Methi na Gota - Savory Indian snack

Prepare this quick and easy Methi na Gota and savor the flavors of fresh Methi!

Methi na Gota is a famous Indian snack that has its roots in Gujarat - a western Indian state. It is usually prepared during winters when Methi (Fenugreek) leaves are available in abundance. Methi na Gota is not only prepared in almost every household in Gujarat but also sold by many snack shops during winter. Eating fried Gota right out of the hot kadhai is such a divine experience. Hence, I try to prepare them whenever I can find fresh Methi (Fenugreek) leaves here in USA. 

What are Methi na Gota?

Methi na Gota are deep fried snack prepared using besan/gram flour, Methi/fenugreek leaves and spices along with some other ingredients. Batter is prepared by combining all the ingredients and then Gota are fried in a kadhai. Methi na Gota are crispy from outside and soft & soft from inside. If you like to avoid frying the Gota, appam/paniyaram pan can be used to prepare them. However, the taste and texture will not be same as the fried ones. You can serve Methi na Gota as appetizers or as evening snack with chai, yellow besan chutney, fried green chilies or yogurt.

 

Methi (Fenugreek) leaves -

Dense in nutrients like Vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, C, K and minerals such as folic acid, calcium, magnesium among others - Methi (Fenugreek) leaves have some amazing health benefits. According to sources, Methi leaves can help control diabetes, reduce cholesterol, reduce blemishes, reduce heart problems and provide many more health benefits. There are many ways to add Methi leaves to your diet. Apart from making Methi na Gota, I usually prepare Methi na dhebra, Methi vada, Aloo methi sabji, Methi matar malai, Methi chaman or just stir fried Methi leaves. Any dish prepared using Methi leaves tastes just delicious, so no need to think twice before preparing any Methi delights. 

Important notes/tips - 

• Be sure to add sooji/samolina flour to prepare the Gota, as it will help make the Methi na Gota crispier. 
• Sugar is needed to cut bitterness of Methi, so don't skip it. 
• Fruit salt/ Eno is very important for this recipe as it causes the flour to rise which will help make soft Gota. You can use baking soda or yogurt as a substitute for fruit salt/Eno. 
• Red chili powder, green chilies or black pepper powder can be added for spiciness in Gota. Use them in combination or either one of them per your convenience and taste. 
• Kasuri methi is optional to this recipe but it really gives that extra kick of flavor to Methi na Gota. 

Methi Na Gota

Prepare time - 20 minutes

Cook time - 10 minutes

Serves 4 

Ingredients

1 Cup Besan/ Gram flour 

2 Tbsp Sooji/ Samolina flour

1 Cup Methi/ Fenugreek leaves (Rinsed and roughly chopped)

1/2 Cup Cilantro/Coriander leaves (Rinsed and roughly chopped)

2 Tsp Sugar

1/2 Tsp Red chili powder

1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 Tsp Kasuri methi (optional)

1/4 Tsp Dry coriander seeds (Crushed)

Serrano pepper to taste (optional, roughly chopped)

Salt to taste

1 Tsp Eno/ Fruit salt

3/4 Cup water (as needed)

2 Tbsp hot oil 

Oil to fry 

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, first add besan/gram flour, sooji/samolina flour, crushed dry coriander seeds, kasuri methi, sugar, chopped green chili, turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Combine all the spices well with the flour. Next, add chopped cilantro and chopped methi/fenugreek leaves. Combine the leaves with spiced flour mixture. 
2. Now to make batter, start adding water in the batter. First add 1/2 cup water and mix well. After that, add little water (up to 1/4th cup water) at a time to make thick batter. Cover and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
3. In the meanwhile, heat up oil at a medium flame in a kadhai for frying. Also, prepare a bowl with paper towels to absorb extra oil after frying Gota. After about 10 minutes, check if the oil is hot enough for frying. Drop a little batter into the oil, if it sizzles and rises up to the surface immediately, our oil is ready for frying. 
4. Take a spoon and add hot oil to the prepared batter. Combine it well with the batter until the oil is absorbed in the flour as shown in the video. 
5. Finally add fruit salt/Eno to the batter and quickly mix it in the batter. You will notice that the flour will become light and airy. That's the perfect batter to make our Methi na Gota soft. 
6. We will fry Methi na Gota at medium flame to make sure they are cooked evenly. Now take handful of batter and plop it carefully in the hot oil using your thumb to cut it out. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to drop Gota in the oil. Drop about 6-8 gota (or as many as you can fit in your kadhai but do not crowd it) into the hot oil. Fry them for about 2 minute and turn them around using skimmer or spider strainer. Let the Gota fry on the other side for another 1-2 minutes. 
7. Remove Methi na Gota from oil once they turn crispy and become golden brown. Soft and fluffy from inside and crispy from outside Methi na Gota are ready to devour. Serve them immidiately with fried chilies or yogurt. 

Jicama Fries with spicy seasoning

Jicamas ("Hee-kah-mah" or "Hick-ah-mah") are one of my favorites in salads. The crispy texture and hint of sweetness makes them perfect for the salads. I also like munching on them raw, just add some salt, lemon and red chilli powder to it and my snack time is sorted. I didn't think I can have Jicamas in any other way until a friend of mine mentioned to me that she loved sauted Jicama. So, I got a Jicama to saute it. But when I started peeling it, I felt a little adventurous and thought of trying to make some fries instead. Jicama fries are also called keto fries as they are low on carbs, yet they have a  great crunch to them.

Jicamas are root vegetables also known as Mexican Turnip. They are native to Mexico but are easily available in most grocery stores in North America. Jicamas have thick brown skin which is not edible but inside is white and crispy almost like an apple, just not as sweet. Also, it is very important to know that only the root of the Jicama plant is eatable; while the rest of the plant including the leaves, beans and anything else is toxic and must not be eaten in any form.

The root of Jicama plant which is edible (commonly referred to as Jicama) is very healthy. According to public sources, Jicamas are high in soluble fiber (6 gm/ cup) specifically "oligofructose inulin" which is a prebiotic that promotes growth of probiotics (good bacteria) in our body. These soluble fibers may help prevent diabetes and high blood cholesterol. Since Jicamas are high in water (85% - 90%) and fiber content, they help you feel full for longer period of time with fewer calories (50 cal/ cup). Jicamas are also low in carbs (11 gm/ cup) unlike potatoes, low in cholesterol and are fat free. They are an  excellent source of Vitamin A, C (antioxidant) and beta carotene. These are just few of many health benefits of this wonder root vegetable Jicama. They taste delicious whether you eat them raw or cooked. But when I have some time on hand, I like to eat them as fries. I season them with array of spices and flavors including turmeric that has anti-inflammatory properties. These fries are also great companion for movie time! You can have them with choice of your dip, ketchup, guacamole or cilantro dip. So let's get started...

Safety first!

• As mentioned above, only use the Jicama root and discard the rest of the plant as only the root is edible.
• Always peel the skin of Jicama. The skin is not edible. Be sure to peel the skin with a knife. I have tried peeling it with a peeler but it would only remove a thin layer, not the entire skin.
• Before you start peeling Jicama, cut the top and bottom first to help balance it on the chopping board. The flat surface and flat bottom will ensure that Jicama is not rolling on the board or slipping through your grip.

Additional notes/ Tips

• Alternatively, you can buy pre-cut Jicama from the store but it's little bit pricey. I rather just buy whole Jicama and peel.
• I have air fried the fries but you can also bake them in oven. I have given baking instructions below as well.  
• Adjust the level of spice in the seasoning per your need. If you don't like spicy fries, just reduce the amount of red chilli powder to suit your flavor buds. 

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cook time - 50 minutes 

Ingredients


1 Medium Jicama  
1 Tbsp olive oil/ vegetable oil
1/4 Tsp turmeric powder
1/2 Tsp chili powder or paprika
1/4 Tsp black pepper powder (optional)
1/4 Tsp cumin powder
1/2 Tsp black salt
1/2 Tsp salt (to taste)

1/2 Lemon

Salt for boiling
 

Instructions

First and foremost, start boiling water in a big stockpot (fill it up half way). 

Now start peeling Jicama's skin with a knife and be sure to remove the entire thick layered skin.

Evenly slice the Jicama. I sliced it into pieces about 1/4" thick. 

Add the sliced Jicama into the stockpot. Add some salt and boil them for about 25-35 minutes until they become tender.

While Jicama slices are boiling, preheat oven at 425°F if baking in oven. 

When fries become tender (see picture below), strain the water and transfer the boiled fries in a large mixing bowl. 

Add oil and all the dry ingredients (spices) in the bowl and coat the fries evenly with the seasoning. 

                             

For Oven - Now line baking tray with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease it with oil. Evenly spread the boiled and seasoned Jicama slices without crowding them. This would prevent them from becoming soft with steam. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until fries are golden brown or the desired texture is reached.

For Air fryer - Evenly spread the boiled and seasoned Jicama slices on the air fryer tray without crowding them. This would prevent them from becoming soft with steam. Air fry them for about 20 minutes at 425°F until the fries turn golden brown or desired texture is reached. 

Remove from oven and serve with your favorite dip (ketchup or chutney)! I highly recommend topping the crispy fries with dash of lemon juice for a little zesty twist. Enjoy these healthy fries without any guilt !

                                  

Stuffed Mushrooms

Hi foodies, today I am going to share a recipe of one of my newfound favorite dishes - Stuffed Mushrooms. This delightful dish will surely take place in your Italian dinners once you try it out. But before I dive into the recipe, I want to share a small story about my personal experience with this vegetable from fungi family.

So, until about 4 years ago I was not a fan of mushrooms, I in fact always tried to avoid eating them.

However, I started including mushrooms in my diet as I found I was little low on Vitamin D. Generally, I like to avoid taking any supplements and rather eat real food that provides the same health benefits or better. Since then they have helped me boost my Vitamin D levels. Of course, it wasn’t just the mushrooms that helped in getting those levels back up, but I have not seen my Vitamin D levels going down again. And this is how my journey of exploring this earthy, nutty flavor vegetable started! Since then, I have also learnt that they not only provide Vitamin D, but also Vitamin B-6 and B-12 along with lot of other minerals and vitamins. Hence, I always make sure to include mushrooms in my grocery list, and also in my family’s diet. I am up for using every inch of this healthy vegetable, including stems!

Stuffed Mushrooms are one of the many ways I include these healthy bits in our diet. Apart from the simply grilled ones, this recipe is my husband’s favorite.                                     

  

The Stuffed Mushrooms recipe is very easy to make and is bursting with flavors. It can be served as a finger food  appetizers or as a side with pasta. So let's start with the ingredients needed to make the delicious flavorful Stuffed Mushrooms. 

Ingredients –

12-16 Whole white/brown mushrooms  (min. 2" dia)   

4-5 Colorful sweet peppers or equivalent slices of bell peppers     

2 Cup Baby Spinach

1/2 White onion (medium)

1/2 Cup mushroom stems (separated from the whole mushrooms)

6-8 garlic cloves

     

   1/4 Cup Cheese (Cheddar or Mozzarella)

   2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese             

   2 Tbsp Oregano     

   1 Tbsp Thyme

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over the mushrooms

Salt to taste

Let’s begin...

First thing first, clean dirt from mushrooms properly with damp cloth or paper towel. I would not recommend washing them under water as mushrooms are like sponge, they will soak lot of water and will be very chewy when cooked. 

Now carefully remove the stems of mushrooms without breaking the cap. 

Next finely chop white onion, sweet peppers and mushroom stems. Also, roughly chop baby spinach and mince garlic cloves. 

      

Take a pan/skillet and add olive oil to heat up at medium flame. Add chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté it for a minute without burning the garlic or turning the onions brown. 

      

Now add all the remaining vegetables including mushroom stems, sweet peppers and spinach. Add oregano, thyme and salt to it and sauté for about 4-5 minutes until onions become tender. 

     

Turn off the heat. Let the stuffing cool down a little bit. Add breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and cheddar or mozzarella and mix well. 

Start stuffing the mushrooms by generously filling the stuffing into each mushroom. Line the oven tray with aluminum foil and place stuffed mushrooms with stuffed side up. If you have any extra stuffing mixture left, just spread it in the tray along with the mushrooms to bake. You would not want to miss eating this delicious crusty stuffing when it is ready. 

Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil generously on the mushrooms and place the tray in the oven to bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. 

             

Serve these delicious stuffed mushrooms warm, it will surely please everyone's palate and appetite!!