Ramruch

Ramruch is a preparation of Besan (Gram Flour) and is one of the most famous preparation in Mithila. I am yet to come across any other cuisine where Ramruch is being mentioned or cooked. Ramruch is one of the dishes served in almost all the auspicious occasions in Mithila.


Ingredients

• Besan 500 gm
• Tomato (diced) 100 gm
• Coriander leaves 50 gm (for garnishing)
• Ghee 1 Tbl spoon
• Turmeric powder 1 tbl spoon
• Coriander powder
• cumins powder
• Red Chili powder
• Salt to taste

Preparation

• In besan add 2-3 tbl spoon of Ghee or any vegetable oil and mix it properly.
• Add pinch of Salt, turmeric and cumins seeds to the mix and mix it again.
• Add water and knead it properly. The mix should not be soft as it has to be boiled later on.
• Make Small-Small rolls of the mix more like a 1cm Radius cylindrical (around 10-15 cm long) shape.
• Cut tomato into small pieces and keep it aside.

Cooking

• Boil water in a deep pan.
• Boil besan rolls for 10-15 mins. When they are cooked they will start floating on the surface of boiling water.
• Take the cooked besan rolls out of boiling water and put them aside in a cold water vessel.
• Let the rolls cool down. It take around 5 mins for them to cool down so that they are ready to be cooked.
• Once the besan rolls are cooled cut them in small pieces (round ones).
• Heat oil (mustard oil or vegetable oil) in pan.
• Fry all the besan pieces in the oil till it turns red and keep it aside.
• In the remaining oil add some Asafoetida (Heeng) and Curry-leaves (Tej-Patta) for Seasoning mix (Phoran).
• Add masala (cumins powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric powder, chili powder), Salt and diced tomato to the mix.
• Cook it well till the masala mix starts to leave the pan surface.
• Add some water to make thick gravy.
• When the gravy starts to boil add the fried besan pieces to it.
• Cook for 10 - 15 mins on low-med flame.
• Keep it aside and then sprinkle garam masala first, then coriander leaves (chopped in small pieces).
• In a deep cooking spoon Add 1 tbl spoon Ghee and cumins seeds and heat it on flame so that the ghee is hot and cumin seeds are fried properly in it.
• Add that mix to the Ramruch Curry and cover it for 5 mins. This will bring aroma to the curry.
• Serve it as a side-dish and enjoy the taste.

One variation to this could be to add little bit of Tomato or Sweet Chili sauce in the spices while gravy is being prepared. This will add to the taste. Also in place of Asafoetida, Ginger and Garlic paste can be used.