195. Dakor na gota

Hot hot gotas

Gotas are bhajias made from chickpea flour. Its a very easy, quick snack and served as farsan in a gujarati thali. I remember every time my sister and I would go to visit our relatives in the villages in Gujarat, we would  be served gota along with kadhi, rice, vegetables, puri and a sweet dish. I am not a huge fan of the gotas made from cabbage but I love the dakor na gota. People say that the best gotas are from Dakor, home of Ranchodji, next to my grandfather’s village Umreth. I have tasted Dakor na gota and they are very spicy but are great with extra sweet tea. Nowadays ready mix packets of Dakor na gota are available in the stores and supermarkets. Just add a bit of  water and you are good to go. When my dad came down to Mombasa, I made Dakor na gotas (recipe from Tarla Dalal but with a few changes) from scratch and I was pretty pleased with the result. Not even one gota was left. Best served hot with a chutney of your choice.

DAKOR NA GOTA
Serves 4

1 cup chana flour (chickpea flour)
1 cup sooji (semolina)
1 to 2 tsp green chilli paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tsp valiyari seeds ( fennel seeds)
1 tsp coriander seeds (dhana)
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
½ to 1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp sesame seeds (tal)
1 tbsp coarse pepper powder
¼ tsp soda bicarbonate
2 tbsps sugar
1tbsp lemon juice or ½ tsp citric acid crystals
3 tbsps oil
¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander or fenugreek
1 to 1¼ tsp salt
¾ cup water
oil for frying

1. Sieve chickpea flour and semolina together.
2. Add in rest of the ingredients and mix it very well.
3. Heat oil for frying in a wok or karai.
4. It is ready when you drop a small piece of the batter and it rises to the top immediately.
5. Scoop about a teaspoonful of batter with your fingers. Using your thumb slide it into the hot oil. Repeat 6 to 8 times depending on the size of your wok or karai.
6. Lower the heat and fry the gotas or bhajias, turning them occasionally with a slotted spoon. They are done when they turn golden brown.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the remaining batter. If the oil gets cool, increase the heat and then once it reaches the correct temperature lower the heat.
8. Serve hot gotas with coriander and mint chutney or date tamarind chutney or a chutney of your choice.