PATICHYA KANDYACHI ZUNKA

PATICHYA KANDYACHI ZUNKA

 There is something cute about spring onions which I like, apart from the taste of course. There are many dishes you can make using spring onions. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes such as Sweet Corn & Spring Onion Soup, Spring Onion & Chilli Fried Rice, from Indian-Chinese cuisine and Spring Onion Bhuthi from our own Konkani cuisine.

Today's dish is from Maharashtrian cusine. Patichya Kanda means spring onions in Marathi while Zunka is a popular besan ( gram flour) based dish. This dish is served with phulkas or rotis.  I have adpated this recipe from "Patichya Kandyachi Zunka" by Swapna Sunil in Better Butter.

Ingredients:-

• Patichya Kanda ( Spring Onions), finely chopped, 2 cups
• Besan ( Gram Flour), 1 cup
• Green Chillies, chopped, 3, or to taste 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Method:

Wash and clean the spring onions. Separate the bulbs from the greens, finely chop both the bulbs and the greens and keep aside
In a thick-bottomed kadhai, dry roast the besan on medium heat, stirring continuously till it gives off a good aroma. Keep aside. 

Heat oil in the same kadhai and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds change colour add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds

Now add the chopped green chillies and saute for half a minute
To this add the chopped spring onion whites  (bulbs) and saute till translucent
Next add the spring onion greens and salt. Mix well and cook on medium flame till the spring onions get done  

Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and the dry roasted besan, little by little, and mix well
Sprinkle a little water and cook covered on medium flame, stirring from time to time, till the besan gets fully cooked ( about 8-10 minutes)
Typically, the texture of the zunka should be crumbly.
Transfer the zunka to a serving bowl and serve hot with phulkas or rotis