Zunka

Z unka (popularly known as Jhunka), is a gram flour porridge or a gram flour curry that is akin to the Polenta. Traditionally a Maharashtrian dish, Zunka is also prevalent in regions of North Karnataka and Goa, and is also called Pithla or Pithle, Jhunka Bhakar or Pithla Bhakri. One of the things that makes the Jhunka Bhakar quintessentially unique is the fact that it is a peasant fare.

The dish is considered a one-pot meal because it is a balanced diet filled with carbohydrates, fibre, protein and potassium. The main ingredient in Jhunka is gram flour or besan, which is turned into a semi-solid paste. This mixture is then sautéed with other ingredients like mustard seeds, ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin seeds, fried onions, red chilli powder, green chillies, turmeric and salt. 

Jhunka is traditionally served with Bhakri, rice or roti. In fact, this dish is so local, it is often served as the main item during treks to mountain forts like Sinhagad. In 1995, the Shiv Sena government introduced the Jhunka-Bhakar scheme in Maharashtra, which was started to aid locals in the region. The government opened up as many as 6,000 stalls to mitigate the unemployment rates in the West Indian state. But unfortunately, the scheme could not reach successful heights, because the sellers could not limit the fare to the subsidised one rupee mark. 

In 2000, the Congress-NCP government discontinued the programme and this decision was upheld by the Supreme Court.