Besan (Gram Flour) Savoury Sticks - Gathia
Besan Sev or Gathia
Mamta Gupta
This are savoury, crunchy sticks, served with drinks and tea.
Ingredients
500 gm. besan (chickpea or gram flour)
1 tsp. baking powder (traditional recipes from India use bicarbonate of soda)
1 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
1 tsp. ajwain or carom seeds
1 cup oil mixed with 1 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. chilli powder (optional)
You also need a 'sev maker', with a pencil thick central hole*
A wide, slotted spoon
Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Sift besan in a bowl. This will remove any lumps.
Add baking powder, salt, ajwain/carom seeds and mix all together by rubbing between your fingers.
Add oil and water mix, a little at a time, and make a stiff...ish dough. If it is too stiff, you will have difficulty in pressing it through the ‘sev maker’. Knead the dough well. Food processor is good for making a well kneaded dough quickly.
Heat oil to medium hot, in a wide wok or karahi. A small blob of dough dropped in the oil should sizzle and rise to the top slowly.
Fill the ‘sev maker’ with the besan dough and close the lid tightly.
Press the thick noodles or 'gathia' directly into the hot oil.
Fry on low-medium heat, turning over a few times, until golden. Slow frying makes them crisper.
Drain on an absorbent paper. When they come out, they are in coils. You can break the coils up when cold.
Cool completely and store in air tight jars/boxes.
Notes
*Jhari is an Indian equipment usually made of brass, similar to a noodle maker. It is available from large Indian supermarkets or by mail order. It is hand held and used to drop thick noodle like strands of the ‘gathia’ directly into the hot oil.
You can make other shapes of gathia too, like flat ribbons or star shaped. You just need different gathia maker blades with different shaped cutters.
For a more spicy gathia, you can add more chillies, garam masala, amchoor etc. to the dough.
For a different flavour, you can add flavour adding a tablespoon of crushed, dry methi leaves to the dough. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of left-over mango pickle or other pickle masalas.
