Goli Bajji

Udupi cuisine is a cuisine of South India. It forms an important part of Mangalorean cuisine and takes its name from Udupi, a city on the southwest coast of India in the Tulunadu region. Udupi cuisine has its origin in the Ashta Mathas of Udupi founded by Madhvacharya.

Udupi cuisine comprises dishes made primarily from Grains, Beans, Vegetables, and Fruits. The variety and range of dishes is wide, and a hallmark of the cuisine involves the use of locally available ingredients. Mangalore Bajji or Golibajje is an Indian fried food made from various flours and curd.

The main ingredients used to make Mangalore Bajji include maida, curd, rice flour, chopped onion, coriander leaves, coconut, jeera, green chillies, curry leaves, and salt. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed to form a hard batter, then shaped into a small ball and deep fried. It is often served with chutney, Mangalore bajji is also known as goli baje. The cuisine is heavily influenced by the variety of fruits and vegetables available in the rich forests of western ghats. The ingredients like tender bamboo shoots, colocassia leaves, turmeric leaves, raw jackfruit are easily found in the Sahyadri ranges. Steaming is the favored method of cooking in Malenaadu. More often than not, there is little use of oils in malenaadu cuisine. I followed this recipe from Cook with smile. This is our 119th Foodiemonday bloghop event and this time we are back with Udupi Cuisine. Check out the recipe of mangalore bajji and enjoyy them :)

 Ingredients:

    1 cup Maida All purpose flour
    1 Tbsp Rice flour
    1/2 cup sour curd
    1/4 tsp Baking soda
    2 - 3 Green Chilli, finely chopped
    1 tsp Ginger grated
    1/2 tbsp Coconut pieces very finely chopped
    Curry Leaves, chopped
    a pinch Asafoetida/ hing
    Salt as required

Method: 

1. Add maida, and rice flour in a mixing bowl. Add sour curd to form a thick batter. If curd is not sufficient, you can add some water but the batter should be still thick.

2. Keep aside the batter for fermentation preferably 2-3 hours. A setting time of this long is the authentic way of doing it.

3. Once the setting time is over, to the batter add chopped green chilli, ginger, curry leaves, coconut pieces, hing and baking soda.

4. Meanwhile in a heavy bottom vessel or kadai, heat oil. Also keep a bowl with water ready to dip your hands in it.

5. Before dropping the batter into oil, check the consistency. The batter should be that thick that it should fall slowly from spoon.

6. Once the oil is ready for frying ,wet your fingers; take a small amount from the batter drop it in the oil. Repeat the same to drop 4-5 golibajjis at a time in the oil and wet your fingers each time to get a nice round shape.You will observe that goli bajji will bloat and start floating in the oil.

7. fry on medium flame on both sides until the bajjis turns golden brown. Remove the Bajjis from the oil and place it on a tissue paper.

Serve hot goli bajji with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup and enjoy ..