Besan Chutney (Spicy Chickpea Gravy)

This is a thick gravy made from chickpea flour. This is also known as Senaga Pachadi (See Sailu's Recipe here), Besan Sambar or Bombay Chutney. I have also heard it referred to as 'poor people's chutney' as the economically disadvantaged people often will have all these simple ingredients, which are cheap and easy to obtain.


Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 tbspn oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
3 green chilies sliced lengthwise
5-8 curry leaves
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup small diced tomatoes
Pinch ING (Asafetida) -optional-
Pinch turmeric -optional-
Salt to taste


Method:
1. Place the oil in a sauce pan on high heat.
2. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds.
3. When mustard seeds pop, turn heat to medium, put in the diced onion, curry leaves and green chilies.
4. As the onions become translucent, add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the water.
5. While this mix is boiling, place the remaining 1 1/2 water, 1 cup besan, ing, and salt in a blender and blend nicely.
6. Add the blended mixture into the pan and begin to heat. Keep adding salt while it's heating. It will require a lot of salt, more than other dishes. Try to do this quickly because the mix will thicken quite quickly. It's good to turn the heat down a little as when it gets so hot, the mix will bubble up and spurt out of the pan. Be careful as if you add turmeric, the mix that spurts up may stain things.
7. Let this settle for some time before eating so all the tastes can mix together.

This is usually eaten as a dip with dosa or idli. We have also eaten this with mixed rice.


Another version of besan curry with peanut powder added! Pithale is the regional name of besan curry among Marathis of Maharasthra! Pithale - Bhakri (Besan Curry and Rice Roti)

Related Posts/Links: Kanchipuram Idli

Benefits of Curry Leaves Benefits of Asafetida

Thick and Savory Sambar (South Indian Vegetarian Stew)

This sambar is moderately thick, like a stew. It is good had with dosa or pongal (rice and moong dhal porridge). A thinner variety of this sambar could be made with less dhal, and had with vada (as in vada sambar). (Pongal Recipe Here) Photo below right of sambar (in small bowl) with pongal (rice dish) and vada (fried lentil donuts) taken by Krishna Kumar.

Ingredients
(listed as per methods)

2 tbspn vegetable or olive oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig Curry Leaves
¾ cup small diced tomatoes
5 red shallot onion
or
10 small pearl onion
or
1 onion cut into four pieces
1 cup water
1 cup masoor dhal
1 tbspn sambar powder (We use Tastebuds by Mohanlal/Eastern)
1 cup toor dhal
1 cup water
3 inch piece tamarind
1 cup vegetables of choice- one or more, diced or chunked
(I use two of the following- brinjal aka eggplant, potato, drumstick,
okra/bindi, carrots, Indian pumpkin)
Pinch ing/Asafetida
To taste salt

Method:
Step 1:
Wash and cook the toor dhal in a separate pot. Keep cooking while continuing other steps. When the dhal is soft and cooked, take off flame, cool.

Step 2:
Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water while doing other steps. After step 3 is completed, squeeze all juice out of tamarind, rid of the tamarind pulp, put tamarind water with toor dhal in a blender, and puree. This will be added to the sambar.

Step 3:
-Put the oil in the bottom of a deep pot, like a pressure cooker. Keep flame on high.
-As oil heats add mustard seeds (MS).
-When MS pops, turn flame down to half, add the diced tomatoes and curry leaves. Stir fry this in oil for a few minutes.
-Add ½ cup water and 1 tbspn sambar powder and one squeeze of ing and stir. Let simmer/boil for about 3-5 minutes.
-Wash masoor dhal, put the washed dhal along with 1 ½ cup water in the pot. (Masoor dhal photographed on hands by http://flickr.com/photos/alaina/42398051/)
-Let this stay in the pot until boils, then add the vegetables as desired.
-Let the vegetables and dhal cook on medium heat for 30-45 minutes until the masoor dhal begins to ‘melt’ into the mixture.
End step 3.

Step 4:
Add the pureed toor dhal/tamarind extract mixture. Stir. Let simmer on medium for 5 minutes or so. Taste for salt, add more as required.