Gatte ki Sabzi in Hung-Curd Gravy
Rajasthan's desert-kitchen classic: spiced besan dumplings boiled and simmered in a tangy curd gravy. Hung curd makes the gravy thicker and higher in protein, with no cream.
- Region
- Rajasthan (Marwar)
- Status
- Traditional; gatte boiled, not fried; hung curd used for the gravy
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min (hung curd strained ahead)
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Good for
- Lunch, festive meals
- Tags
- Good source · Soy-free · Whey-free · No added sugar · Gluten-free* (gatte only)
- Allergens
- Milk; gluten (rotis)
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 67 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Headline values are for the full plate.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gatte ki sabzi only (about 230 g) | 235 | 12 g | 22 g | 10 g | 5 g | 6 g | 3 g | 5.0 g |
| Full plate: sabzi, 2 whole-wheat rotis | 460 | 20 g | 67 g | 11 g | 5 g | 14 g | 5 g | 4.5 g |
Good source (plate); the dish alone is High protein. Home-strained hung curd is estimated at about 6 g protein per 100 g. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- Gatte: 120 g besan · 30 g curd · 5 g oil · ½ tsp ajwain · ½ tsp red chilli powder · ¼ tsp turmeric · ½ tsp coriander powder · 3 g salt · about 2 tbsp water
- Gravy: 150 g hung curd (from about 300 g curd) · 5 g besan · 10 g ghee or oil · 1 tsp cumin seeds · pinch of hing · ½ tsp turmeric · 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder · 1 tsp coriander powder · 1 tsp kasuri methi · 4 g salt · 250–300 ml gatte cooking water
- Plate: 210 g whole-wheat atta for 6 rotis
Method
- Knead gatte ingredients into a stiff dough. Roll into 4 logs, 1.5 cm thick.
- Boil 1 litre water. Add the logs and boil 12–15 minutes, until they float and look slightly glossy. Drain, reserving the water. Cool and slice into 1.5 cm pieces.
- Whisk hung curd with besan, turmeric, chilli and coriander powders until smooth.
- Heat ghee; add cumin and hing. Lower the heat to the minimum and add the curd mixture, stirring constantly in one direction for 2 minutes so it does not split.
- Gradually add 250–300 ml of the reserved water, stirring. Simmer 5 minutes on low.
- Add gatte and salt; simmer 5–7 minutes until the gravy coats the pieces. Finish with kasuri methi.
- Serve with rotis.
Protein optimisation
- Besan supplies 9 g per serving; hung curd 3 g.
- Boost: add 50 g paneer cubes per serving to the gravy with the gatte (+9 g protein, +130 kcal, +10 g fat).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: Gatte pulao — toss the boiled gatte with spiced rice instead of the gravy.
- Substitution: Greek yogurt for hung curd.
- Storage: 2 days refrigerated; reheat gently on low so the gravy does not split.
- Food safety: refrigerate within 2 hours.
- Meal prep: boil and refrigerate gatte up to 2 days ahead.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com