Chickpea/gram flour or besan is a very versatile flour. Cooked in any of hundreds of ways in India, it can become a sweet (Besan Ki Barfi, Mohanthal, halwa, laddus or Mysore Pak) or a sabzi ka curry or a snack (dhokla, sev, chakli, gathiya, papad, muthiya, kothambir vadi, pakoras) or a breakfast (lapta) or a gravy (kadhi, pithla) or a thickener for a vegetable dish or a bread (thepla, chila).
Gluten free, it has slightly more fibre than wheat flour and more protein too according to Healthline.
Gatte Ki Sabzi utilises the flour to turn it into bullet-shaped dumplings that are simmered in a yoghurt base that make for a great accompaniment for piping hot rotis or rice.
Gatte Ki Sabzi
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients
For the gatte:
- 1 cup besan or chickpea or gram flour
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- 2 pinches hing or asafetida
- 2 tsp oil
- Pinch salt
- Warm water
- 2 cups water
For the gravy:
- 1 cup sour yoghurt
- 1 tsp ghee/oil
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- ½ tsp brown dhania or coriander powder
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- ½ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- ½ tsp rai or mustard seeds
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro, for garnish
Method:
For the gatte:
- In a bowl mix the besan with all the masalas along with the oil and mix well.
Add some warm water slowly and knead the besan into a stiff yet smooth dough.
Roll out, on a board or flat surface, a portion of the dough into a long solid cylinder of less 1 cm diameter with a rolling pin.
Cut into small 1 cm chunks with a knife and keep these mini cylinders aside. - Repeat for the rest of the dough.
Keep aside. - Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
Gently immerse the gatte into in it, cover and allow it to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or till the gatte are properly cooked.
Stir once or twice and add water if needed.
Drain.
For the gravy:
- Make a paste of the spices and the spice masalas adding a little water.
Keep aside. - Heat the ghee/oil in a saucepan or in a kadhai over medium heat.
Add the jeera and the rai.
Allow the seeds to splutter.
Add the masala paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Lower the heat and add the yoghurt, stirring continuously till the mixture starts to simmer.
Add the water and the gatte and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Garnish with the dhania. - Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.