Shepuchi Bhaji

Dill leaves – Maharashtrian style with garlic and lentils.

As I have mentioned before I was a weird kid that liked to eat home-cooked vegetables (and lots of them). At times mom complained about why I couldn’t eat toop-sakhar-poli like the other kids (ghee and sugar on poli (roti/chapatti) – a snack most marathi kids are addicted to and normally parents would complain about them overeating this :P). One particularly weird dish I liked is this one. Particularly because, most people I know hate it. My dad for example hates it to the point that we hardly ever made this at home, for he couldn’t stand the smell.

So until I started making it on my own (which was early enough), I had to depend on my Panji (great randmom) to make it. And needless to say, she made it perfectly 🙂

you will need:

a bunch of shepu (dill leaves) – de-stemmed, washed and chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 green chillies slit

1 tablespoon split moong dal (yell lentil) – soaked in hot water for about 10-15 minutes and drained before use

1-2 tsp oil, mustard seeds, asafetida, turmeric powder

salt

Procedure:

• Chop shepu leaves and keep aside
• in a pan heat the oil and add mustard seeds to hot oil and let them crackle.
• Reduce the heat and add asafetida, turmeric, chillies and garlic. Let this sizzle for a few seconds
• Add the soaked moong dal and fry for a minute
• Add the chopped shepu leaves and cook with lid on for a couple of minutes. Remove lid and cook for another couple of minutes. Add salt as per taste.

Serve hot with bhakri/ poli and thecha on the side.