Instant Daal - Maharashtrian Pithle

Ingredients:

• 200g chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp cooking oil (groundnut, rapeseed, olive or sunflower are fine)
• Small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1-2 hot green chillies, slit lengthways
• 1 tsp mustard seed (larger ones are better, but smaller “Rai” will do too)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4-1/2 tsp SSP asafoetida powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 litre water

Preparation method:

Heat the oil in a pan until it is sufficiently hot.

Add the mustard seeds and let it crackle followed by cumin seeds.

Keeping the heat on high, add the green chillies and stir for 3-4 seconds. Be careful to let the oil cover them and sizzle them.

While this is happening, keep the water ready to pour into this mixture.

Add SSP asafoetida and turn the heat down to low, stir and add the turmeric.

It is extremely important to not let the turmeric burn so as soon as you have added it, stir and add the water.

Turn the heat up again and let the water boil.

Add a teaspoon of salt (this can be adjusted later to your taste).

When the water starts boiling, start sprinkling the chickpea flour on the surface of the boiling water.  This really needs to be done while stirring so add the flour with one hand and stir with the other.

As you do this you will notice the dish starting to thicken. There will be some lumps, but these are meant to be there to give the dish some texture.

Stop adding the flour when the pithle reaches the consistency of a thick soup.

Add the chopped coriander and let it boil for a couple of minutes.  If it has become too thick, add a little bit of water and if it is not thick enough, add more flour.

Serve with plain rice and yogurt.