Pithala or Jhunka Bhakri

Pithala or Jhunka Bhakri or Besan with Jawar Roti, a dish belongs to Maharashtra state.....love love love it!!! 

This finger licking dish makes a perfect dinner option. Jhunka goes well with phulka or plain moong dal khichdi, or famously eaten with bhakri i.e. jawar roti .Can be put together in no time :) 

Ingredients (for Pithala or Jhunka) 

• 1 cup Chickpea flour
• 1 onion
• 1 tomato
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves 
• 1 cup spinach (optional)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt or as per taste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
• Pinch of Hing
• 2 1/2 cups of hot water
• 4 tbsp oil

Ingredients (for Bhakri or Jawar Roti)

• 1 cup jawar flour
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• warm water 

Method for Bhakri

• With warm water make a soft dough using jowar and wheat flour. The dough needs to be a little softer than regular wheat flour dough. Knead the dough for 5-6 min to form a gluten. 
• Roll it & put it on hot tava or griddle. Apply water on top side. When water evaporates flip the side. Cook till you get a golden brown edges. 
• Transfer it on the flame, it will puff up. Apply clarified butter or ghee (optional). Serve hot.  
• The traditionally jawar roti is made by hands, but I use rolling pin. 
• Wheat flour is used to form a gluten because store bought jawar flour may not get kneaded very well & roti can crack.     

Pictorial 

Put rolled roti on hot tava, apply water on up side of roti

Once the water evaporates turn roti upside down

Once you get golden edges or dots on the back side too, flip it over on flame 

It will puff up :) 

Method for Jhunka

• In a Kadai or vessel, heat oil. Once oil is heated, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds & let it splutter.
• Add hing. Now add garlic and let it golden brown. 
• Now add onion mix it well & saute till onions are translucent. We don't want it to brown.    
• Add dry masala to the cooked onions, give it a stir & add tomato. Mix it well, add spinach. Let it cook till the tomato is cooked. 
• Now add boiling hot 1 1/2 cups water and bring it to boil. Keep it on simmer flame for boil for 2 min
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix 1 cup of chickpea flour and 1 cup of water to make a batter  
• Now add this batter in boiling mixture. We really have to work fast here & keep mixing it well as we are adding it. Once everything it mixed together cover the vessel and let it cook on simmer flame for 7-8 min. 

Let's Start with the pictorial 

In a Kadai or vessel, heat oil. Once oil is heated, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds & let it splutter

Add hing. Now add garlic and let it golden brown

Now add onion mix it well & saute till onions are translucent. We don't want it to brown

Add dry masala to the cooked onions, give it a stir & add tomatoes. Mix it well, add spinach. Let it cook till the tomatoes are cooked. 

Now add boiling hot 1 1/2 cups water and bring it to boil. Keep it on simmer flame for boil for 2 min

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix 1 cup of chickpea flour and 1 cup of water to make a batter  

Now add this batter in boiling mixture. We really have to work fast here & keep mixing it well as we are adding it. Once everything it mixed together cover the vessel and let it cook on simmer flame for 7-8 min

After 8 min its ready to serve....Enjoy while its hot