Muthiya or Muthia is a fist-shaped dumpling snack from the Gujarat state in western India. This methi muthiya recipe is made with fresh fenugreek leaves, spices and gram flour. I share two ways to make methi muthiya, steamed and fried.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Snacks
  • Cuisine: Gujarati, Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups gram flour ((besan))
  • 1 tablespoon water (add more if required)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2.5 cups chopped fenugreek leaves ((methi leaves))
  • 2 teaspoon sugar or as required
  • 1 teaspoon salt or as required
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 tablespoons rava (or sooji, finer variety (cream of wheat or semolina))
  • 2 teaspoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder ((ground cumin))
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons ginger-green chili paste
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (or 10 to 12 curry leaves)
  • oil (- for shallow or deep frying, as required)
  • water (- as required, for steaming methi muthiya)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh grated coconut

Method

Preparing muthiya dough

  1. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients listed for the dough except for water.
  2. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Add water and make a smooth dough. Do note that the addition of water will depend on the water content in the fenugreek leaves. So keep this in mind and if needed add more water.

Steaming muthiya

  1. From half of the dough, make sausage shaped rolls and place them in a greased tray or container.
  2. Steam these rolls for 17 to 20 minutes or till done.
  3. Once lukewarm or cooled, slice the steamed rolls.

Making tempering

  1. For the tempering, heat oil in a frying pan or kadai (wok). Add the mustard seeds, white sesame seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
  2. Stir and fry until the mustard crackles.
  3. Add the sliced steamed muthia. Mix and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Switch off heat and serve warm garnished with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut

Making fried muthia

  1. Make small elongated cylindrical rolls from the remaining half of the dough.
  2. Heat oil for shallow or deep frying in a kadai or frying pan.
  3. Shallow or deep fry the muthia rolls till golden brown and crisp.
  4. Drain them on kitchen tissues to remove excess oil.
  5. Serve hot with some spicy or sweet chutney of your choice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.