Serves: 4
Total Calories: 899

1 tablespoon Basic Ginger and Green Chili Pepper Paste
1 cup garbanzo beans, flour
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ajwain, seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 to 4 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ajwain, seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground asafoetida
2 tablespoons Basic Ginger and Green Chili Pepper Paste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper dissolved in 1/4 cup water
2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked well with 1 cup water until smooth
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 cups water
chopped cilantro

1. Prepare the ginger-chili paste. To make the gattae: In a small bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, coriander, fennel, cayenne pepper, salt, and turmeric. Then rub in the ginger-chili paste and oil. Add 2 tablespoons yogurt, and more as needed, to make a semi-stiff dough. If the dough sticks to your fingers, scrape it off, coat your fingers with some water or oil, and continue.

2. Using clean hands, divide the dough into 6 parts and roll each part into a 1/2-inch thick and 6- to 7-inch long roll. Place all the rolls in a large saucepan, add water to cover by at least 1 inch and boil over medium-high heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rolls firm up and turn much lighter in color, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, saving the water for cooking the sauce. Cut the rolls into 1/2-inch pieces (gattae).

3. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin, ajwain, and asafoetida they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger-chili paste and the cayenne pepper dissolved in water, and stir about 1 minute.

4. Add the whisked yogurt-water, turmeric, coriander, and salt, stirring constantly, and boil over high heat about 3 minutes. Add the gattae and boil another 2 minutes.

5. Add 3 cups water (measure in the reserved water from Step 2) and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the gattae are soft and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. (Add more water and cook another minute for a thinner sauce.) Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the cilantro, and serve.

VARIATION: For heartier gattae, mix about 2 cups chopped fresh spinach into the dough in Step 1 and then proceed with the recipe.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 899
Calories from Fat: 113

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