Recipe Name – Aalo aur singade ke aate ki Gnocchi (Potato & water chestnut flour gnocchi) ~ Navratri special/Vrat ka khana

Introduction – Gnocchi is an Italian recipe and is a kind of soft dough dumplings traditionally made using potato, refined flour and eggs. I have twisted this recipe in my own way to make it Navratri special which means you can have it  during navratri fast. So let’s get started.

What all do we need?

1. 170 gram boiled potato grated very finely
2. 55 gm water chestnut flour (singade ka atta)
3. 25 gm soaked almond paste
4. 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
5. 1 tablespoon red chili powder
6. 1 tablespoon ginger paste
7. Salt as per taste (I have used himalayan rock salt)
8. Black pepper powder
9. Finely chopped green chilies
10. Finely chopped green coriander
11. Ghee to fry

Method –

1. Boil medium size potatoes in the open vessel for 15-20 minutes as we do not want potatoes to become too soft or watery.
2. After boiling potatoes, let them get cool in the refrigerator so that moisture can be reduced.
3. Once cool enough, grate them finely using grater or ricer.
4. Mix water chestnut (singada aata) flour little by little with the grated boiled potatoes and continue to knead to form soft dough. Do mix salt and black pepper powder else gnocchi will be bland in taste.
5. Once the soft dough is formed, divide the dough in two equal parts and roll each part like a rope (approx. 1 cm thick) and then cut into 1 inch long pieces (called gnocchi).
6. Make impression in the each gnocchi using your finger or roll on top of fork to get the impression. (check my video to understand the process).
7. After making impression, boil the water in the deep vessel and add some salt in it. Moment water starts boiling, add half of the gnocchi’s in it to cook.
8. Gnocchi will start flowing on top of water once ready. Take them out and strain them.
9. Once all gnocchi’s are done, heat ghee in the pan and add ginger and almond paste with coriander & red chili powder and fry it. Also add water if sticking in the pan and to get consistency of gravy.
10. Add gnocchi’s, finely chopped chilies and fry them in the masala. Add salt on top and once ready, garnish with chopped green coriander.
11. Aalo aur singade ke aate ki Gnocchi (Potato & chestnut flour gnocchi) are ready to be served.

Tips –

1. Do not over boil potatoes else they will become watery and you won’t be able to make a proper dough for gnocchi.
2. Grate potato finely before mixing in the flour.
3. If you are allowed to eat tomatoes during fast, you can make tomato paste gravy.
4. Proportion of grated potato and flour is (flour will be 1/3 of the grated potato weight). For example: If grated potato are 300 gm, flour to be used will 100 gm.