Rajasthani Gatte

A delicious, spicy traditional dish from the indian state of Rajasthan made with besan [chickpea flour] cooked in a tomato yogurt gravy.

I just adore Rajasthani cuisine.While in college I first tasted a typical Rajasthani thaali at Dilli Haat and simply loved it.The typical thaali consisted of kadi pakoda, urad dal,gatte ki subzi, mirchi chutney, kair sangri ki subzi,baajre ki roti & churma ladoo.The meal finished with a glass of chaas[buttermilk] and chuski [flavored crushed ice ball]…It was heaven personified!!!.My mouth is watering right now as I write this

Dishes made with besan [chickpea flour] are very popular in the state of Rajasthan, primarily due to the large part of the state being the Great Indian Desert where vegetables and fruits are not available in abundance.The habitants prefer to cook dried vegetables, millets, ghee and butter in large quantities to minimize the amount of water required while cooking food.
This recipe is slightly elaborate than a normal curry prepared with vegetables but trust me its worth all the effort put in!

What I needed:

For the gatte:

• 1 cup besan [chickpea flour]
• 2 tsp  turmeric powder
• 1 tsp carom seeds [ajwain]
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp fenugreek leaves [kasuri methi]
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp oil
• Water to make dough

For the gravy:

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1/4 cup yoghurt
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp fenugreek leaves [kasuri methi]
• 2 tsp dry mango powder [ amchoor]
• Salt to taste

How I did it

• Mix all the ingredients for the gatte to make a dough ,adding water gradually.The dough should be soft.You can also use buttermik instead of water.
• In a pan with a lid bring about 2.5 cups of water + 1 tsp oil to a boil.
• Smear oil on both your hands and roll out 4″-5″ long pipe like pieces out of the prepared dough.
• Throw the prepared pipes in boiling water and cover with lid. Cook for 5-7 minutes.Use a strainer or tongs to take out the pipes from the boiling water and set aside to cool.Reserve the water which you used for boiling.
• Once cooled, cut the pipes into small pieces about 1/2 ” long like shown in the image. Keep aside.Traditionally ,these pieces are fried before adding them to the curry.However I did not fried mine.You can if you desire.

For the gravy

• In a cooking vessel add the oil and heat it up till the oil starts smoking slightly.
• Add the finely chopped onion and cook it till golden brown.After this add the grated garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

• Next add the tomato puree along with chili powder, coriander powder,fenugreek leaves and salt.Cook this masala [ spice mix] on low heat till the oil starts separating from the mix along the sides of the vessel.
• Add yogurt & the reserved water from boil, cover and let the gravy come to a boil.Once the curry has come to a boil, lower the heat , add the gatte pieces, dry mango powder and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes.You can add more water depending on the consistency you require.
• Serve with rice or flatbread and a salad.

Enjoy!

Sending this to Show me your curry event by Divya of dil se.