Matcha Green Tea Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a dish that you don’t come across all the time, for some, it’s an old friend for others it’s a new world. All in all, it’s a love affair that you need in your life.

Matcha Green Tea Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a type of Italian pasta made with flour, egg, and mashed potatoes. As far as homemade pasta dishes go, this is one of the most convenient types of pasta you can make requiring only a few ingredients, and can be done without a pasta machine. There are other varieties of gnocchi using ingredients such as cauliflower, beetroot, or sweet potato, the list is endless but the most famous type is potato gnocchi.

Some people make these with different flavors and colors as well by adding spinach powder, beetroot powder, or turmeric powder to add a dash of color and flavor. In my case, I prefer plain gnocchis which is served with some rich tomato sauce but this time we are going to create a new dish, Matcha Green Tea Gnocchi.

Matcha Green Tea Gnocchi

Matcha is a finely ground powder of a specially grown and processed green tea leaf. The tea plants that are used to make Matcha tea are usually grown in shades for a period of three to four weeks before harvest. According to Wiki During shaded growth, the plant Camellia sinensis produces more theanine and caffeine. The powdered form of matcha is consumed differently from the general tea we make using leaves or tea bags. I’m sure you must have come across video’s of Japanese tea making, yup that whole ceremony is for Matcha – Read More about Matcha

Matcha powder can be added to your diet in many different ways, You can add Matcha powder to your smoothie, porridge, you can add matcha powder to make delicious desserts such as Ice-cream, mochi or even to add some flavor or color to your regular breakfast waffles or pancakes. If you are looking for a place to get some Matcha powder then its available in Ancient Nutraceuticals

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of potatoes – boiled and mashed
• 01 cup of all-purpose flour
• 01 tsp of salt
• 01 tbsp of Match powder – Shop Now
• Oil for frying

For Pasta Dish

• 1/4 cup of feta cheese crumbs
• 1/2 cup of asparagus
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1.2 sp of pepper
• Few leaves of fresh basil

Method

• Add mashed potatoes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.
• Now it’s time to mix it with flour. Add all-purpose flour and matcha little by little to the potato mixture and mix with your hands until it forms a nice and soft dough.
• Knead the dough incorporating all the crumbs until it becomes smooth and soft.
• Transfer the dough to a floured worktop.
• Cut the dough into four portions and take one potion and start rolling on the floured worktop creating about a 02 cm thick rope. 
• Cut the rope into 01-inch tiny pieces. If you want you can keep these as is or make decorative gnocchi by simply pressing them against the prongs of a fork and roll it up to get a spiral effect. Place each completed one on a floured plate.

Matcha Green Tea Gnocchi

• Heat up a cooking pot with water. When the water is boiling, add the gnocchi, do not add all at once as it may have a tendency to stick. Make sure to give a gentle stir so that gnocchi doesn’t stick together.

Matcha Green Tea Gnocchi

• Cook the gnocchi until they float on the surface. Remove the floating gnocchi and place it on a plate/bowl.
• Heat up a flat skillet in medium heat and add olive oil. Add gnocchi along with the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 04-06 mites.
• Plate it, add some feta crumbs, fresh herbs, pine nuts, or crushed walnuts for some crunch and serve warm.