Gujarati Gathiya for Indian Cooking Challenge

For this month's Indian Cooking Challenge Valli and Vaishali wanted us to make a very famous Gujarati snack, Gathiya/ Gathia. Gujarati gathiya are very similar to janthikalu, but the texture is totally different. Gathiya are crispy and crunchy when you bite into them, but just melt in your mouth when eaten.  To get that melt in the mouth texture, baking soda is dry roasted until slightly charred and then added to besan and other spices. Also generous amount of oil is added to the dough which helps to get the texture.
Ingredients: Besan - 2cups (200gms)
Baking Soda - ½tsp
Ajwain - ½tsp
Ground Cumin - ½tsp
Red Chili powder - ½tsp
Black pepper powder - ½tsp Oil - ½cup and more for deep frying
Salt - to taste
Method:

• Dry roast baking soda until lightly charred, about 1~2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool completely.
• Combine besan, ajwain, ground cumin, red chili powder, pepper, salt and cooled baking soda in a mixing bowl. 
• Add 5~6tbsp of oil and mix until a crumbly mixture forms.
• Add warm water a liitle at a time to form a thick, sticky dough. I left the dough aside for a few minutes, so it is a little easy to handle. It gets a little less sticky. 
• Add 1~2tbsp oil to the dough and knead it a couple of times.
• Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Spray the cookie press/ muruku press/ janthikala gottam liberally with cookiung spray.
• Place 2~3tbsp of dough in the cookie press and press it directly into the hot oil. Fry on medium flame until the gathiyas are golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Flip and fry for another 1~2 minutes.
• Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil. 

Enjoy as snack with a cup of tea.

Look who else likes them too!!