Teeny bit healthier Goli Baje (Mangalore Bajji/Mangalore bonda)

Teeny bit healthier Goli Baje (Mangalore Bajji/Mangalore bonda)

Goli bajo is a delicious tea time snack from Udupi, Mangalore. Goli baje are super light, deep fried fritters that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They're sweet as well as spicy. They're usually served with a spicy coconut chutney on the side but they are so delish that you won't need a chutney along with it.

Mom makes awesome goli bajo super light, crispy, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. So light & so delicious. Now I had to recreate this snack using wheat flour. As I haven't been buying all purpose flour - maida from past 8 years. When I asked mom she kept saying use maida or else it won't be light enough. Add maida or else you won't get soft interior etc etc etc. She thought it's hard to replace maida & get that awesomeness using wheat flour. I partly agree with her. If you want to enjoy original goli bajo please follow her awesome recipe, the recipe that would give every restaurant in Udupi, Mangalore a good run for their money. If you are a little concerned about using maida like me then follow this recipe. I used the measurements below & everybody loves these teeny bit healthier goli bajo I make. And I skipped baking soda yet get soft soft interior, crispy exterior. Deliciously sweet & spicy. Everything you want your goli baje to be. 

Let me know if you like the teeny bit healthier goli baje or the original after you give this a try.

P.S: wheat flour makes goli baje dense & makes it stick to the bottom of the frying pan without baking soda. Gram flour makes it lighter. I used proportions of wheat flour & gram flour based on this understanding. Maida makes goli baje super light. And we have to get that without the maida. 

P.S: You can also try & use part wheat flour, part maida in the below recipe. 


Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons of gram flour
  • 3 tablespoons of wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup sour curds
  • 1-2 big green chillies
  • 1/2 inch fresh ginger 
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 teaspoons of organic sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of powdered jaggery (optional)
  • 1 curry leaves (optional)
  • Asafoetida powder/a pinch of crystal asafoetida
  • Oil for deep frying

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes


Preparation Method:

1. Mix well gram flour, wheat flour, cumin seeds, chopped curry leaves, organic sugar, jaggery powder, asafoetida powder/crystal asafoetida dissolved in water in a mixing bowl.

2. Smash finely chopped green chillies & finely chopped ginger together with little salt using a mortar & pestle. Add them to the mixing bowl.

3. Add curds, salt and mix well to make a thick batter. Mix such that there are no clumps.

We need a very thick batter. If it's watery the batter will stick to the bottom of the frying pan and goli baje will be shapeless. 

4. Let the batter rest for at least 45 minutes - 1 hour. You'll get light airy goli baje as the batter will rise a little during this resting time due to sour curds used. If you're in a hurry 10-15 minutes of resting should do.

5. Heat up oil for deep frying. Add 2 tablespoons of hot oil to the batter & mix well.

6. If the batter gets watery after you add hot oil add in little gram flour to thicken it.  

7. Drop tennis ball sized batter into rolling hot oil using your finger tips . They should emerge to the top of the oil as soon you drop the batter into the oil. 

If not wait for few minutes for oil to heat up. 

If it sticks to the bottom of the frying pan thicken the batter by adding gram flour.

8. Fry them on medium heat to ensure uniform cooking & fry them until they turn golden brown all around. 

9. Serve them hot as-is or with a spicy coconut chutney.