I love the frugality of recipes like Gatta no Pulao, left over rice, some boiled dumplings made with all pervading chickpea flour. Besan/chana no lot or chickpea flour is a Gujarati staple, our larders always stock this flour by kilos. And why not?? Desi Chana/Black Gram grows aplenty on the dry and arid Gujarati soil. The rain flooded saline soil is just right to nurture the dasi chana that arrive in the markets during winters. During the era when leftovers were wisely used hundreds of such dishes were rustled up to create a novel meal and Gatta No Pulao which uses just the kitchen staples is a fine example of the skills our gifted wise mothers had in generous amounts. So when you have some decent amount of leftover rice, try turning it into Gatta No Pulao choosing to serve it with some roughly broken, tempered yogurt which goes by the name Tikkhari.
Gatta No Pulao
Ingredients
- For the Gatta
- 1 cup chickpea four/ besan
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/4 teaspooon ajwain
- 1 teaspoon tumeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt to taste
- couple of tablspoons of water to bind a stiff dough
- For the rice
- 2 cups cooked rice (salted)
- 2 tablespoons ghee/oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
- 1 tespoon aamchoor powder/dried mango powder ( can substitute with lemon juice)
Instructions
To prepare the Gatta
In a mixing bowl, mix the chickpea flour, tumeric powder, chilli powder, ajwain, salt and massage in the oil and yogurt. Add little water, tablespoon at a time to form a stiff dough. Knead a little and apply couple of drops of oil.
Let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
In the meantime, place a large saucepan filled with water on gas stove and bring the water to boil.
Divide the dough in 3-4 equal parts and roll each doughball in to log as thick as middle finger.
Place each log in the boiling water and cook till the log floats to the top. Takes 4-5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon scoop the logs out from the water and place to let them drain well.
Once cooled slice them in pieces a little smaller than a finger mark.
To prepare the pulao, place a thick bottom kadhai of medium flame.
Add and heat the ghee/oil, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaves, asafoiteda.
Once the cumin seeds begin to sizzle add the turmeric powder.
Mix well and add the sliced gatta adn salt . Give it all a good mix.
Add the rice and gentely fold in. Take care not to break the rice grains.
Cook for a few minutes.
Serve warm with yougurt.
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