Spiced gram flour curry paired with thick sorghum flatbread — the definitive rural Maharashtrian meal that is the backbone of everyday cooking across the state.
Ingredients
For pithla:
1 cup besan (gram flour)
2.5 cups water
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
8 curry leaves
3 green chillies — finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp goda masala (or garam masala)
Salt
Fresh coriander
For bhakri (jowar roti):
2 cups jowar (sorghum) flour
1/2 tsp salt
Hot water — approximately 3/4 cup
Ghee for serving
Method
Make pithla: whisk besan with 2.5 cups water until completely smooth with no lumps.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pan. Add mustard seeds — pop.
Add asafoetida and curry leaves. Add finely chopped green chillies. Stir 20 seconds.
Pour the besan-water mixture into the pan while stirring continuously.
Cook on medium, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until the pithla thickens to a flowing but coating consistency.
The stirring must not stop or lumps form.
Add turmeric, red chilli powder and goda masala.
Season with salt. Garnish with coriander.
Make bhakri: combine jowar flour and salt.
Add hot water gradually kneading with wet hands into a cohesive dough — jowar has no gluten so keep hands very wet.
Divide into 4 balls. Pat outward with wet palms on a wet surface to 14 to 15 cm rounds. Cook on a dry tawa on medium 3 minutes per side then finish directly over flame.