Pithla - Spicy Gram Flour Curry

When it comes to Maharastrian comfort food nothing beats garam-garam Pithla-Bhat with a dollop of lemon pickle. Pithla is an Maharastrian besan curry made in every household. There are numrous ways in which this spicy besan curry is prepared. Earlier I posted a pithla recipe with included onions with red chilly powder. 

The recipe which I am sharing today can be also enjoyed by those who do not eat onions & garlic. Very simple recipe with very less ingredients and can be made in jiffy.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 2 cups Besan (Gram Flour)

• 1 Big Tomato (cut into 4 parts)

• 4-5nos. Green Chilles 

• 4-5nos. Curry Leaves

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds

• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera) Optional

• 1/4th tsp Turmeric Powder

• 1/4th tsp Hing (Asafoetida)

• 1/4th cup Coriander Leaves

• Salt to taste

• 1 tbsp Oil

• 1 1/2 cups Water to make batter

Method:

• In a mixing bowl add 1 1/2 cups of water and add besan. Mix besan well into water and see to it that the batter is lump free.

• In a kadhai add oil and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begins to crackle add cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder, curry leaves, green chilles and tomatoes. Saute tomatoes for 30 seconds. Be careful as the green chilles splutter a lot.

• Now add the besan paste and salt. Add water as per your requirement for the gravy. Normally this pithla consistency is quite thin. But you can adjust according to you preference.

• Keep on stirring continuously as due to besan this mixture do stick at the bottom.

• Check for seasoning. Add finely chopped cilantro and let this pithla cook on a high flame till raw smell of besan fades away and mixture becomes glossy.

• Pithla is ready. 

• Serve this pithla with garma-garam rice or bhakri.