Recipes · Indian · Main Courses

Jhunka Bhakri (Maharashtrian Spiced Gram Flour and Onion with Sorghum Flatbread)

One serving has 639 kcal and 18 g protein, and at least a fifth of a woman's daily need of manganese (116%), copper (76%), magnesium (61%), phosphorus (58%), folate (55%) and pyridoxine (54%). Ready in 40 minutes.

• Preparation: 10 min
• Cooking: 30 min
• Makes: 1 serving (394 g)
• Difficulty: Medium
• Diets: Vegan, Dairy-free, Gluten-free
• Contains: mustard, peanut

Ingredients

• 80 g Sorghum (jowar) flour, for the bhakri
• 40 g Gram flour (besan)
• 100 g Onions
• 15 g Groundnut oil
• 1 g Mustard seeds
• 0.5 g Cumin seeds
• 0.1 g Asafoetida (a pinch)
• 0.5 g Curry leaves
• 5 g Garlic
• 5 g Green chillies
• 0.5 g Ground turmeric
• 1 g Red chilli powder
• 4 g Coriander leaves
• 140 g Water (for the bhakri and the jhunka)
• 1 g Salt

Method

1. Make the bhakri dough: mix the jowar flour with a pinch of the salt, then work in about 60 ml of hot water a little at a time and knead to a soft, smooth dough. Divide it into two balls.
2. Pat each ball out on a board dusted with jowar flour, turning it as you go, into a round about 15 cm across. Lay it on a hot dry griddle (tawa), brush the top with water and cook for 1 minute, until the water dries; turn it and cook 1 minute more, then hold it over a gas flame or press it with a cloth until it puffs and browns in spots. Keep the bhakris wrapped in a cloth.
3. For the jhunka, heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves, chopped garlic and green chillies and fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add the sliced onions and fry for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent, then stir in the turmeric, chilli powder and the rest of the salt.
5. Sprinkle the gram flour over the onions and stir constantly over low heat for 3-4 minutes, until it smells nutty. Sprinkle in about 80 ml of water a little at a time, stirring and breaking up lumps, then cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is crumbly, just moist and has lost any raw taste.
6. Scatter the coriander over and serve hot with the bhakri, a wedge of raw onion and a green chilli, as it is eaten in Maharashtra.

Nutrition per serving

Shares of a day's need are for a woman of 30, 165 cm, 60 kg, lightly active, by the US and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes. SustainBite works out each person's own needs, by the standard where they live: the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations in Norway, the UK's, EFSA's in the EU.

Climate footprint

0.2 kg CO2e a serving: lower than most main dishes on SustainBite. Source: ADEME, Agribalyse 3.2.

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