Series: Condiments from around the world
This condiment is made by the season’s best red chillies and cloves of garlic which are tempered in oil along with pieces of dry coconut, sesame seeds, jaggery, tamarind or imli and salt as required. This is tempered for 8-10mins till the chillies and garlic become a little tender and the dry coconut gets a beautiful golden-brown colour and then blended before serving.
There’s also a variant of this thecha which is made using Green chillies but the process and the other ingredients remain the same (except the addition of a little piece of ginger in the green one).
Tip1: make sure to soak the tamarind in water for about 15 mins to enhance its flavour if using the dry ones!
Tip2: Always wait for the mixture to cool down before blending to avoid horrible consequences😂
This spicy yet an all time favourite condiment finds its Origin in the rural state of Maharashtra though it is enjoyed even in parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. it is enjoyed mostly with the traditional Bhakri or a flat bread made of red millet(bajra), sorghum (jowar) or even finger millet (ragi/nachni) and is often enjoyed with a dollop of dahi or yoghurt by the side to soothe the burning sensation caused by the red hot chilli peppers (Pun intended XD). A spoonful of thecha is enough to create a havoc in your mouth and mind you, this is certainly not made for the weak hearted;) But speaking from personal experience, there is nothing a plate of Zunka, Bhakri and Thecha cannot solve!
