Gujarati Gathiya (ગાંઠીયા)

Gathiya is pretty much a staple snack/breakfast item in every Gujarati household. There are many versions of Gathiya and you can pretty much add any of your favorite spices to this recipe.

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Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cup of Chickpea Flour (Besan/ Chana noh loat)

• 1/4 cup of Vegetable Oil

• 1 Tbs of Cumin Seeds

• 1 Tbs of Carom Seeds (Ajwain/Ajmo)

• Juice of half a lemon (You can add more if you prefer)

• Hot water to bind the dough

• Pinch of Turmeric (Optional)

• Hot oil to deep fry

• Red Chili Powder to Taste

• Salt to Taste

Special tools needed:

You will need a Hancho for this recipe. To read on this tool click here. To purchase this tool, click here.

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Method

This recipe is fairly simple. To begin, you add all your dry ingredients into a bowl (Flour, Turmeric, Salt, Red Chili, Cumin seeds, and Carom seeds. Then add in your oil and lemon juice to form a crumbly dough. Then go ahead and slowly add in water and form a stiff but hydrated dough.

Once your dough has been formed, heat your oil on medium-high heat. Set up your Hancho with the large hole press attached to it. If you dont use the largest one you have, your cumin and caraway seeds may get stuck when you fry your Gathiya and this could cause your Hancho to spit the dough into your oil, causing large splatters of very hot oil. Basically, use your judgement and be careful.

Once your oil is hot, fry your Gathiya by creating a large circular pattern in your oil, using your hancho. It should only take a few minutes to achieve a nice golden brown color for your Gathiya. Once your Gathiya have been fried, take them out on a paper towel or butcher paper and let them cool down. Once cooled, you can break them up into little sticks and store for up to a month in an air tight container.