Pithale is an authentic food preparation from state of Maharashtra, India. It is a staple of many in the state. It is very delicious and can be eaten with bhakari.
We usually get to eat this preparation in an authentic form in any small village in Maharashtra. It can be thick or thin form. Today we will see how to make semi-thick pithale.
Ingredients:
Besan (Chickpea flour): 1 CupKanda (Onion): 1 medium (chopped)
Lasun (Garlic): 4-5 cloves
Oil: 3 TBsp (For tempering)
Lal Mirchi (Whole, dry Red Chilies): 2-3 (adjust according to taste)
Fresh hiravi Mirchi (Fresh Green Chilies): 1-2 (adjust according to taste)
Kadhi patta (Curry leaves): 5-6
Mohari (Mustard seeds): 1 Tsp
Hing (Asafoetida): ½ Tsp
Haldi (Turmeric powder): 1 Tsp
Dhana-jeera powder (Coriander-cumin powder)
Jeera (Cumin): 2-3 TBsp
Suke khobare (Grated Dry coconut): ½ Cup
Danyache kut (crushed peanuts): 1Tbsp (optional)
Water: 2-3 Cups (take more water later according to your desired consistency of pithale)
Fresh Kothimbir/ Dhaniya (Coriander): ¼ Cup (Finely chopped)
Salt: To taste
Procedure:
Take a bowl, add besan, dhana-jeera
powder, danyache kut (crushed peanuts), salt, and water to make a thin paste.
Keep it aside. Now take jeera, grated dry coconut, green chilies in a mixie
bowl and grind it coarsely. Do not add water to this mixture. Roast this mixture on a dry pan and keep it aside.
Take (preferably) a cast iron
pan and if you do not have a cast iron pan simply take any wok or kadhai and
add oil to it. Put it on high heat. Once the oil is really hot add mohari, let
it splutter nicely. Put hing, haldi, kadhi patta & red chilies to the
tempering. Now add Lasun (garlic) first and then kanda (onion) to this
tempering. Fry till kanda is translucent and lasun is brown in color. Now add
grated coconut mixture to the wok, stir it for 2-3 minutes. At this time put
the heat down to medium, we don’t want to burn the tempering while adding the
besan-mixture to the wok.
Stir besan mixture once again
before putting it to the hot wok. Now pour besan mixture to the wok slowly with one hand
while stirring the mixture with another hand continuously.
There should not be any lumps of the besan mixture. Put little extra water at
this time if you see any lumps or if you feel the mixture is too thick.
However, just keep one thing in mind while adding the water, that you need to
stir the mixture continuously otherwise this will be lumpy pithale and it will
not cook through. If you are happy with the consistency, put a lid on the wok.
Let it cook for about 6-7min, stirring in between. Drain the water or moisture
on the lid to this pithale mixture every-time you open the lid to stir, this
will keep the pithale moist & will not be dry in the end.
Just taste it for salt and to
check if the besan is cooked through. Now add kothimbir.
Serve hot with Bhakari/ Roti or Rice. Serve dry garlic chutney & freshly cut onion as a
side.
Don’t forget to enjoy this
spicy but yummy dish. Happy Cooking!!!!
