Who does not love biting into piping hot pakoras, those deep-fried, crusty outside-soft inside dumplings that bring so much joy!! In these times of ‘watch your weight’ we have almost forgotten to indulge into those guilt pleasures 🙁 Personally, I haven’t really enjoyed gota/bhajiya (as pakora are called in Gujarati) for quite some time now. One or two of those little bombs of joy and thats it, the inner voice keep telling to stop and control but, a Bhajiya where I would not like to exercise portion control are the Methi na Gota during winters when the fresh methi is in season. Actually, one should try making these bitter-sweet pakoras atleast once in a fortnight during the winters. In the past these pakoras made frequent appearance through the winters in our bustling household and my Kaki makes the best Methi na Gota. This winter I made her prepare the batter while we did the deep-frying. Some families add mashed ripe banana to the batter instead of sugar, but we are a bit averse to adding banana in the batter hence substitute it with adding sugar to balance the bitterness of the fenugreek.
Enjoy the Methi na Gota with deep-fried green chilies, raw papaya stir-fry and some dipping chutney on the side.
Methi na Gota
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 cups methi leaves/fenugreek greens, washed very well
- 4-5 green chilies, finely chopped ( you may increase or decrease the number of chillies)
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons coriander and cumin seeds powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- Oil for deep-frying (any oil, we use groundnut oil for our daily cooking)
Instructions
In a deep mixing bowl, bring together all the ingredients except oil. Gradually add enough water to make a thick batter.
Allow the batter to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Place a kadai/wok with oil on flame.
Once the oil has heated up, using a spoon or with hands drop a tablespoon of batter in the oil and deep fry the Methi na Gota until they are golden brown.
Once done drain them on absorbent paper.
Continue frying them in batches until the batter is finished.
Serve hot with tea and some chutney, deep fried green chilies on the side.
No Comments