Pitla And Bhakri
(Besan curry with millet bread, from Maharashtra)
Serves: Four
Time required: One hour

For the bhakri:
2 cups millet (bajra) flour
salt to taste
2 tbsp yoghurt
water as required
For the pitla:
1 cup besan
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
2 1/2 cups water + buttermilk
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 spring onions, finely chopped
4 green chillies, slit
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hing
4 curry leaves
For the chilli-garlic thecha:
10 green chillies
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ghee
Accompaniment:
White butter
To prepare the chilli-garlic thecha:
Coarsely pound the ingredients together in a mortar.
To prepare the bhakri:

Season the flour with salt. Add yoghurt and water to the flour to make a soft dough. Dust a lump of dough with flour and pat it on your palm to flatten it out. Using a rotary motion, make a round, flat bread, as thick or thin as you desire. Place this carefully on a griddle, roast, flip and roast the other side. Put on direct flame for a few seconds to make it crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough.
To prepare the pitla:

Make a smooth paste of the besan, turmeric powder, lemon juice, salt and buttermilk. Add the ginger-garlic paste, spring onions and green chillies.

Heat the oil in a wide pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the hing and curry leaves and fry for two minutes. Add the besan batter, stirring to prevent the formation of lumps, and bring to a boil. Adjust the seasoning and cook on low heat for seven minutes. Serve hot with bhakri, chilli-garlic thecha and white butter.