Techa / ठेचा /ठेचा (Spicy Pounded Mixture of Garlic,Green Chili and Groundnuts)

Techa

Techa basically means pounded to coarseness. In Maharashtra a spicy very hot mixture is prepared from garlic, green chili and groundnut by pounding them together, thus it has got the name Techa. Now a days since pounding equipment like mortar and pestle have become rarity in Indian households thus grinder / mixer is used for making the coarse paste of Techa. Techa is eaten along with Jowar roti and Pithala (Thick broth of black gram flour). Even though it is very spicy and hot yet it is quite healthy as it contains garlic, green chili and groundnut. It can be stored for 7-10 days outside the fridge, but believe me it will be polished off before that time.

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Servings: 10 very small helpings

Ingredients Required For Making Techa:

• 50 gm. Garlic

Peeled Garlic

• 50 gm. Green chili

Green Chilies

• 50 gm. Groundnut

• 0.5 ml. Oil

• Salt to taste

Directions For Making Techa:

• Peel and cut the garlic.

Garlic peeled and cut to pieces

• Wash, dry and cut green chilies.

• Roast the groundnuts.

Roasted Groundnuts

• Remove the peel of groundnut.

Roasted and cleaned Groundnuts

• Heat 1/2ml. oil in a thick wok and when oil is hot put green chili pieces and garlic pieces in it and cook for 4-5 min. with continuous stirring.

Garlic and Green Chili pieces being cooked in 0.5 ml. Oil

• The green chilies will change the color and garlic will start getting brown color.

• Add a teaspoon of salt and mix.

• Remove from heat and allow to them cool. 

Cooked Green chilies and Garlic

• Take cooked garlic-green chili mixture and roasted groundnuts in a grinder/ mixer and make a coarse paste without adding water.

Techa

• If you have grinding stone / pastel then pound the mixture to thick coarse paste. Techa made by pounding on a grinding stone / pastel  tastes authentic, but most of us make it in mixer / grinder now a days.

Tips:

• Green chilies and garlic can be cooked without cutting also.

• Water should not be added at any stage of cooking.

Suggested Variations:

• The amount of green chilies can be increased according to your liking as well as the hotness of chilies.

• Roasted sesame seeds can be added to the Techa after the Techa mixture has been pounded / ground to coarse paste.

Green Coriander and Mint Chutney

Green Coriander and Mint Chutney

  In Kumaon hills green chutney is a must with lunch as it enhances digestion as well as adds flavor to the food. I vividly remember sitting next to my granny in the village when she would grind the chutney on a grinding stone. The seeds of chutney making were sown in me then and now I am sharing the recipe with you all. God bless her soul ! 

 Preparation time: 5 min.
Servings: 10 - 15 small servings.


  Ingredients required

• A small bunch of coriander leaves

Coriander (Dhania)

• 1/2 bunch of mint leaves, finely cut (mint leaves should be half the amount of coriander leaves) 

Mint leaves ( Pudina)

• 1 - 2 Green chili

Green Chili

• 10 ml.Lemon juice
• 10 gm. Ginger.

Ginger

• 10gm. Jaggery

  Directions to prepare Green chutney:

• Clean and wash coriander and mint .
• Drain and cut coriander leaves.

• In a grinder, grind the following to a uniform consistency paste :

• Cut coriander leaves
• Mint leaves
• Green chilies
• Ginger
• Jaggery/sugar
• Salt. 
• Take the paste out in a bowl and add lemon  juice in it.
• Mix the above mixture nicely. Green chutney is ready.

Dhania and Pudina ki chutney(Coriander and mint chutney)

Enjoy different snacks, chaat, parathas with Green Chutney  :)

  Tips:

• Do not put lemon juice while grinding, else taste will become bitter. 
• Wash coriander and mint leaves thoroughly to remove all dirt from it.

  Suggested Variations:

• Instead of lemon juice Tamarind/Tamarind pulp can be taken.
• Cumin seeds add distinct flavor when added along with ginger.It also increases the digestive power so try adding cumin seeds for a change .
• One small onion and 3-4 cloves can also be added to the mixture while making paste for chutney. 
• Different flavor chutney can be made by different permutation combination of cumin/garlic/onion along with coriander and mint leaves.