Why this recipe works
Pithla is one of the fastest ways to a protein-rich meal. Gram flour (besan) is whisked into water and cooked down into a soft, porridge-like curry, so a bowl carries real plant protein and fibre for very little money or effort. A garlic, onion and green-chilli tempering does the rest, and it comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
Method
-
1
Temper mustard, cumin, garlic, onion and chilli in a little oil.
-
2
Whisk the besan into water and pour it in.
Why whisk first: mixing the besan smooth into water before it hits the heat prevents lumps, the key to a silky pithla.
-
3
Cook, stirring, until thick and the raw besan smell is gone.
Why cook it out: besan tastes raw and pasty until properly cooked, a few minutes of stirring turns it savoury and smooth.
-
4
Finish with curry leaves and coriander.
An honest word
Pithla is humble, fast and genuinely good for you: besan gives cheap plant protein and fibre, and it needs very little oil. There is nothing to caveat beyond a modest hand on the tempering. Served with bhakri (millet flatbread) and a raw onion, pithla-bhakri is classic, wholesome Maharashtrian peasant food, and none the worse for it.