GATTE KI SABJI, (Chick pea dumpling curry)

GATTE KI SABJI, (Chick pea dumpling curry)

NO..No..No..I haven't gone mad. So what if 5 vege dishes got posted one after another? As I always say, I am a hard core Non-vege, so vege dishes are always delicacies for me.

This recipe comes from, Monica Gupta, one of the finest cooks on the net and I have learnt quite a few dishes from her blog and FB postings. Her recipes carry excellent clarity on quantity of ingredients and the method.

Nowadays I am in a great cooking mood and concentrating mainly on shortcut recipes for the working people with cooking responsibility at home, students who need bit of fast cooking. While doing some research on shortcut recipe I came across this awesome recipe on the FB. I have made some minor changes without affecting the flavour and aroma of the original recipe.

THE RECIPE;

Gatta is dumplings made from chick pea flour with characteristic spicing system. The dumplings are then cooked in a curry and served. The gatta itself is so tasty; it can be served as a snack with some tangy hot sauce.  In fact I finished half the gatta before the rest could find their way into the gravy. The recipe is originally from Rajasthan and in this dish I will be using onion and garlic which I haven’t cooked before with gatta..

INGREDIENTS

(all spoon measures are level spoon  unless otherwise mentioned)  

For the Gatta

Besan 1 cup

Freshly ground fennel powder 3/4^th tsp

Coriander powder 3/4^th tsp

Chili powder ½ to 1 tsp ( you decide)

Black pepper   freshly coarsely ground ,   ½ tsp

Ajwin 3/4^th tsp

Ghee or groundnut oil or any oil 2tbsp ( I always use ghee)

Curd 1/4^th cup (approx.)

Salt to taste

For the gravy

Onion 11/2 inch chopped fine

Garlic fat 4-5 cloves chopped fine

Ginger 1 tsp chopped fine

Green chilli 1 tsp or more chopped fine.

Dry red chili 2

Cumin and caraway seed equal part   3/4^th tsp

1 tbsp ghee for tempering and 2 tsp raw for garnishing

1 tsp Haldi powder

½ to 1 tsp chili powder ( your choice)

3/4^th tsp Dhania powder

75 gm curd ( little more than ½ cup)

Coriander leave to garnish and to use in cooking ( I did not)

Salt to taste

½ tsp sugar (this is sugar to taste and not to sweeten, don’t add more, even if you are tempted to add)

2 tsp besan/ rice flour roasted (this is to disperse the curdle dahi to fine particles , don’t add more, else you will land into Gatta dahi Kadi )

Hing ( 1/4^th tsp if using MDH or 1/3^rd Tsp if using LG.

(Don’t use so called pure hing, unbranded, there is nothing called pure hing in the market . Yes if you have a Hing plant and extracting the latex and drying it , that is different story. Normally you cant use dry pure hing, too hard to break and process.)

THE PROCESS

Making of Gatta

Mix all dry ingredients (except ghee and curd) thoroughly and then mix in the ghee uniformly.

Add Curd spoon by spoon and mix to get a firm and smooth dough. Don’t be tempted to add curd a lot at a time .

Divide the dough in equal parts and roll out cylindrical shape (pipe) out of it. I rolled 10 mm diameter, but you can go as high as 20 to 25 mm, to give a commercial look, big gatta)

Take a deep pan and boil sufficient water in it. Once the water starts boiling add the gatta , which will sink to the bottom.

Small print, (ignore what I write now if you dont read small print and regret later,) Take a smoking break or the latest branded juice break ( the brand is “ Juice de la Olden monken am Rheine)

Keep boiling. After some times, the gattas, when drunk, will float up like all  drunkards. 

Remove and keep aside for cooling.

When the rolls are cooled cut them to desired size , I cut  10 mm to increase the bulk. If I invite guests I will make gatta of 20-25 mm diameter,  1.5 inch long.

WARNING !! The gattas as such are so tasty , don’t eat it with tangy, hot coriander-mint sauce and finish them. But if you do finish , think what you will do with the condiment ready for use in the gravy.

Finishing with gravy

Roast 2 tsp besan and immediately transfer to a metal plate for faster cooling.

When besan is cooled , add 3 tbsp water and mix smooth. Whip the curd and mix in the besan in water and mix smooth. ( don’t add roasted besan to dahi directly, makes it difficult to smoothen , You can use the mixi, but you have to clean it too)

Mix haldi, chili and coriander powder add water to make a thick paste, soak for 30 min at least  

Take a deep pan (kadhai) , heat ghee, add Hing, the cumin and red chili follow and  the chopped ginger and green chili. Fry for 2 min

Add chopped onion, when it becomes translucent add the chopped garlic and fry till the onion is light brown.

Add the spice paste, and fry on low heat till the oil / ghee come out. Here you can add chopped coriander leaves ( I didn’t)

Take the pan out of burner, mix in the curd mix, add sugar and salt 

Return to burner under low heat. Continuously stir to disperse the coagulating curd into fine particles.

Keep heating till the oil /ghee comes out.

Add water slowly till you reach the desired consistency. (I had added 1 cup water) 

Bring the gravy to full boil and add the gattas , continue boiling for 3-5 minutes . Adjust salt.

Garnish with fresh coriander (I did not) and the hot ghee for garnishing.

Eat with hot rice, roti, paratha , puri

NOTE : I have made minor adjustment to the quantity of spices. For actual quantity used by Monica, refer to the link.

Curd if heated will definitely curdle to become lumps,. So add atta, rice flour or besan to disperse the coagulated curd particles evenly. Refer to my recipe “ The Rezala festival, Veg-non-veg)  

Excess addition of besan will give a KaDi structure, unsuitable for this dish.

Thank you Monica Gupta for this awesome gatta recipe.

Monica Gupta's original recipe click