← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 100 g gram flour (besan), sifted
• 600 ml Water
• ½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing)
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 6 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 3 Green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Whisk the gram flour with the turmeric, salt and water until there are no lumps at all.
2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, when they pop, the cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves.
3. Add the garlic and chillies and fry for 1 minute, then the onion and cook for 4–5 min until soft.
4. Turn the heat to low, whisk the batter once more and pour it in, stirring constantly.
5. Keep stirring for 6–8 min as it thickens; it’s ready when it looks glossy, bubbles slowly and no longer tastes of raw flour. Cover and leave on the lowest heat for 2 min.
6. Stir in the coriander and serve hot with jowar bhakri, chapati or rice.

Tips

• For a thicker, scoopable pithla use less water; for a pourable one to eat with rice, add more.
• Most asafoetida contains wheat; skip it or use a gluten-free brand if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hebbar's Kitchen Ministry of Curry BBC Good Food