Preparation Time : 30 minutes
Cooking Time : 20-25 minutes
Serving : 4-6 members
Description
We were on an European holiday for 24 days in a package where we had a caravan behind us cooking and serving an Indian , vegetarian menu for lunch and dinner . ( I know , sounds quirky but we Indians can never ever compromise when it comes to our daily food :-)) The best part being the chef was a South Indian from Bangalore who spoke fluent Tamil . I made maximum use from getting the menu changed to our liking to the spiciness and at times I myself would end up in the caravan making a cup of tea or just observing what the chef is up to today . Like wise we were served Gatta curry one day for lunch with rice and it was the first time I got to know about this deliciously warming Rajasthani dish . I made sure to get the recipe from the chef and it was a forgotten story there after . The recipe was there with me for ages and was lost while I was shifting in to a new home .last month was going through a foodie magazine and found this recipe that brought a shot of sunshine in to me . Immediately made it for lunch , making up for all the lost years of not giving a try . I felt the curry was too thin and runny . So I added a teaspoon of chick pea flour to get a smooth saucy textured curry . It was a medley of simple every day ingredients that was packed with both heft and flavours coming together as an incredibly satisfying light Indian curry . The gutta curry sure did take me to the lovely natural landscaping of Austria where we had it for lunch . How wired Austria and Gatta curry too far apart but in my memories it comes together itched as one .
Ingredients for the Gatta
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Gran flour ( basan ) | 250 grams + 1 teaspoon diluted in 3 tablespoons of water |
| Oil | 1/4 cup |
| Kasoori methi | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon or to taste |
| Red chilli flakes | 1 teaspoon |
| Whole coriander seeds | 1 teaspoon crushed |
| Curd | 1/4 cup beaten |
Ingredients for the curry
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Ghee | 4 tablespoons ( I used vegetable oil) |
| Asafoetida ( hing ) | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Dry red chillies | 4 |
| Cumin seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Curd | 1 cup beaten |
| Red chilli powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Turmeric powder | 2 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
| Kasoori methi | 1 tablespoon |
Method for the gattas
- In a mixing bowl , add all the ingredients mentioned for gattas along with 2-3 tablespoons of water to get a stiff dough . Shape the dough into 4 long cylinders of approximately 3 cm in diameter .
- Boil water in a large sauce pan , immerse the cylindrical dough in the boiling water and let them cook for ten minutes .
- Check if the dough is cooked by inserting a wooden skewer in to it , if cooked it will come out clean or else cook further for another five minutes .
- Once cooked remove from boiling water . cut each cylinder into small pieces to one cm thick and set aside .
Method for curry
- Mix beaten curd with red chilli powder , turmeric powder and salt to taste .
- Heat a pan with ghee/ oil . Add asafoetida , whole dry red chillies and cumin seeds . Sauté for a minute .
- Top with beaten curd mixture and keep stirring until the gravy thickens in medium low heat as the curd should not curdle .
- Finally add kasoori methi and diluted gram flour and keep stirring for about ten minutes until the curry thickens to a semi thick flowing consistency .
- serve hot , warm or at room temperature with rotis , pulkas or rice.
