How many of you are fans of the signature Gujarati dish Methi Muthia? Or Undhiyu, another specialty Gujarati mixed (winter) vegetable dish that uses Methi Muthia? My wife and I have become huge fans of Undhiyu thanks to our dear friend Smita who introduced us to her awesome dish.
Muthia (मुठिया) is a Hindi word and one of its meaning is “hand”. Muthia dish is made out of methi leaves, besan flour and spices and has its name derived from the way it is made, from the ‘gripping’ action of the hand that produces fist-shaped patties. Typically muthia is deep fried in oil, but due to health reasons, I am mostly baking, grilling, pan/ air frying food these days. I tried cooking this dish in my air fryer and it came out real good (to know more about my Ninja air fryer and what she can do, please visit my blog titled “My dear Ninja“). If you do not have an air fryer, you can either deep fry, pan fry or even steam cook these dumplings.
Methi Muthia is a very popular snack in Gujarat and is typically enjoyed with a hot cup of tea, or soaked into an another signature Gujarati curry dish called Undhiyu made using winter vegetables.
Methi Muthia
Methi Muthia is an all time favorite Gujarati (fried or steamed) snack made using tons of fresh methi leaves, besan flour and spices, and is typically enjoyed with a hot cup of tea! It is also soaked into and enjoyed with Undhiyu, another signature Gujarati curry dish made using winter vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Besan flour
- ½ cup Wheat flour
- 3 cups Methi leaves chopped
- 2 tbsp Ginger, garlic & green chili paste
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- ½ tsp Hing powder
- ½ tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp White sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp Ajwain seeds
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp Oil
Instructions
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Mix all listed ingredients using hand without adding any water, the moisture from the chopped methi leaves, ginger garlic green chili paste and lemon juice maybe enough to make the dough.
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Let the dough rest for about 10 mins, and then mix well again. The dough consistency has to be like chapathi dough. Add water or besan flour and mix well to get the desired consistency.
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Grease your hand with oil and shape the muthias into cylindrical shape using your fist and keep them ready on a plate. If your hands get sticky, just wash your hands and grease your palm and continue shaping the muthias.
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You have many options on how you can cook these muthias – deep fry (done typically), steam, or you can also pan fry or air fry them into golden brown crispy consistency.
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If you are pan frying the muthias, take a wide non-stick pan and heat about 1 tbsp oil and fry the muthia pieces for about 10 mins or so gently turning them around for even browning.
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To air fry muthias, preheat the air fryer first to 390 degrees F first for 4 mins, then cook at 4 mins intervals checking and flipping the contents in between. It took me around 12 mins on my Ninja AF101 air fryer to fully cook the muthias with a slight crispier finish.
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You can also steam cook these muthias in a steamer basket or idli cooker for about 15 mins.
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Enjoy with coriander/ mint chutney and hot tea. Or use these muthias and make the awesome tasting Undhiyu.
Recipe Notes
There is no standard ratio of besan to wheat flour. The 2 cups besan, ½ cup wheat flour is the ratio I tried and liked. Some make the muthias just with besan flour. and some make them just with wheat flour with no mixing of these flours. Some use equal amounts of both flours, or more wheat flour ratio in their recipe. It is all purely your preference and liking. Or if you are like me, you can experiment with different ratios each time and see how it turns out!
Hello, my name is Senthil. I am a passionate food blogger from Houston, Texas. This is my online kitchen, and I will be cooking delicious recipes for you, provide kitchen tips that I have learned over the years, and share personal stories and fond memories around food. Keep checking out for new stuff!
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