in Odisha Chhatua is made of roasted black gram, in Punjab, it is barley or maize and down South, it is a mix of millets), can be easily made and fortified (Odia version has addition of wheat and puffed rice and even lentils) and is astonishingly delicious. And the recipe hasn’t changed in over a century. It is the finest example of ancient diets.”
Ruchi, which took to producing three different versions of Chhatua calls it one of the “highest seller as it is nostalgia packaged.”
This interesting melange of taste and sustenance was the reason Gautam Buddha made it a part of his recuperative therapy during his tour in Langudi; and the reason that the Kalinga army could hold back the Guptas for nearly six decades. Such was the prize of this simple commoners’ food back in time that Emperor Asoka soon made it part of a soldier’s ration; and decades later, Shivaji Maharaj adopted Chhatua as their sustenance meal that suited his guerrilla warfare. It is said that the Peshwa was the first to introduce it as a ‘sports drink’ that was offered to the soldiers and others after their morning exercise.
A modern tale of Chhatua’s power at winning wars remains the infamous Kargil War of 1999 in the Batalik Sector. While the heroic win is a war legend today, few know that the win initially was achieved by the Ladakh Scouts, one of the older, forgotten regiment raised in 1963. It was a team of these indigenous warriors who were instrumental in ensuring that not only the little battalion posted up there got their ammunition and information supply, but food as well. What was the food? Chhattua – yes the very basic ingredient that makes for our delicious morning breakfast, the scrumptious Chhatua Khakra, which, adds Sahoo, “is offered during Ganesh Chaturthi” and the Chhatua Panna in Makar Sankranti.
(The writer is a senior food columnist, who has been on the panel of Masterchef India and curated chefs retreat)