Laxmi and Jayshri's Gujarati Indian cookbook, A Little Bit Of This, A Little Bit Of That (a 2018 Gourmand Best in the World winner in two categories and now being reprinted by popular demand), came about when Jay asked her mother to teach her some of her cooking so she could document it, as so much of the beloved food she grew up eating was intuitive cooking, rather than from a recipe. That idea soon blossomed into a fully-fledged cookbook, so others could also have the opportunity to recreate the incredible flavours of Gujarat cuisine.
Ingredients
For the potato balls
| 3 large | cooked potatoes, mashed |
| 2 Tbsp | lemon juice |
| 1 Tbsp | peanuts, crushed |
| 1 Tbsp | fresh coriander, chopped |
| 2 Tbsp | oil |
| 2 tsp | salt |
| 1 tsp | fresh green chilli, minced (see note below) |
| ½ tsp | fresh garlic, minced (see note below) |
| ½ tsp | fresh ginger, minced (see note below) |
| ¼ tsp | turmeric powder |
| ¼ tsp | sugar |
| ¼ cup | white flour, to coat |
| 1 litre | oil, for deep frying |
For the batter
| 1 cup | pea flour |
| 1 Tbsp | rice flour |
| 1¼ cup | warm water |
| 1 Tbsp | oil |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 1 pinch | turmeric powder |
Directions
- For the potato balls: In a large bowl, measure and place 2 cups of mashed potatoes, lemon juice, peanuts and coriander.
- In a small saucepan, heat oil on a medium heat, add salt, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric and sugar. Stir spices to infuse.
- Pour oil mixture over potato mix and stir to combine.
- For the batter: In a medium bowl, combine flours, water, oil, salt and turmeric, set aside for 20 minutes.
- Roll potato mixture into tablespoon (3cm) sized balls, roll in plain flour, then dip into prepared batter and deep fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels before serving. Serve hot with a chutney of your choice (see below for link to a coriander chutney recipe).
Green Chilli Paste (lee-lar-mar-cha)
Makes 1 cup
Measure 1 cup of fresh green chillies, ensuring chillies are washed from pesticides and dirt. Remove the stalks. Place in a blender or food processer with 3 tablespoons of oil and blend to a paste. Transfer to an airtight container and use fresh for 1 week or freeze in small portions like ice cubes and defrost as you require them. Alternatively, large amounts can be frozen in a roasting tray, cut into cubes and stored inside a resealable bag, defrosting cubes as required.
Garlic Paste (la-sin)
Makes 1 cup
Alongside the importance of ginger is garlic. Measure 1 cup of garlic cloves and peel. A handy tip is to lightly crush them so they are easier to peel. Put garlic cloves and 3 tablespoons of oil into a blender or food processer and blend into a paste. Store the same ways as the green chilli paste.
Ginger Paste (ah-doo)
Makes 1 cup
The second most essential ingredient is ginger. To prepare a ginger paste, lightly peel 1 heaped cup of fresh ginger with a potato peeler. Chop in 2-3cm sized bits. Place in a blender or food processor with 3 tablespoons of oil and blend into a paste. Store the same ways as the green chilli paste.
These recipes are an edited extract from A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That - A Mother's Secret Spice: Love, by Jayshri and Laxmi Ganda. Self-published. RRP $70. See gujaraticookbook.com.
More recipes from A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That:
- Dhana ne chutney (Corriander chutney)
- Biryani (Indian spiced rice with yoghurt sauce)
