Besan Gattae Snack Or Curry (Bengal Gram Flour & Spinach Rolls)
Palak aur Besan Gatte ki Sabji
Abha Gupta
Besan Gattae as a snack or made into a curry, are popular in Rajasthan. Dry spinach and fenugreek leaves are often added, instead of fresh ones. In old days, before the irrigation canals and good transport became widely available in Rajasthan, fresh vegetables were in short supply during the intensely dry and hot summer months. So people of Rajasthan prepared and dried their vegetables during winter months. They were rehydrated and used for the rest of the year.
Gattae can be eaten as a snack, served with green Imli Chutney or Green Mint/Coriander Chutney. They can also be served as a main course dish, when added to a curry sauce of your choice.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For making gattae
1 cup gram flour or besan or chickpea flour
100 gm. spinach leaves ( 25 gm. if dry), washed and chopped
100 gm. fenugreek or methi leaves (15 gm. if dry), washed, cleaned and chopped
100 gm. green coriander leaves, washed, cleaned and chopped
150 gm. onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 green chillies (to taste), finely chopped
1 tsp. dry mango powder or Amchoor
Salt to taste
Extra red chillies-to taste
For tempering:
1 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves (not bay leaves)
A pinch of asafoetida powder or Hing
Instructions
Place all gattae ingredients in a bowl and mix together to make a stiff dough. Normally there is enough water in fresh spinach and methi leaves and onions, so no extra water is required. But if dry leaves are used, water will be required.
Roll out sausage shapes with greased palms, about the same thickness as sausages, the size to fit your steamer.
Layer in the steamer basket. It stops them from sticking, if you layer the rolls with wax paper or aluminium foil separating the layers.
Steam cook for 10-15 minutes.
If you do not have a steamer, place the rolls on an oiled metal strainer. Place this on top of a pan of boiling water. Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes.
They can even be steamed in a microwave steamer for 3 minutes, check then another 2-3 minutes. To test, insert a skewer or tip of a sharp knife, it should come out clean.
Take out and cut into 1 inch thick slices.
Serve hot with Green Mango Chutney and/or Chilli Sauce.
Gattae can also be given a tempering or tarka as follows:
Slice Gattae into 1 inch/2.5cm. pieces.
Heat the oil in a pan or karahi.
Add all tempering ingredients, cover with a lid and wait until seeds splutter.
Add sliced gattae and give a quick but gentle stir fry, until the surface looks lightly fried.
Serve hot with Green Mango Chutney or Chilli Sauce.
Making curry
If making curry, make any curry gravy of your choice; see Gattae Curry .
Add gattae slices, bring to boil and simmer for a few minute, until they float to the top. Garnish with chopped green coriander leaves.
Serve with fresh Chapatties.
