Nachani Goli Bajo / Finger Millet Spongy Fritters.

“Nachani Goli Bajo (Baje) / Finger Millet Spongy Fritters” Served with “Pudina ~ Coriander ~ Coconut Chutney” ... Winter or Rainy Season makes one crave for deep fried snacks. Goli Bajo is a traditional Amchi spongy fritter that is often served as a snack and is a delite to have with hot cup of Coffee / Tea. It is every Manglorean’s Favourite snack and I still remember the aroma of these Bajo’s Mom used to prepare when we arrived from school drenched … Today I gave a twist to the normal goli bajo / baje with addition of Nachani flour and they turned out awesome and even spongier … Relished them hot with spicy chutney … Yummy Yumz ...

‘Goli’ means round and ‘Bajo / Baje’ means snack that is deep fried. So ‘Goli Bajo’ means a round deep fried snack. This is the most famous snack of almost every restaurant in my native place Mangalore. This snack is really very spongy and porous from inside and crispy outside. Tastes awesome with coconut chutney or ketchup. It is really simple to prepare once you get the hang of it. Some time ripe banana is added to it for softness too. But, by and large it is prepared with just flours. It’s monsoon time and it’s been pouring heavily all day. After coming home drenched, I wanted to have something hot and spicy. Was just wondering what to do when I remembered that often for a quick snack I always prepared Goli Bajo that was my childhood favorite. It had been a long time since I had relished this, So today, for a change I just prepared Goli bajo with the addition of nachani / finger millet flour to other flours. Yumz. That really was delicious. Could not have asked for a better version of the same. This is something I am going to prepare often now, as I loved it better than the normal ones. Go ahead and prepare them and enjoy with chutney or ketchup tastes too good.

Ingredients :

Maida / APF : 3 tablespoon (Heaped)

Besan / Bengal Gram Flour / Chane peeta : 2 tablespoon (Heaped)

Nachani / Ragi / Finger Milled Flour : 2 tablespoon (Heaped)

Baking Powder : a large pinch.

Ginger / Adrak / Alle : ½ inch grated or cut into fine pieces.

Green Chillies : 3-4 chopped very fine.

Hing / Asafoetida Powder : ½ tsp

Pepper : ½ tsp coarsely powdered

Curds / Dahi : 2 tblsp 

Salt to taste

Water as required

Oil for deep frying. 

** Sieve together maida, besan (gram flour), nachani / finger millet flour, with baking soda (Optional) and put them in a large bowl. 

** Beat the curds with ½ cup of water. Add in salt to taste, ginger, green chillies, hing powder, coarsely crushed pepper powder and mix well. 

** Add in the sieved flour’s and mix well with the help of about ¼ to ½ cup water. There should be not lumps. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. If necessary, you can add in a little bit of water, but be careful the batter should not be runny. The mixture should be thick or else the goli baje will soak in oil while frying. Keep it aside at room temperature for 10 minutes.

** Heat a medium sized thick bottom kadai with plenty of oil (around 4-6 cups). When it comes to smoking hot, reduce the flame to medium and wait for 5 mins. Take a small pinch of the dough and drop in the oil, if it comes up round and nice within few minutes it means the oil is of correct temperature for frying. Keep the temperature even throughout frying of the baje/bajo’s. 

** Drop small balls of the dough making it into round shape with the help of your fingers and running the dough on the rim of the bowl. Fry 6-8 balls at a time (the no. of balls depends upon the size of the kadai). Keep stirring the balls / bajo’s and rolling them to fry evenly on all sides. 

** When they become evenly browned and crispy, remove on an absorbent paper for the excess oil to drain off. Prepare the remaining dough similarly. Fry in batches until all are done. Nachani Goli Bajo / Finger Millet Spongy Fritters are ready to be relished. Serve them hot with any chutney or ketchup. 

** Tastes awesome especially during winter / monsoon season its bliss to have these with a cuppa of hot drink. Do prepare these delicious Goli Bajo’s and Enjoy with family and friends. I assure you, you will see all smiling faces around you when you serve them. I myself was really surprised with the change in the taste. It really did take the Goli Bajo which in itself is awesome to altogether another level in taste and texture.