Gatte ki Sabzi (Rajasthani Gram Flour Dumplings in Yogurt Curry)
گٹے کی سبزی (دہی کے سالن میں راجستھانی بیسن کے گٹے)
In the Rajasthani desert, fresh vegetables were once scarce, so cooks made "vegetables" out of what they had: , yogurt and spices. *Gatte* are logs of spiced gram flour dough, boiled until firm, sliced into rounds, then simmered in a tangy yogurt curry. They're soft but chewy, a little like dumplings, and soak up the gravy beautifully. If you like kadhi pakora, you'll love this.
- ⏱ Total: 55 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 35 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the besan, ajwain, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Add the yogurt and oil and knead into a firm dough, adding a few drops of water only if needed. Roll into 4 logs about 2 cm thick.
Boil the water and drop in the logs. Cook for 10–12 minutes until they float and look firm with small spots on the surface. Lift out (keep the water) and cool, then slice into 1.5 cm rounds.
Whisk the yogurt with the coriander powder, chilli, turmeric and salt until smooth.
Heat the ghee in a karahi and crackle the cumin and . Add the onion and ginger and cook until golden. Lower the heat, pour in the spiced yogurt and stir constantly until it comes to a simmer, so it doesn't split.
Add 1½ cups of the reserved gatte water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the gatte and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the gravy thickens. Finish with garam masala and coriander.
Serve hot with roti, paratha or rice.
Kitchen notes
Use the gatte boiling water in the gravy; it's full of flavour and helps thicken it.
Keep the dough firm; soft dough makes gatte that fall apart in the gravy.
For a richer version, shallow-fry the gatte slices before adding them.
A desert solution
Rajasthan’s Marwari communities developed a whole cuisine around ingredients that don’t need fresh water or fertile soil: gram flour, lentils, dried beans, yogurt and spices. Gatte are one of the cleverest inventions, a dough that becomes a “vegetable” for curries and pulaos. Gatte ka pulao and gatte ki kadhi are other favourites.
Boil first
Boiling the gatte sets the gram flour so it can be sliced and simmered without falling apart. The boiling water picks up flavour and starch, and it goes into the gravy too, so nothing is wasted.
A yogurt gravy
The curry is close to a kadhi but thicker and spicier, coloured with red chilli and turmeric. The trick is the same as with any yogurt gravy: whisk the spices into the yogurt first and stir constantly over low heat until it simmers.
Serving
Serve with roti, plain paratha or rice. Together with dal baati churma, it makes a classic Rajasthani thali.
Questions people ask
Why does my yogurt gravy split?
The heat was too high, or the yogurt wasn't whisked with the spices first. Keep the heat low and stir until it simmers.
Can I make gatte ahead?
Yes. Boiled gatte keep for 2 days in the fridge; add them to fresh gravy when needed.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 12 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
