Besan Pitla

Here is an easy to prepare Maharastrian side dish for Chapati / rice. 

Recipe courtesy - Shantharam Siddheshwar, my late father in law.

Ingredients

Besan / Bengal gram flour - 3 spoons
Sour buttermilk - 1/2 cup or lemon - 1/2 (medium sized)

For tempering

Oil - 2 spoons
Bengal gram dal - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 spoon
Green chillies - 2 
Curry leaves - 8 to 10
Onion - 2 medium sized
Ginger - 1/4 Inch
Asafotida - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt to taste

Method
Wash and chop onions, green chillies and ginger. 

Take a small bowl and add besan. Add sour butter milk / water and mix well using a blender or fingers to form besan batter. Mix well so that no lumps are present in it.

Heat a thick bottomed Kadai. Pour the oil. Add bengal gram dal and mustard seeds, turmeric powder and asafotida. When mustard seeds starts spattering add green chillies and curry leaves. After 15 seconds add ginger and onions and roast it for about 2 minutes. 

Now add besan batter, salt and lemon juice (if sour buttermilk is not available lemon juice can be added). Cook for about 5 minutes till it becomes semi solid. Now this Pitla is ready to be served along with Chapati / rice.

Note: - Adding ginger and asafotida helps to reduce the gastric effect of Besan.