Goli Baje / Mangalore Bajji

Though these fritters are popular as Mangalore Bajji, these are loved all over Karnataka. I tasted these for the first time, in my Belgaum college canteen. Since then, its one of my favorite fried foods... crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour/Maida - 1 cup

Besan/Chickpea Flour - 1/4 cup

Yogurt/Curd/Dahi - 1/2 cup

Coconut (chopped) - 1 1/2 tbsp

Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp

Green Chili (finely chopped) - 1 tsp

Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs

Sugar - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp

Oil for frying

How to make Mangalore GoLi Bajji:

• In a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, besan, yogurt, salt and sugar. Mix well. Now add water, little at a time, and make a thick batter. I added about 1/4 cup water. Batter must not be too thick or too runny. Cover it with plastic food wrap and set it aside in a warm place overnight. 
• If not overnight, let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes. Sour yogurt (dahi) works best for these fritters.
• Lastly, add chopped coconut (fresh or frozen), cumin seeds, chopped ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro and baking soda to the batter. Beat the batter well and your Goli Baje batter is ready. You can add curry leaves or kadipata as well.
• Heat oil for deep frying. Make round balls of the batter and drop them in medium hot oil. You can add the batter using a spoon as well. Do not overcrowd the frying pan. The dough balls will increase in size while frying. Fry until golden brown. Goli Bajji has a crisp crust and a soft spongy interior. Both yogurt and baking soda make these fritters spongy.

Serve hot Goli Bhaji with Coconut Chutney.