Metkoot – A Maharashtrian Pantry Essential
Metkoot is to Maharashtra what sattu is to North and Central India — more than a superfood, it is simple, nostalgic comfort. Metkoot is a mix of roasted cereals, pulses and spices ground to make a fragrant yellow powder. It is most often paired with fresh-cooked rice, but it can also be used to liven up salads and chiwdas.
Metkoot tup and gurgutya bhat (Metkoot, ghee and soft, sticky rice) is something all Maharashtrian children have grown up eating. Metkoot, a quintessential Maharashtrian comfort food is a powdered mix of roasted cereals, lentils, and spices. It is most commonly eaten by mixing into freshly cooked rice, along with a liberal serving of ghee and a pinch of salt. Rice-curd-metkoot is another great traditional combination. But metkoot doesn’t just have to be paired with rice. It is often added to pohe, chiwda and salads for some extra oomph. On a day when the only bhaji prepared at home is an unappetizing padwal (gourd), my mother often mixes metkoot with chilli powder, salt and dahi to spruce up the meal a little.
In more avant-garde fashion, a friend mixes metkoot in mayonnaise to create an interesting dip for chips, and another friend adds a dash of metkoot and chili powder to buttered toast. However you have it, metkoot is an interesting addition to your spice cupboard.
It is a simple enough recipe, and very forgiving. Metkoot tastes quite as good even if you omit one of the lentils, or even a spice or two. Last time I made it, I forgot to add wheat; sometimes I’m out of moong dal; and I almost always skip the dried ginge. And yet every time, the metkoot is just as comforting. The trick is to toast all ingredients until aromatic, and never skimp on the turmeric!
RECIPE FOR MAHARASHTRIAN MEKTOOT
Ingredients
¾ cup split chickpeas (chana dal)
¼ cup split moong beans (moong dal)
¼ cup black gram lentils (urad dal)
¼ cup whole wheat
¼ cup rice
¼ cup poha
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp dried ginger powder (sunth)
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
Method
Wash all lentils and cereal separately and dry in sunlight till all moisture is evaporated.
Dry roast all ingredients separately and grind to a fine powder.
Yashodhara Sirur is a part-time writer and full-time IT professional based in Mumbai.
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