Buttermilk Besan Recipe

Here’s another recipe in Operation Learn to Cook like Mommy Dearest. There are roughly a million varieties of this dish, but this is the best one in my opinion. According to my ma, it’s the dish that people in India whip up if unexpected company arrives because you always have the basic ingredients on hand. So, maybe make this recipe the next time your football buddies drop by without notice. (I know my audience.)

Basic Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of garbanzo bean flour
• 1/3 cup of yogurt
• 1 cup of water
• 1 small onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• a few sprigs of cilantro

Spices

• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Optional additions

• tomatoes
• spinach
• fenugreek leaves

Directions

1. Mix together the water, garbanzo bean flour, and yogurt.
2. Mix it well, pressing the back of a spoon against the garbanzo bean flour to break up the clumps.
3. Dice the onion and garlic.
4. Pour a bit of oil into a pan over medium heat and throw in the mustard seeds.
5. When the mustard seeds start making some noise, throw in the cumin seeds.
6. Let cook for a minute.
7. Throw in the onions and garlic.
8. Let cook until the onions are translucent.
9. Throw in the salt, cayenne pepper and turmeric.
10. If you want to add the tomatoes, spinach and/or fenugreek leaves, this is the step when you would do so.
11. Add in the liquid mixture you started in the first step.
12. Stir well.
13. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes.
14. Add cilantro as a garnish.
15. Enjoy with basmati rice.
16. And thecha and yogurt because delicious.

Price: $1.86

• 1/2 cup of garbanzo bean flour – $1.60
• 1/3 cup of yogurt – $0.06
• 1 cup of water – $0.0000001 (Think that’s accurate?)
• 1 small onion – $0.07
• 2-3 cloves of garlic – $0.02
• a few sprigs of cilantro – $0.05
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds – $0.01
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds – $0.01
• 1/4 tsp turmeric – $0.02
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper – $0.01
• salt to taste – $0.01

Acceptable deviations

The fenugreek leaves. The spinach. The tomatoes. Whatever you have in the fridge that you think may taste well with this will probably taste well with this.