Pithale is a quick and easy traditional Maharastrian recipe and this version is made with garbanzo flour. This is vegan and can be served with rice and roti.
Traditional pithale aka pitla uses besan or chickpea flour. This is one of my favorites and I have had these in my friend's place innumerable times. I do not use besan much and this recipe uses garbanzo flour. Both may sound very similar but they are different. Garbanzo flour is made by grinding garbanzo beans or kabuli channa, whereas besan is made with a smaller and darker variety. I ground the garbanzo beans to a fine flour in my Vitamix using the dry grind jar. If you are making your own, it is easy to make, just would need a little patience. It is simple and easy, make sure you have a powerful grinder. I make a batch of this flour and use it in many recipes. Trust me, this is handy!
This is a very quick and easy recipe. All you need is 10 minutes to make this and don't have any prep work. Just temper, followed by cooking the slurry of the garbanzo flour. Sudden cravings, or sudden guests, this is very handy to make and will make a comfort meal without a doubt. I have not added garlic or onion, there is no need for those. If you feel like adding, sauté them and then cook the garbanzo slurry. Methi leaves or spinach can also be added.
Serve this rice or roti/chapathi. This with rice gives the perfect comfort of having dal rice. Rice and dal is heaven, for everyone, not just for kids. Moreover, this gives a good quantity when cooked, and so easier to whip up for a crowd in no time. Sometimes, I like to have this with yogurt, it is comforting. When serving as a weekend brunch, add Kochumber on the side and any veggie curry like Podi Stiffed Eggplant, Avarakai Curry, Stir-Fried Kale, or Asparagus and coconut Stir-fry. This recipe is vegan, tempering can also be done in ghee, which would give extra flavor.
Maharashtrian cuisine, rich in diverse food, has both mild and spicy dishes. Wheat, rice, jowar, bajri, vegetables, lentils and fruit are dietary staples. Kothambir vadi, pav bhaji, waran bhat, Misal, usal, masale bhat are very popular. The flavors and spices also vary according to different regions of the state. Waran bhat is much similar to our parupu sadham aka dhal rice, which is a comfort food. Masoor Dhal Kothambir wadi tastes amazing with a cup of chai, and Kohlapuri Masala Powder, an aromatic spice mix, is a handy mix to make quick veggie curries.
I have tasted many foods from this cuisine from one of our friends. She cooks amazing traditional foods and used to request some of my favorites often. When Poonam suggested the theme "Maharashtrian Cuisine" for this month's theme, I decided on sharing this one as it is one of our favorites. In this group, we give two secret ingredients to our assigned partners and we cook using the secret ingredients. We share a picture of the final dish, and the rest of the group guesses the secret ingredients. Poonam, who has a wonderful collection of Maharashtrian recipes, gave me garbanzo flour and asafetida as secret ingredients, and I made this delicious pithale with those ingredients. In turn, I gave her caraway seeds and black cardamom as ingredients and she made this delicious and comforting Tendli Bhaat.
Serves 2-4
Garbanzo flour - 1/4 cup
Water - 1.5 cups
Salt - 1/3 tsp
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Dried red chili - 2, torn
Mustard seeds - 1/3 tsp
Cumin - 1/3 tsp
Asafetida - 1/8 tsp
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Ginger - 1/2 tsp, finely chopped
Green chili - 1-3, chopped
Cilantro - 1 tbsp, chopped
Method
Add the turmeric, salt, chili powder to garbanzo flour, and add water mixing slowly to make a lump-free slurry of the garbanzo flour.
Heat oil in a pan, add the red chili, mustard seeds, and when it splutters add the cumin, followed by green chilies, ginger, and asafetida, and fry for 30 seconds.
Mix, adjust the salt if needed, and consistency.
Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice and/or roti.
