Friday Dinner - Pitla and Chapati

Chapati, Pitla, curds and sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper

Another of my recipe blogs,

Pitla or Jhunka is one of those side dishes cooked either when there is no vegetable at home or one is too lazy to cook an elaborate sabzi. It goes well with both hot rice and chapatis.

Main ingredients : 4 table spoons of besan (gram dal powdered) and 1/2 finely chopped onion.

1. Heat 1 tsp oil add asafoetida and some mustard seeds wait till the seeds splutter.
2. Add cumin seeds and chopped onion, some salt and turmeric.
3. Once the onion gives itself to the heat and turns tender add some chili powder or green cut chili both work.
4. Add 1/2 cup water and let it boil.
5. Now is the tricky part, add besan to this boiling water spoon by spoon and keep stirring. The idea is not let it form lumps, if need be add more water.
6. Let it boil a little longer to get nice uniform consistency( you want all the besan nicely cooked to avoid any uncomfortable consequences the following morning :) )
7. Salt status check, add accordingly. Squeeze some fresh lemon on top and garnish with coriander.

Add ghee while serving and serve it hot.


After food and a glass of nice cold water, it is time to chew some beetle nut(I know not all would approve of this....:) ) and wander about my small patio.... that completes the experience.