GoLi Baje

Lip-smacking golden fritters that are crisp on the outside and spongy and porous on the inside taste perfect with some coconut chutney and filter coffee on the side

Course Snack

Cuisine Mangalorean

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 15

Total Time 3 15

Calories 653kcal

Author Shireen Sequeira @ www.ruchikrandhap.com

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour (maida)
2 tablespoons gram flour (besan) *see notes
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2-3 small green chillies (minced * adjust to taste)
12-15 curry leaves, finely shredded
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (soda-bicarb)
3/4-1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup thick yogurt (curds)
1/8-1/4 cup approx water * see notes

Instructions

Sift the maida, besan, baking soda and salt into a bowl and add the sugar. Mix.
Add the yogurt and mix well. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of the water, not all of it. Add the ginger, curry leaves and green chillies and mix well. Cover and keep aside for 2-3 hours
When you are ready to fry the GoLibaje check the consistency of the mixture. It should be thick enough to be scooped out into a ball - if it is runny then you will end up with randomly shaped baje. If you feel the batter is extremely thick, add 1-2 teaspoons of it at a time to loosen it up a bit.
Heat oil for deep frying in a wok/kadhai. Let the oil be medium hot - not very hot or the baje will brown quickly on the outside and remain uncooked inside. To test the readiness of the oil, drop a small ball of batter into the hot oil. If it comes up within 2 counts, the oil is too hot. If it takes too long (7-8 counts) then the oil is not hot enough and the GoLi Baje will absorb a lot of oil. When the oil is at the right temperature they will rise upto the surface with tiny bubbles around them within 3-4 counts.
Using a slotted spoon gently flip the baje to cook evenly on all sides - most likely they will bob up and down the oil and do the job on their own but otherwise just assist them. When they are just golden brown, remove them with the slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with absorbent kitchen tissue.
Serve hot with thin coconut chutney or ketchup

Notes

1. Traditional recipes do not have the gram flour added to the batter - it is prepared purely with maida however the addition of the same gives the goLi baje a crisp exterior with soft insides. 2. If you are using very spicy variety of chillies you can deseed them before mincing. 3. Traditional recipes call for the batter to be mixed and kept for fermentation overnight. The addition of baking soda does the same job in a shorter period of time. 4. Instead of yogurt you can use buttermilk - in this case you may not be required to add any extra water - or add it part by part until the desired consistency/thickness of the batter is achieved. 5. By the time you are ready to fry the fritters you feel that the batter is too thin you can add some extra maida/flour to it, but don't add too much. If the batter is loose you will not get round shaped baje but that's ok, they will still taste fabulous. 6. I used really thick yogurt like the one available in tubs (Al Marai in the UAE/Nestle set Dahi in India)

Nutrition