Rajasthani Besan Gatta Curry Recipe

Rajasthani Besan Gatta Curry Recipe

Rajasthani besan gatta curry: spiced gram flour dumplings, boiled and shallow fried, then simmered in an onion, tomato and curd gravy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup gram flour (besan), for the gatte
• 2 tbsp cooking oil, for the gatte
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain), for the gatte
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, for the gatte
• 1/2 tsp cumin and coriander powder (dhaniya jeera powder), for the gatte
• 1/4 tsp garam masala, for the gatte
• 1/4 tsp turmeric, for the gatte
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing), for the gatte
• Salt to taste, for the gatte
• 3 medium onions, made into a paste, for the curry
• 2 large tomatoes, made into a paste, for the curry
• 1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped, for the curry
• 1/2 cup curd or buttermilk, for the curry
• 4 tbsp cooking oil, for the curry
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, for the curry
• 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder, for the curry
• 1/2 tbsp cumin and coriander powder, for the curry
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida, for the curry
• 1/2 tsp garam masala, for the curry
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, for the curry
• 1/4 tsp coriander seeds, for the curry
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, for the curry
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped, for the curry
• Salt to taste, for the curry

Instructions

1. Spice the flour. Put the gram flour into an edged plate or bowl where you can easily knead it. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder, garam masala and asafoetida. Rub the carom seeds between your palms before adding them, then add salt to taste. Mix nicely.
2. Add the oil. Add the oil and mix it all properly so there are no lumps.
3. Knead. Add water as needed to form a dough of medium consistency, not too hard and not too soft. If the dough turns out sticky, add oil and knead until soft.
4. Boil the water. Put a pan filled with water on the flame and cover it with a lid so it heats faster.
5. Shape the gatte. Meanwhile, divide the dough into 4–5 equal portions and roll each portion into a thick, long cylinder.
6. Cook the gatte. Make sure the water is boiling, then add the gatte one by one with a gap of 4–5 seconds so the water maintains its temperature. Keep the flame on medium, cover the pan with the lid and cook for 10–15 minutes.
7. Check and cool. Remove the lid and check whether the gatte are cooked by slicing through one with a knife. Take them out onto a plate and let them cool. Save the boiled water for later.
8. Cut and fry. Cut the cylinders into small pieces, or as you prefer. Heat oil in a pan on a medium to high flame and shallow fry the pieces for about 1–2 minutes for a good texture.
9. Temper. For the curry, heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green chillies and asafoetida and stir.
10. Add the masalas. Add the ginger garlic paste and stir properly. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin and coriander powder and garam masala, stir nicely and roast the masalas properly.
11. Cook the onion paste. Add the onion paste and roast for about 2–3 minutes. Mix well and cook until oil comes to the surface.
12. Add the tomato. Add the tomato puree and mix well. Add salt to taste, which speeds up the cooking. Cover with the lid for a minute or two.
13. Add the curd. On a slow flame, add the curd, beaten well first so it does not curdle. The gravy will be thick, so add the boiled water you saved from the gatte to make it flow. Mix and stir continuously, adding water for the consistency of gravy you want. Add salt to taste.
14. Simmer the gatte. Once the gravy starts to boil, add the shallow fried gatte. Mix well and cover the pan with the lid so the gatte absorb the curry flavours.
15. Garnish. Remove the lid, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Turn off the flame and transfer the gatte ki sabzi to a bowl.

Recipe by Siddhi Panchal.