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Pithale (Spiced Gram Flour Gravy)
by
aquadaze
Calificación: 4.0
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%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESometime%20around%20the%20time%20when%20I%20was%20about%209%20years,%20I%20had%20this%20major%20desire%20to%20visit%20all%20the%20forts%20in%20Maharashtra,%20my%20home%20state.%20The%20inspiration%20for%20this%20came%20from%20the%20history%20lessons%20at%20school%20where%20we%20were%20learning%20about%20Shivaji%20Maharaj,%20the%20valiant%2017th%20century%20leader%20who%20successfully%20fought%20the%20Moghuls%20and%20established%20the%20Maratha%20empire.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EShivaji%20Maharaj%20is%20someone%20who%20is%20very%20popular%20Maharashtra,%20for%20that%20matter,%20all%20over%20India.%20In%20Bombay,%20his%20name%20is%20all%20pervasive%20-%20you%20land%20in%20an%20airport%20re-named%20after%20him,%20you%20travel%20on%20roads%20that%20bear%20his%20name%20and%20take%20trains%20out%20of%20the%20city%20from%20a%20railway%20station%20again,%20re-named%20after%20him.%20However,%20his%20legacy%20-%20the%20forts%20that%20he%20captured%20or%20built%20-%20is%20unfortunately%20in%20ruins.%20Crumbling%20walls,%20ugly%20graffiti,%20trash;%20the%20political%20parties%20who%20re-name%20public%20buildings%20in%20his%20memory%20don't%20see%20the%20need%20to%20allocate%20any%20funds%20or%20resources%20for%20the%20restoration%20of%20his%20true%20legacy%20-%20the%20forts%20-%20to%20the%20original%20glory.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENotwithstanding%20their%20poor%20state,%20the%20forts%20we%20saw%20(yes,%20my%20parents%20indulged%20me%20my%20fancy)%20-%20Raigad,%20Pratapgad,%20Panhalgad%20and%20Murud%20Janjira%20-%20are%20nothing%20short%20of%20spectacular.%20However,%20there%20was%20this%20one%20fort%20which%20was%20very%20much%20in%20our%20neck%20of%20woods,%20so%20to%20speak,%20but%20our%20trips%20there%20were%20forever%20jinxed.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo,%20by%20the%20time%20I%20actually%20went%20to%20Sinhagad,%20my%20interest%20in%20it%20as%20a%20historical%20place%20was%20long%20gone.%20I%20was%20in%20colloge%20then%20and%20Sinhagad%20to%20me%20was%20more%20a%20picnic%20spot,%20a%20place%20that%20was%20very%20easily%20accessible%20and%20yet%20far%20away%20from%20the%20buzz%20of%20the%20city.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20the%20cold%20Pune%20winter,%20groups%20of%20us%20friends%20from%20college%20would%20set%20off%20on%20our%20two%20wheelers,%20almost%20on%20the%20spur%20of%20the%20moment,%20singing%20tuneless%20songs,%20hair%20flying%20in%20the%20air,%20munching%20on%20hara%20chana%20(green%20chanas).%20Sinhagad%20in%20winters%20used%20to%20be%20beautiful%20-%20if%20you%20set%20off%20early%20enough,%20on%20some%20days,%20the%20fog%20would%20hang%20low%20and%20envelop%20the%20fort.%20Our%20fingers%20would%20be%20numb%20from%20the%20cold%20air%20and%20hot%20cups%20of%20masala%20chai%20and%20onion%20bhajis%20were%20just%20the%20perfect%20way%20to%20beat%20the%20chill!%20A%20short%20stroll%20around%20the%20fort,%20munching%20on%20some%20cucumber%20slices%20sprinkled%20with%20salt%20and%20we'd%20be%20hungry%20again%20(!),%20eager%20to%20devour%20the%20spicy%20chicken%20curry%20and%20of%20course,%20the%20very%20famous%20pithale%20bhakri.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECome%20to%20think%20of%20it,%20there%20is%20nothing%20special%20about%20the%20pithale%20in%20Sinhagad%20per%20se.%20I%20think%20my%20mom%20makes%20better%20pithale.%20However,%20I%20have%20never%20quite%20re-captured%20the%20magic%20of%20eating%20pithale%20bhakri%20as%20it%20was%20at%20Sinhagad%20-%20sitting%20on%20straw%20mats%20and%20cracking%20useless%20jokes%20with%20friends,%20digging%20in%20from%20each%20other's%20plates%20and%20eating%20till%20our%20guts%20would%20spill%20out!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIngredients:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECurry%20leaves:%208-10%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDried%20red%20chillies:%202,%20broken%20into%20a%20few%20pieces%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGreen%20chillies:%202,%20chopped%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAsafoetida%20(hing):%201/4%20tsp%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMethod:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMake%20a%20paste%20of%20the%20besan%20and%20buttermilk,%20ensuring%20that%20no%20lumps%20remain%20and%20leave%20it%20for%20about%2030%20minutes.%20The%20idea%20is%20to%20bring%20the%20buttermilk%20to%20room%20temperature%20before%20cooking.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHeat%20oil%20in%20a%20thick%20bottom%20pan%20or%20a%20kadhai%20and%20add%20the%20ingredients%20listed%20under%20tempering%20-%20in%20that%20order.%20Wait%20for%20each%20ingredient%20to%20splutter/change%20colour%20before%20adding%20in%20the%20next%20one.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThen%20add%20the%20gralic%20and%20the%20onions%20and%20saute%20till%20the%20onions%20turn%20translucent.%20Add%20the%20red%20chilli%20powder,%20turmeric%20powder,%20salt%20and%20sugar%20and%20mix%20them%20well.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELower%20the%20heat%20and%20add%20the%20besan-buttermilk%20mixture,%20stirring%20as%20you%20pour%20it%20in.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPithale%20requires%20constant%20stirring,%20so%20pull%20up%20your%20sleeves%20and%20get%20stirring!%20As%20it%20cooks,%20the%20pithale%20thickens%20and%20bubbles%20like%20molten%20lava%20-%20so%20be%20careful!%20The%20only%20way%20to%20know%20if%20the%20pithale%20is%20done%20is%20to%20taste%20it%20-%20if%20the%20flour%20still%20tastes%20raw,%20stir%20for%20some%20more%20time.%20Normally,%20it%20takes%20about%2015%20minutes%20for%20the%20besan%20to%20cook.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdd%20the%20coriander%20leaves%20and%20the%20ghee,%20if%20using%20and%20mix%20them%20in.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20ideal%20combination%20is%20to%20serve%20them%20with%20bhakris%20-%20a%20kind%20of%20flat%20bread%20made%20with%20bajra%20or%20ragi%20or%20rice%20flours.%20I%20cannot%20make%20bhakris%20and%20so%20I%20have%20pithale%20with%20phulkas/rotis.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENotes:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPithale%20can%20made%20thicker%20or%20thinner%20as%20per%20your%20wish.%20I%20like%20mine%20thinner,%20if%20you%20want%20a%20thicker%20pithale,%20use%20only%202%20cups%20of%20buttermilk.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMy%20pithale%20is%20quite%20spicy,%20adjust%20and%20reduce%20the%20chillies%20and%20the%20chilli%20powder%20to%20your%20taste.%20However,%20spicier%20the%20pithale,%20the%20better%20it%20tastes.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EA%20slightly%20drier%20version%20of%20pithale%20is%20called%20jhunka;%20it%20is%20made%20by%20adding%20water%20instead%20of%20buttermilk.%20Check%20out%20this%20lovely%20post%20for%20some%20more%20reminiscences%20of%20Pune%20and%20the%20way%20to%20make%20jhunka.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20work%20is%20licenced%20under%20a%20Creative%20Commons%20Licence.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}