Methi pakoda recipe with step by step photos. These are crisp as well as soft textured fritters made with fenugreek leaves, gram flour (besan), herbs and spices. They make for a good tea time snack with a side of green chutney or tomato ketchup.
Pakora or pakoda is a popular Indian snack of fried fritters. Pakora are made with different veggies. There are also many regional variations in the recipes.
Gram flour or besan is the flour that always used in making pakoras. Sometimes for more crispness, rice flour can also be added. But the main flour is gram flour.
This methi bhajiya recipe is quick chai time snack that we like on occasions. For health reasons, I don’t make pakoras often. But once in a while we do indulge in pakoras and with the cricket world cup match going on, pakodas make for a quick munching snack.
This is a good and easy recipe to use any leftover bunch of fenugreek leaves. The recipe can be easily scaled to suit your requirements.
Serve methi pakoda as a starter or as a tea time snack with green chutney or tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup. You can also have them with roti or sandwich them between bread slices.
Two helpful tips for the fenugreek leaves:
1. Firstly I get a big bunch of fenugreek leaves. Pluck the leaves and keep them stored in a box in the fridge. This way you save time while prepping a fenugreek based dish. Just remove them from the fridge. Rinse, chop and then add to the recipe. The fenugreek leaves stay good for 10 to 12 days in the fridge.
2. We do not get fenugreek leaves which are too bitter here. If you get bitter fenugreek leaves or are not particular fond of the bitter taste, then rub the chopped fenugreek leaves with a bit of salt in a bowl or strainer. Keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze the leaves lightly. Then add to the dish.
How to make methi bhajiya or methi pakoda
1. In a mixing bowl, take the following ingredients:
- ¼ cup tightly packed fenugreek leaves (chopped)
- 1 small sized chopped onion
- 1 chopped green chilli
- ½ inch finely chopped ginger
- 2 to 3 pinches of red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)
- 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric (ground turmeric)
- 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 pinch of baking soda
- salt as required.
Note that you can alter the amount of spices according to your taste.
2. Then add ¾ cup of besan (gram flour).
3. Add ¼ cup of water or as required.
The amount of water requires depending upon the quality of gram flour. If the gram flour is coarse then you might need to add more water. If it is finely ground then you will need to add less water.
4. Begin to mix very well to make a pakora batter without any lumps. Keep the batter covered for 5 to 6 minutes.
5. The pakoda batter after 6 minutes. The batter is of medium consistency. If the batter becomes too thin, then add some gram flour. If the batter becomes too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
Frying methi pakoda
6. Heat oil for shallow frying or deep frying in a kadai or pan. When the oil becomes moderately hot, add spoonfuls of the methi pakoda batter to the hot oil.
Depending upon the size of the kadai add the pakora batter taking care that you don’t overcrowd the kadai.
You can use any neutral flavored oil. Keep the heat medium to medium high.
7. Once the pakoras are cooked lightly, turn over carefully using a slotted spoon and cook the other side.
8. Fry till they become golden and crisp. You will have to turn them a few times for even cooking.
9. Remove the fried pakora with a slotted spoon. Drain as much oil as possible while removing the pakoras.
10. Drain them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. This way fry the remaining batch of fritters.
11. Serve these methi pakoda hot or warm with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney or tamarind chutney or mint chutney. While serving you can also sprinkle some chaat masala on top.
They also go well as a starter snack. You can also have them with chapati or with bread slices. They make for a good tea-time snack.
If you are looking for more Pakoda recipes then do check:
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Methi Pakoda
Methi pakoda are spiced fried fritters made with gram flour batter, fresh fenugreek leaves, herbs and spices.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
making pakoda batter
In a mixing bowl, take ¼ cup of tightly packed methi leaves (fenugreek leaves), 1 chopped small onion, 1 green chilli and ½ inch finely chopped ginger.
Also add 2 to 3 pinches of red chilli powder, 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric, 1 pinch of asafoetida, 1 pinch of baking soda and salt as required.
Add ¾ cup besan/gram flour and ¼ cup of water. The amount of water requires depends upon the quality of the besan.
Begin to mix very well to make a pakora batter without any lumps. The batter is of medium consistency. Keep the batter covered for 5 to 6 minutes.
Frying methi pakoda
Heat oil for shallow frying or deep frying in a kadai or pan. When the oil becomes moderately hot, add spoonfuls of the pakoda batter to the hot oil. Keep the heat to medium to medium high.
Once the pakoras are cooked lightly, turn over and cook the other side.
Fry the pakoras till they become golden and crisp.
Remove the fried pakoras with a slotted spoon. Drain as much oil as possible while removing them.
Drain them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
Serve these methi pakodas hot with tomato sauce, cilantro chutney or tamarind chutney. They also go well as a starter snack or can also be had with roti or bread.
- The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- The amount of spices can be altered as per your taste.
- If you want then you can add a mix of finely chopped fenugreek leaves and finely chopped spinach leaves. However, the taste of fritters will change. This way you can use more leafy vegetables like amaranth or dill leaves etc in combination with fenugreek leaves.
This Methi Pakoda post from the archives first published in Feb 2015 has been republished and updated on 25 June 2022.
Source: Dassana’s Veg Recipes
