Chickpea Flour Dumplings in a Spicy Yogurt Sauce

My dear friend Jacqueline recently sent me a most elegant and beautifully presented Indian vegetarian cookbook entitled Pure & Simple by Vidhu Mittal. I've already bookmarked lots of recipes to try, but this recipe for chickpea flour dumplings in a spicy yogurt sauce immediately got my attention and so this was my first experiment with this lovely book. I certainly was not disappointed. Delightful dumplings smothered in a creamy yogurt gravy. How could I resist?

This cookbook comes highly recommended from my kitchen already. Ms. Vidhu presents an extensive collection of traditional and contemporary recipes inspired by her native province of Uttar Pradesh. Each recipe is accompanied by stunning color photos, step by step images, helpful hints, often along with serving suggestions. This is a great resource for both novice and experienced cooks. You will find lots of tempting and straight forward recipes for drinks, appetizers and snacks, soups and salads, rice, breads and desserts. The meal menus and reference guide to spices and kitchen tools essential to Indian cooking are also a nice addition.

Chickpea Flour Dumplings in a Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Pure & Simple: Homemade Indian Vegetarian Cuisine Cuisine: Indian Published on April 15, 2010 Soft spicy chickpea flour dumplings simmered in a tangy spiced yogurt curry sauce Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Print this recipe Dumplings: 1 1/4 cups chickpea flour (besan) 1/2 cup water 3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped peanut oil for frying Yogurt curry: 2 cups plain whole fat yogurt 1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan) 3 cups water Seasoning: 1 tablespoon of ghee, butter or oil 1/2 teaspoon asafetida 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1/4 cup fresh fenugreek leaves 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds small handful of dried whole red chilies, broken into bits 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon chili powder pinch of ground cayenne Tempering: 1 tablespoon of ghee, butter or oil 1/2 teaspoon asafetida 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or cilantro Instructions: To make the dumplings, combine the chickpea flour and water and stir to combine. Add the green chilies and ginger and beat until light and fluffy. Heat 1/2 inch of peanut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, drop small spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and fry until golden brown, flipping occasionally. Transfer to a bowl of salted water (roughly 4 cups of water with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt). Remove and set aside. To make the yogurt curry, mix the yogurt, chickpea flour and 3 cups of water in a medium bowl. Set aside. For the seasoning, heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida, fenugreek seeds and leaves, cumin seeds, red chilies, turmeric, chili powder and cayenne. Stir and fry for a minute or two. Now add the yogurt curry and sea salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chickpea dumplings to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida, cumin seeds, chili powder and parsley or cilantro. Stir for a minute and add to the chickpea dumpling and yogurt mixture. Serve right away with fresh cooked white rice. Makes 6 servings

More chickpea flour recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Chickpea Flour Curry
Scrambled Chickpea Flour with a Fiery Red Chili Paste
Chickpea Fritters with a Creamy Ricotta, Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Filling
Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Crushed Peas and Cilantro (Pudla)