Ingredients

• For the Gattae or gram flour squares:

• 100 gm. gram flour

• 2-3 tbsp. cooking oil

• 1 tsp. carom (ajwain) seeds

• 1 tsp. salt (to taste)

• 1 tsp. grated or finely chopped ginger root

• Water - cold

• A baking tray or any other flat metal tray, with slightly raised margins. Don’t use your best non-stick for this, or it might get scratched!

• For the Curry Sauce:

• 2-3 tbsp. cooking oil or ghee

• 1 tsp. cumin seeds

• A pinch of asafoetida powder

• 1 tbsp. gram flour

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

• 1 tsp. coriander powder

• 1/2 tsp. chilli powder, adjust to taste

• 3 tbsp. natural yoghurt* -at room temperature

• Salt to taste

• Cold water

• Garnish:

• A handful of green coriander leaves, chopped.

• 1/2 tsp. of Garam Masala

Instructions

1. For squares

2. Measure all Gattae ingredients.

3. Heat oil in a wok or karahi.

4. Add gram flour or besan until golden brown and it emits a roast nuts type aroma. If it looks lumpy, break up/mash lumps with a potato masher or ladle.

5. Take off the fire.

6. Add cold water a little at a time, whisking all the time, until you get a thin batter. No lumps should remain.

7. Add salt and stir it in.

8. Put back on the heat and cook, stirring/whisking all the time, until it becomes thick and semi-solid like a halva.

9. Transfer to a greased tray and spread evenly using a wet spatula. I use my wetted fingers.

10. Let it cool and set. Takes about 1/2 hour. You can cook curry sauce meanwhile.

11. Cut into small, even squares and keep aside.

12. Curry sauce

13. Measure ingredients and keep aside, keeping garam masala separately.

14. Heat oil in a pan.

15. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida powder and allow seeds to splutter, not burn.

16. Reduce heat to medium.

17. Add 1 tablespoon gram flour and stir fry until it bubbles. If there is too little oil, it will not bubble. Keep heat low.

18. Add all other sauce ingredients, except garam masala and coriander leaves. Stir well. It should be nicely bubbling. You can smell the nutty aroma.

19. Add water, a little at a time, stirring/whisking all the time, so no lumps form. I use a wire whisk. It is better to add less water initially and add more after it starts boiling or you may end with a watery gravy.

20. Bring to boil and adjust water until you have the consistency that is neither watery nor too thick. Gram flour acts as a sauce thickener, so the gravy is nice and clingy. However, don't make it too thick, it thickens further as it cools. It is better to add less water initially and add more after it starts boiling or you may end with a watery or very thick gravy.

21. Adjust salt and chillies.

22. Add the besan squares to the simmering sauce/gravy and boil for a further 5 minutes.

23. Turn the heat off. Cover and leave until ready to serve.

24. Reheat, add coriander leaves and garam masala and mix.

25. Serve hot with Chapatti, or Paratha, garnished with a few coriander leaves.

26. If you want to make this dish richer, you can deep-fry the besan squares before adding them to the gravy.

Notes

• *A few tips for cooking with yoghurt :

• Always use full fat yoghurt, if possible. Skimmed milk yoghurt sometimes curdles during cooking. If you wish to use low fat yoghurt, add 1 heaped teaspoon of plain or corn flour per cup of yoghurt.

• Make sure that the yoghurt is at room temperature. If chilled yoghurt straight from the fridge is added to a hot dish, it may curdle.

• Or, take out a few tablespoons of the hot food in a bowl, mix yoghurt, warming it a bit and then stir it back into the hot dish.

• Substitute sour cream for yoghurt, using only half the amount.