Bombai Chutney

I don't know about the origins of the name of this recipe and whether this is prepared in Maharashtra. Bombai chutney happens to be a side dish commonly prepared in Andhra, using besan. It particularly goes well with rotis / pooris. One of my aunts makes this using potatoes or chayotes. My mother in law usually makes this with onions. I follow her recipe and add tomatoes too since I like the flavor they impart to the dish.
Update: I know now that it is Maharashtrian pithale.


Ingredients:
Besan / Gram Flour - 1/4 cup
Onion (Medium sized) - 2
Tomato (Medium sized) - 2
Green chillies - 4-5
Salt to taste
For tadka: 
1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbsp minced cilantro to garnish 
Water as needed (around 500 ml or 1 & 1/2 cups)


My kitchen notes:
1. Besan doubles after cooking. So, even a small quantity of besan used here can generously serve two people. Usually (sour) buttermilk is used instead of water to make this chutney. When I try to make buttermilk from yogurt, using my blender, I cannot achieve a homogeneous mixture. When I use that buttermilk (with tiny globules of yogurt) in the chutney, it curdles and looks bad, even though it doesn’t ruin the taste. So, I stopped using buttermilk and had started to use water. If you use buttermilk, you can use buttermilk and water mixture in equal quantities. You dont have to use 1 & 1/2 cups of buttermilk.
2. Do not add besan directly to the cooking mixture. It will start to form lumps. Always add besan to a small quantity of buttermilk or water (cold) in a seperate bowl. Whisk it or mix finely with a spoon to avoid any lumps forming. Pass the mixture through a strainer if needed. Then add to the cooking mixture on the stove.


Preparation:
Chop the onions, tomatoes and green chillies. I prefer chopping them lengthwise for this particular recipe.
Add besan to a small quantity of water in a small bowl and mix without any lumps.

Cooking:
Heat the oil in a wok / pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds and when they start to splutter, add green chillies, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Stir for a few seconds and add onions. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Stir in between and when the onion turns  translucent, add tomatoes. When the tomatoes turn mushy, add the besan mixture to it.
Add sourmilk (if using) or water and salt and let it boil for a few minutes (It will take around 5 - 10 minutes) on low – medium heat. Keep stirring to avoid formation of lumps or the chutney getting burnt. Garnish with cilantro and turn off the heat.
Serve hot with rotis / pooris.

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