Pithla / Chickpea flour (Besan ) Curry

Pithla / Chickpea flour (Besan ) Curry is traditional recipe from Maharashtra made with Chickpea flour or Besan. The chickpea flour is cooked with oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger garlic, green chili, curry leaves , spices, yogurt and water till it becomes semi solid. The gluten free pithla is best when served straight from the pan with rice or bhakri or roti and salald and pickle. To make it vegan skip adding yogurt and add lemon juice to make it sour. Pithla is a very regular dish made at every Maharashtrian household. It has become popular all over due to its amazing taste. There are many popular joints or road style restaurants In Maharashtra selling pithla. Pithla is a very good and healthy option whenever you are out of vegetables at home. Variations in pithla can be made by cooking chickpea flour with onions, or spinach,or spring onions,or cucumber or capsicum.

Course brunch, curry, dinner, gluten free, lunch, roz ka khana, savoury

Cuisine Indian, Maharastrian

Keyword chickpeaflour, curry, dinner, glutenfree, indianfood, lightlunch, maharashtrian, pithla, proteinrich, quickandeasy, quickdinner, quicklunch, roz ka khana, simple, traditional, yogurt

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings people

Calories 239kcal

Equipment

bowl
whisk
spoon
Heavy bottom pot with lid
spatula

Ingredients

chickpea flour batter

1/2 cup chickpea flour besan
1/2 cup yogurt dahi/ curd (to make vegan use water and lemon juice for sourness)
1/2 cup water

Making Pithla

1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds rai
1/4 tsp cumin seeds jeera
1/4 tsp asafoetida hing
1 green chili chopped or more if need extra spicy
10 curry leaves
1 tsp ginger garlic paste optional
1/4 tsp turmeric powder haldi
1 tsp red chili powder
1 cup water or more or less to adjust the consistency of pithla as needed
2 tbsp coriander washed and chopped
salt to taste

Instructions

chickpea flour batter

Add chick pea flour, yogurt in a bowl. Mix well with a help of a hand whisk or spoon. Now gradually add water and mix with a whisk or spoon and make a lump free batter. Keep it aside. (I prefer making the batter ahead to make the pithla as it is then easier to make a lump free and smooth pithla).

Making Pithla

Heat oil in a pot on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle add curry leaves and asafoetida. Saute.
Add ginger garlic paste. (At this stage you an also add chopped onions to make kanda or spinach or spring onions or cucumber as per your choice, cover and let the veggies cook).
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix well.
Add water and salt.
Bring the mixture to boil on high heat.
Lower the heat after the mixture starts to boil. Now add the prepared chick pea flour batter and stir continuously with a whisk or spoon to prevent getting lumps and sticking at the bottom of the pan.
Keep the heat low to medium and stir the mixture continuously. The mixture will start to get thicken after five minutes. Lower the heat cover and cook the mixture for 7-8 minutes stirring in between.
The mixture is cooked. Add chopped coriander.
Mix well. The pithla is ready.
Serve the pithla / chickpea flour (besan) curry straight from the pan with rice or jowar bhakri, salad, pickle or garlic chutney.
Mix little amount of pithla ti rice, mix and eat for every bite.

Nutrition