VARHADI THECHA

Add some spice to your meal with this spicy and tangy Red Chilli Chutney Thecha or Varhadi Thecha…!!! Thecha with Jowar or Bajra Bhakri is all-time favourite Maharashtrian combo, and this chutney–like dish is often prepared in small batches and stored in the fridge for about 1-2 months. Varhadi Thecha is a traditional dish from Maharashtra. The wotd thecha translates to crushing. It requires very less time for the preparation due to simple and rustic method. Thecha is one such super-spicy dish that you’d often come across in rural Mahrashtra. It still relishes this condiment in lunch as well as dinner. Traditional recipe call for the ingredients to be crushed / pounded in metal or stone pastels but modern day kitchens often rely on grinding in modern-day food processors. So let’s prepare hot, flavorful and spicy Varhadi Thecha that would easily go with anything.    

INGREDIENTS:
100 grams ripe Red Chillies
10-15 Garlic Cloves
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Vinegar [optional]
Salt as per required
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 tablespoon Oil
METHOD:
STEP 1 – Wash red chillies and let them dry on a kitchen towel.

STEP 2 – Add chillies, garlic, salt, cumin seeds, lemon juice and vinegar to a mixer pot and blend till smooth paste.

STEP 3 – Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
STEP 4 – Now add chilli paste in it and sauté it for 1-2 minutes. Varhadi Thecha is ready to serve.

  Serve Varhadi Thecha with chapatti, paratha, naan or you can enjoy it with dal-chawal or khichadi as a side dish and enjoy your meal.

NOTES: *Here I added vinegar just as a preservative, to keep my thecha good for a longer time.  But you can totally skip it.
               *Cool it to room temperature and then store it in a clean air-tight container. It will stay good for about 1-2 months when refrigerated.