Bhawari Devi's 'Baati Hue Mirch' & the recipe to a family bond

Food Illustration by Sophia Katharina x The food and love project

Story and recipe by Supriya @supriyabcd

I'll share my mother Bhawari Devi's recipe of 'Baati Hue Mirch' (literal translation - grinded chilli) / Rustic Chilli Garlic Dip. This recipe is very close to my heart and also a way for me to express my gratitude to her and acknowledge her presence in my life. In my community, no one calls my mother (or women in general) by her name, as she is called someone's mother or wife or sister. So I'm happy that I am using her name 'Bhawari' here since for her this name thing doesn't matter as she has accepted it the way it is.

This dish is like bait for my biological family especially for my mother to invite me to home, as I loved this dish so much that often I visit my biological family to relive this nostalgia. It's a super simple dish which we eat with Roti/bread (made with wheat or pearl millet flour on chulah/earthen stove. But for me, no one can make it like her and make me eat like the way she still does. It's also the whole experience of eating with my three siblings sharing the plate and the strangely loving way my mother over-feed us. The roti's keep on coming overflowing with white butter and as children, we would always fight for the centre part of the roti as it becomes the tastiest part as the dip and butter get properly soaked in it. While writing also it makes my mouth water.

Recently a friend of mine introduced this dip in his newly opened cafe, it was a special moment as my mother is a home-maker and she doesn't meet people other than the relatives and rarely goes out. So the idea of strangers enjoying something which is through her is special.

Recipe
2 to 3 Whole Dried Red Chillies

(any medium hot ones or if you want to use the regional ones then try Mathania's Lal Mirch Whole, also famously known as "Mathania Mirchi", Mathania village, situated in Jodhpur District of India is famous for its Red Chillies) -

Whole cumin seeds / Jeera - one and half teaspoon of cumin (you can also use cumin seed powder)

Garlic Cloves - half cup minced garlic

Rock Salt (you can also use any salt available with you) - as per your taste

White Butter - 2 to 3 tablespoon

We never use exact quantities of ingredients for this, the mentioned quantities are as per my taste, feel free to balance the dip as per your taste and use the quantity of ingredients accordingly. In summers we also put some fresh mint leaves or kachri/wild melon with a hint of curd in this dip). Some people soak the red chillies in water for a few hours before grinding it to soften the texture.
Process - Grind all the ingredients together or one by one (whole chillies, garlic cloves, cumin seeds & salt) except white butter on a sil batta/grindstone (my mother does on this) or in a mixer grinder & drizzle some water as per the desired consistency (I prefer it like a thick paste and you can mix the salt while grinding or afterwards) - Warm the white butter slightly

- Take a Roti (I prefer pearl millet one) or any bread, take a teaspoon of this dip, place it on the centre of the roti, pour a tablespoon of white butter on it and around the bread with love and voila!