MAHARATTAH PEPPER WATER

Ingredients

• 1 pollam (approximately 35g or 3 tablespoons) whole black pepper (A pollam is a traditional South Indian unit of weight, roughly equivalent to 35g. Use whole black peppercorns.)
• 1 small handful (approximately 2 tablespoons) red pulse (red lentils or red gram) (The original says 'some' — use a small handful. This is fried in ghee before grinding. Masoor dal or red gram are closest modern equivalents.)
• 1 teaspoon ghee (for frying the red pulse) (Used to fry the red pulse before grinding.)
• 1 sufficient quantity (approximately 1 litre / 4 cups) water (for the pepper base) (Use enough water to create a thin, soup-like broth. Approximately 1 litre is a reasonable modern interpretation of 'sufficient quantity'.)
• 1 one-tenth of a measure (approximately 50g or ¼ cup) brown pulse (brown lentils or whole brown gram) (Boiled separately and its cooking liquid is added to the pepper water. Whole brown lentils or brown gram (kala chana) are suitable modern equivalents.)
• 1 sufficient quantity (approximately 500ml / 2 cups) water (for boiling the brown pulse) (Used to boil the brown pulse separately. Only the cooking liquid is added to the pepper water.)
• 1 small amount (approximately 1 teaspoon) cumin seeds (Fried in ghee before adding to the finished broth. The original gives no precise quantity; 1 teaspoon is a conservative estimate.)
• 1 small amount (approximately 1 teaspoon) mustard seeds (Fried in ghee before adding to the finished broth. Black or brown mustard seeds are most authentic.)
• 1 small amount (approximately 1 teaspoon) coriander seeds (Fried in ghee before adding to the finished broth.)
• 1 teaspoon ghee (for tempering the spices) (Used to fry the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds at the end of cooking.)
• 1 a few sprigs (approximately 10–12 leaves) carapala leaves (curry leaves) (Carapala is the historical Tamil/Kannada name for curry leaves (Murraya koenigii). Fresh curry leaves are widely available in Indian grocery stores.)
• 5 grains (approximately ¼ teaspoon ground) asafoetida (hing) (A grain of asafoetida is a very small amount of the raw resin. If using pre-ground asafoetida powder, approximately ¼ teaspoon is equivalent to 5 grains of the raw form.)

Instructions

1. 1Place a small frying pan or skillet over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of ghee. Once the ghee is melted and hot, add the red pulse (approximately 2 tablespoons of red lentils or red gram). Stir continuously and fry for 2–3 minutes until the pulse turns golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before the next step.
2. 2Once the fried red pulse has cooled slightly, combine it with the whole black peppercorns (1 pollam, approximately 3 tablespoons). Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind the pepper and fried red pulse together into a coarse paste or rough powder. Do not add water at this stage — you are grinding them dry (or with the residual ghee from frying). The mixture should be fragrant and deeply spiced.
3. 3Transfer the ground pepper and red pulse mixture into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add approximately 1 litre (4 cups) of water — enough to create a thin, soup-like broth. Stir well to dissolve the ground mixture into the water. Place the pot over a high heat and bring to a full, rolling boil.
4. 4Once the pepper water has come to a boil, reduce to a strong simmer (medium-high heat). The original recipe calls for boiling over 'a good fire', meaning a vigorous simmer rather than a gentle one. Allow the pepper water to boil and reduce for two hours, stirring occasionally. Top up with a little water if the liquid reduces too much — you want a generous amount of broth remaining at the end. While this is boiling, begin step_5 simultaneously.
5. 5While the pepper water is boiling (during step_4), place the brown pulse (approximately ¼ cup / 50g of brown lentils or brown gram) into a separate medium pot. Add approximately 500ml (2 cups) of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook the brown pulse for 45–60 minutes, or until the pulse is completely soft and the liquid has become a thin, lightly flavoured broth. The pulse itself will be soft and cooked through.
6. 6Once the brown pulse is fully cooked and soft, place a fine-mesh sieve or strainer over a bowl. Pour the cooked brown pulse and its liquid through the sieve. The liquid (the pulse cooking water) will drain into the bowl below — this is what you need. Set the cooked brown pulse solids aside (they can be eaten separately or discarded as the original recipe calls only for the liquid). You should have approximately 200–300ml of brown pulse cooking liquid.
7. 7Once the pepper water has completed its two-hour boil (step_4), pour the reserved brown pulse cooking liquid (from step_6) directly into the pepper water pot. Stir well to combine. The broth will deepen in colour and body.
8. 8Return the combined pepper water to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow it to boil vigorously for five minutes. This integrates the brown pulse liquid into the broth and intensifies the flavour.
9. 9In a small frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of ghee over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds first — they will begin to pop within 30 seconds. Once they are popping, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and curry leaves (carapala leaves). Stir and fry everything together for about 1 minute until the seeds are fragrant and the curry leaves are slightly crisped. Remove from heat and immediately add the 5 grains of asafoetida (approximately ¼ teaspoon of ground asafoetida) to the hot ghee — it will sizzle and bloom instantly. Pour this entire spiced ghee mixture (called a tarka or tempering) directly into the boiling pepper water. Stir well to combine. Your Maharattah Pepper Water is now ready to serve.