Ingredients

• 1 cup (100 gm.)besan or chickpea/gram flour

• 1 medium (80-100 gm.) onion, roughly chopped

• 1 green chillies, adjust to taste

• 1 tsp. salt or to taste

• 2 tbsp. oil. Do not reduce amount.

• 3-4 cups water to boil

• For curry gravy:

• 2 tbsp. oil

• 1 tsp. cumin seeds

• 1 dry red chilli, broken up

• 2 medium tomatoes*, finely chopped or ground. Tinned tomatoes are also fine

• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 level tsp. turmeric

• 1 tsp. coriander powder

• 1/4 tsp. chilli powder, adjust to taste

• Salt to taste

• 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala

• 1-2 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves

• * Traditional versions often have yoghurt or dahi, instead of tomatoes, which would have been unavailable or quite expensive in Rajasthan during the summer months.

Instructions

1. Sift chickpea flour in a bowl, add oil and rub between your fingers, until it looks crumbly.

2. Place onions, ginger and green chillies in a food processor and chop finely.

3. Add to the besan flour, along with salt. Mix well. There may be enough water from the onion to make a firm dough. If not, add a little water at a time, to make quite a stiff dough.

4. Roll out into 6-7 inch sausages with wetted hands. It is important to wet hands, otherwise besan sticks to your hands a lot. Collect them in a greased plate, this stops them from sticking to the plate.

5. Boil water in a pressure cooker. Drop all the rolls in it gently. Close lid and Cook under full pressure for 2 minutes.

6. If you do not have a pressure cooker, add them to boiling water and simmer briskly until they float to the surface.

7. Cool pressure cooker and open. Lift out sausages using a slotted spoon and place on a plate or chopping board. Save water for the gravy. The chickpea flour in this water helps to thicken the gravy.

8. Now slice sausages into 2-3 cm. thick slices. Keep aside.

9. To Make gravy: Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and the whole chilli. As soon as the seeds splutter, add ginger and chopped tomatoes. Stir-fry a little.

10. Add all the spices and a little salt. Stir-fry this mix until tomatoes are mashed and oil begins to separate from the solids.

11. Add 2 tablespoons of water and continue to fry again, until oil separates. Repeat this once more. This makes the spices swell up, as well as release their flavours fully.

12. Add the saved water from the pressure cooker and bring to boil. Amount of water you add depends on how thick a gravy you want. I add half of it and add more as necessary.

13. Bring to boil, add gatte/sausage slices and simmer until sauce thickens to your requirement.

14. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle garam masala and coriander leaves.

15. Serve hot with fresh Chapatties.