Methi na Gota / Fenugreek Pakoras

One of the more typical Gujarati pakodas, methi na gota are small spicy nuggets of bitter, spicy and a hint of sweet. Fresh methi leaves (fenugreek) are mixed with gram flour (besan) and spices to make a dough which is then deep fried. These also go into Undhiyu, the famous Gujarati mixed vegetable dish. Peanut oil is the best frying oil but any other oil you have in the house is fine too.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh methi about 1 cup after plucking leaves

3/4 cup besan (gramflour)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin - coriander powder (dhania-jeera)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Oil to fry

Water to bind

Salt

Wash the methi leaves well to remove all dirt and debris. Add besan, salt, sugar and spices along with water to make a batter. The consistency of this batter is not as tight as kanda bhaji but not as loose as childa. Heat oil in a wok and add some of this hot oil to the batter. This makes the gotas light and spongy without the need for baking soda. To check if the oil is the right temperature to cook, add a small amount of batter in oil. If it bubbles up and rises to surface in the oil, the oil is ready to cook. This also helps check the seasoning in the gota, taste the cooked gota and adjust spice and salt as needed. 

Put few small spoonfuls of batter in the oil at a time. Do not crowd the wok. Too many gotas at a time will bring down the temperature of oil and gotas will absorb oil. Cook the gotas on medium heat so they cook thoroughly from the inside. Increase heat if the oil starts to cool. Cook till the gotas are golden brown on the outside.

Serve the hot gota's with coriander chutney, tamarind chutney or enjoy them just as they are!