Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Metkoot

For my first post, I have chosen a very Maharashtrian preparation, Metkoot. It is a 'Podi'-like powder and quite a few ingredients go into it. However, I don't know the etymology of this word. Could someone enlighten, please?

Nowadays, it has become fairly unusual to make Metkoot at home. Readymade Metkoot is easily available all over Maharashtra. However, after having made it once at home about a year back, none of the readymade versions satisfy me any more. I think, you get the best aroma and texture when you make it from scratch at home. Moreover, it keeps fresh and aromatic for up to six months. So, spending a little time on it twice a year is well worth the effort.

Ingredients for Metkoot: (clockwise from top left) spelt, Urad dal, Chana dal, asafoetida, chilli powder, turmeric, nutmeg, dry ginger powder, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, coriander seeds, cloves, rice

Now, what do you use it with? Almost everything. As a very good taste enhancer. Traditionally, it is served with hot steaming rice, some salt, a wedge of lemon and a dollop of ghee. It can also be served with Waran-Bhaat, which Nupur has already blogged about. It can be had with any meal, mixed with ghee, oil or yoghurt. One could also sprinkle it on Maharashtrian dishes like 'Kande Pohe' or 'Phodnicha Bhaat'. Have these dishes been blogged about so far? I know, Nupur hasn't, and a search on Blogger didn't yield anything either. I can blog about them, in case nobody has done yet.

Recipe for Metkoot

Ingredients:

1 heaped cup Chana Dal
1/2 heaped cup rice
1/4 heaped cup wheat grains (I didn't find them here in Germany, so I used spelt)
1/4 heaped cup Urad Dal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 heaped tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida
3 cloves
5 green cardamoms
1/2 nutmeg
1 tsp dry ginger powder (soonth)

Method:

1. Dry roast both Dals and rice till light brown and aromatic.
2. Once cooled down, mix them with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor/coffee mill attachment of a mixer.
3. Grind till fine.

Store in an airtight container. Storing it in the fridge is neither necessary nor recommended.


Serve with hot rice.




Tags: ,

27 comments:

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Hi Vaishali,

Hey wow, who'd imagine that. The Blog world is sooo small!! I dropped by from Shammi's page!

I live in Weimar and am always looking for great Indian recipe's. Don't you find living in Germany can be a drag when you want to cook Indian food. I am not sure how it is in a huge city like Düsseldorf but here in Weimar I really have trouble finding everything.

Anyway, welcome to the blog world. If you'd like to check out mine:

The Daily Tiffin
What's For Lunch Honey?
The Family Buzz

Shalini said...

Hi Vaishali,

Welcome to the blogosphere, I'm a newcomer my self;) enjoying my being here... this powder is very new to me and will let u know after i try it!

Shammi said...

Vaishali, good to see you have a food blog too! :) Would you believe I was thinking of making methkoot too? I thought it would be a nice change from the South Indian paruppu podi (dal powder)!

Lakshmi said...

hi , i came to your blog from other. Wish you good luck.
i am newcomer myself.

Nupur said...

Congratulations on the brand new blog!! I can't wait to read more of your recipes and food writing.
What a nice debut post...like most people, I love metkoot but have only tried the ready-made ones. This recipe is on my must-try list!!

Luv2cook said...

Vaishali:

Welcome to food blogging. Never heard of the metkoot powder. Looks like it will be a must try for me :). I have added you to my blog roll.

Kitchenmate said...

Vaishali:
Welcome to this world of Food blogging. I came to yours thro SH. You have got a cool blog going. All the very best.
This metkoot powder is interesting. It goes to my "must-do's".

Vaishali said...

Meeta, I think the size of the world is subjective. For me too, it has suddenly become smaller, now that I have found you as a fellow blogger in Germany :) Thanks for the invitation, but I've already visited your blogs now and have left comments too.

Saffron Hut, I am glad that you like the name :) Thanks for stopping by and thanks for wishing me success. Yes, koot is powder, but I too wonder what makes the word 'Metkoot'.

Shalini, I am sure you will like it. Do let me know.

Shammi, great minds think alike? :)

Lakshmi, thanks for wishing me luck.

Nupur, you are embarrassing me. No, really, you are.

luv2cook, thanks for adding me to your blog roll. Let me know when you try Metkoot. You will certainly like it.

Vaishali said...

Kitchenmate, thanks. I hope you get to prepare Metkoot soon.

Shilpa said...

Hi Vaishali,
I have tasted Metkoot many times, but didn't know the rceipe. Its great. I will try it. Thanks.

Vaishali said...

Welcome to my blog, Shilpa. Let me know once you try out Metkoot. I am sure you will like it.

Anonymous said...

Bliss!! For me, that's garam-garam bhath with methkoot, ghee, salt and lots of limboo. My mother used to tell me that for a while all I would eat was either methkoot bhath or varan-bhath (sada varan). When I was growing up, that is!

I bought Bedekar's methkoot on my last trip to India with the thought of introducing it to my daughter. Would you believe it but it's really tikhat? She spat it out and drank gallons of water. Sigh. Most of my aunts buy theirs from the co-op they buy their grains from and most of them couldn't understand why I would want to make methkoot when I could buy a packet. Your recipe comes at an opportune time! yay! I think I have everything except jaiphal but that's easily remedied. So thanks!!

Vaishali said...

Hi Manisha,
You could totally omit the chilli powder from the recipe and perhaps use only one clove for aroma. That could perhaps reduce the heat of the preparation. Try it out and let me know. Btw, I, too have growing up memories of steaming rice and Metkoot with ghee. Mmmmmm...

Anonymous said...

Etymology of Methkoot (my pov - might be way off, but seems right):

"Meth" from "methya" i.e. Mustard seeds, I believe. No, it doesn't come from Methamphetamines (hyuk!)

Koot from powder - it's a common Marathi word. Examples are "(sheng)daanyacha koot", etc.

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Madhavi said...

Hi Vaishali,

MethKoot is essentially Methi che koot, mhanje methi powder . The traditional recipe has methi seeds alongwith other ingredients that you have listed in your recipe. Thats how it got the name Methkoot. This was prepared to revive the fire in our tummy during winter/ colder days , hence the methi.
Madhavi Lele

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