If you are tired of monotonous dishes like daily lentils, vegetables, and bread, you can try Govind Gatta from Rajasthan. This dish has a special, almost royal taste and is traditionally served at weddings in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
The renowned chef Ranavir Barar shared his secret recipe, according to which the gatte made from gram flour is stuffed with a filling of dried figs, cashews, almonds, and dry milk.
This dish, which takes about 40–50 minutes to prepare, is perfect for lunch, dinner, or as a treat for guests on a special occasion. Below is a simple preparation method according to Ranavir Barar's technique.
First, you need to prepare the filling for the gatte, the dough for the gatte itself, as well as ingredients for boiling and frying the gatte, and components for the sauce and garnish.
The first step is creating the filling for the Govind Gatte. For this, you need to take 5–6 dried figs, 4–5 sliced almonds, 5–6 sliced cashews, 1–2 green chilies, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh coriander, a quarter cup of dry milk, and salt to taste. All these components should be mixed in one bowl and set aside.
Next, in a large bowl, take one and a half cups of gram flour. Add salt to taste, half a teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, half a teaspoon of cumin seeds, 2 tablespoons of ghee, and a quarter cup of whipped yogurt. Mix all ingredients thoroughly to knead a soft dough; it is important that the dough is not too stiff, otherwise the gatte will not turn out properly.
Take a small portion of the dough, lightly roll it with your palm, place the prepared filling of figs, cashews, almonds, and dry milk inside, then completely seal the dough and shape it into a round form. This process is repeated until all the gatte are ready.
In a separate pot, heat water, adding a little salt, 1 dried red chili, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and a quarter teaspoon of cumin seeds. The cooked gatte are dropped into this water and boiled. When the gatte float, they are removed from the water and left for some time.
After this, heat about a quarter cup of ghee in a pan and fry the gatte on all sides until golden brown, performing the semi-frying procedure.
To prepare the sauce, mix 1 cup of whipped yogurt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1¼ teaspoons of coriander powder, a quarter teaspoon of asafoetida, and, if desired, a little cumin powder in a separate bowl. This mixture will give the Govind Gatte sauce its special flavor.
Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pot. Then sauté cardamom, 2–3 dried red chilies, chopped ginger, 2–3 cloves of garlic, green chilies, and a little asafoetida for a few seconds.
After this, pour in the prepared mixture of yogurt and spices. It must be stirred constantly for 5–6 minutes until the yogurt is cooked and the aroma of the spices appears. Then add the required amount of water and bring the sauce to a boil. At this point, add the fried Govind Gatte to the sauce and simmer on low heat for about 5–7 minutes.
When the gatte have fully absorbed the flavor of the sauce, turn off the heat. Sprinkle the dish with finely chopped fresh coriander and serve hot. It can be eaten with roti, paratha, or rice.