Gatte Ki Sabzi

Gatte ki sabzi

Gatte ki sabzi is a traditional Rajasthani cuisine.If your vegetable basket is empty in the fridge, gatte ki sabzi is your savior. You just need besan (gram flour) and some spices to prepare this. Nowadays gatte ki sabzi is an essential part of the menu of many hotels and restaurants during their special ‘Rajasthani festival celebration’. In gatte ki sabzi the tricky part is how to prepare soft gatte! I used to prepare very nice gravy, but gatte used to be hard. Then once during my mother-in-law’s visit to Bangalore, Manish requested her to prepare this sabji and requested me to learn how to prepare soft gatte. I learned the trick and since then Manish never complained about my sabzi. In fact, once my father-in-law complimented that I have cooked the best gatte ki sabzi!!!!..
Come, let’s prepare this traditional rajasthani cuisine…
Ingredients :
To prepare gatte :

Besan 1cup
Oil(for moyan ) 2+1/2tbsp
Whole black pepper 5
(crushed)
Red chilli powder 1/4tsp
Turmeric powder 1/8tsp
Salt 1/4tsp
Ajwain(carom seeds) 1/4tsp
Sauf (crushed) 1/4tsp
(fennel seeds)
Water 1+1/2 tbsp
Water (for boiling) 3cups
Oil (to prepare tadka)

To prepare gravy:
Oil 3tbsp
Onion (finely chopped or grated) 1big size
Green chillies 2
Grated ginger 1tsp
Coriander, red chilli and turmeric powder
Mustard and cumin seeds
Hing(asafoetida)
Long(cloves) 4
Tejpatta (bay leaf) 1small size
Lemon juice 1tsp
Finely chopped green coriander leaves

Procedure :

In a broad vessel take besan and add black pepper, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, sauf,ajwain and oil. We add oil so that gatte can be soft.

Now how do we figure out that how much quantity of oil is enough? It’s very simple: just try to bind besan mixture in your palm. If it is dry, it will spread, so add carefully little more oil, mix it and try to bind it again.

After this take little mixture and rub it between your palms. Do this process for the whole mixture of besan. This rubbing-the-mixture process and the right quantity of oil in besan will ensure that you get the softest gatte ever.

Now slowly add water and prepare tight dough.

In a pan keep three cups of water to boil.

Now divide the dough in equal parts and with each part make long rolls.

When water starts boiling, put all the rolls in boiling water and cover the vessel 3/4th only.

Keep the flame on medium. Keep on turning gatte upside down in between.
Within 15 to 20 minutes, they will be cooked.
DO NOT THROW AWAY THE WATER OF BOILED GATTAS.

Take out the rolls and cut them in small pieces.

Heat the oil in a pan and crackle rai, hing, jeera, long and tejpatta.
Add finely chopped onion and fry it nicely.

Then add ginger, chilly paste (I don’t use garlic, so didn’t add).
Add coriander powder, red chilly pwd and turmeric powder
Add little water in this masala and fry this nicely till it starts leaving the oil from the sides.
Add small pieces of gatte along with boiled water.
Add salt.

If required add some more water according to your choice of thick or thin gravy.Let it boil on sim heat for 15 to to  20 minutes.

Switch off gas and add some garam masala. Squeeze some lemon juice in this and garnish with green coriander leaves.(I ran out of coriander leaves so did not add).

Note :
1. Adding onion is completely optional. While boiling gatte, the water becomes thick enough for gravy.
2. If you feel that boiled water is less, can add some thick butter milk and keep on stirring on medium flame until gravy starts boiling.Then sim the heat and let it cook for some more time.
3. If you are adding butter milk, avoid lemon juice.