Methi pakoda, learn how to make a quick and easy snack using methi leaves and besan. Goes fabulous with Indian masala tea or coffee. Enjoy!
My love for methi or fenugreek leaves has been a badly kept secret around here. Starting from Methi Pulao to Aloo Methi to Methi Paratha to adding methi to Paneer Butter Masala, I have tried it all. I even made Methi Matar Malai last month and loved it! In spite of experimenting quite a lot with these aromatic, slightly bitter greens, I never seem to tire of them and buy a large fresh bunch of fenugreek leaves when I see them in the market.
After making another round of Methi Pulao, I had about 2 cups of methi leaves left and was wondering if I could make a quick snack with methi. Finally decided on these delicious Methi Pakodas which were meant to be a snack for tea but we practically finished it off as a side with rice and Pumpkin Kootu.
The flavour and bitterness of the methi leaves complement perfectly with the besan and onions and spices in the pakoda batter. These methi pakods don’t take longer than 15 mins from start to finish so make some if you are looking for a good recipe with fresh fenugreek leaves.
Also check out: 10 quick and easy snack recipes under 15 minutes
- 1 cup of fresh methi leaves, cleaned and chopped coarsely (see notes)
- ¾ cup of besan / gram flour / kadalai maavu
- 1 tsp of red chilli powder
- ½ tsp of asafoetida / hing / perungaayam
- 1 onion, sliced thin
- ½ tsp of powdered jeera
- ¼ tsp of ajwain / omam (optional)
- 1 tsp of salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp of rice flour or semolina / rava
- 2-3 cups of oil for deep frying (depending on size of your pan)
- Mix together besan, rava or rice flour, onions, salt, chilli powder, ajwain, jeera, and hing.
- Add enough water to make a thick batter that falls off your spoon with some resistance
- Mix in the methi leaves
- Heat oil for deep frying
- Using a tablespoon, add spoonfuls of pakoda batter into the hot oil
- Fry the pakoda until golden brown
- Drain and set aside on a plate lined with a kitchen towel
- Serve methi pakoda hot with ketchup or mint chutney
Step by Step Pictures to Make Methi Pakoda:
1. Mix besan, onions, salt, chilli powder, ajwain, jeera, and hing well together
2. Add enough water to make a thick batter. Also mix in the methi leaves. The batter should be thick enough for you to form a loose, sticky ball with your fingers.
3. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. You can also use your hands to drop small balls of batter into the oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan otherwise the oil temperature will drop too much and the pakods will drink too much oil.
4. Fry until golden brown, drain, and set aside. Proceed until you use up all the batter.
Notes:
- Here’s a list of all Recipes with Methi Leaves I have shared in Edible Garden.
- I find that chopping methi leaves releasing a lot of its bitter juices so you can add the methi leaves whole if you want (removed of stalks completely). This is for those of you who don’t like the bitterness of methi
- You can also use a paniyaram pan to make the methi pakodas
- Add these pakodas to khadi and you have some delicious Methi Pakoda Kadhi! Here’s my basic Kadhi Recipe if you want to go that route.
For methi pakoda recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
Amit Pattnaik says
July 8, 2018 at 5:50 pmInteresting recipe, The pakodas do look really enticing. Now that the monsoon is here, the evenings (especially those of the weekends) call for such hot and spicy pakodas.. What could be better than just sitting by the balcony and enjoying the rains, sipping hot tea and such pakodas. Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
DEESHA says
March 5, 2013 at 8:38 pmI must make this. The pics are so so good
Jeyashrisuresh says
March 5, 2013 at 2:13 pmVery tempting pakodas nags, I always love to add this in kadhi. Loved ur font
Sanjeeta kk says
March 5, 2013 at 7:49 amMethi in chapattis, methi in Daal..methi in pakoras..methi does real magic in any dish it is added. Lovely pictures!
aromaticencounters says
March 5, 2013 at 5:48 amyumm yummmmm…one of my fav tea time snack
Nags, looks like you din't add baking soda here. Even I dnt like the taste of soda but will the pakoras be that fluffy?
And, rice flour/suji will add some crisp, thats the purpose, right?
Nagalakshmi V says
March 5, 2013 at 6:06 amyes the rice flour or sooji is to make the methi pakoda a bit more crisp. i didn't add any soda to this methi pakoda recipe
divya says
March 4, 2013 at 10:40 pmslurp, drooling here rite now, very tempting pakoras.
Charul @ Tadka Masala says
March 4, 2013 at 6:07 pmYummy looking pakoras, you made me crave for them! 🙂
Sharmilee! :) says
March 4, 2013 at 3:07 pmPakoda with methi is a interesting twist..lovely wooden bowl!
Anonymous says
March 4, 2013 at 2:25 pmHey Nags, try gujarati style methi pakoda….actually we call it methi na gota….It is really yummy!
Rashida Shaikh says
March 4, 2013 at 1:04 pmWe usually make methi pakode with soaked and grounded split gram peas, and they taste yum-yum. Your first click is tempting me now…:)
dassana says
March 4, 2013 at 12:14 pmi always have methi leaves stored in the fridge and i add them to dal, rice or rotis. i make the pakoras in a similar way.
runnergirlinthekitchen.blogspot.com says
March 4, 2013 at 11:46 amA snack i could have anytime!
WeR SAHM says
March 4, 2013 at 9:17 amSuper yummy…making feel hungry…love this pakoras….
prathibha Garre says
March 4, 2013 at 9:13 amLove the methi pakoras and I even add it to kadhi pakora sometimes instead of the regular onion ones.
Priya says
March 4, 2013 at 7:06 amI dont bother to grab and have rite now,beautiful fritters.
RAKS KITCHEN says
March 4, 2013 at 6:47 amI have tasted this once, never tried at home, so tempting!
APARNARAJESHKUMAR says
March 4, 2013 at 6:46 amthis shows your love towards methi 🙂 lovely presentation !
notyet100 says
March 4, 2013 at 6:12 amUmm delicious,…perfect with a bowl,of dal chawal….
Veena Theagarajan says
March 4, 2013 at 5:06 amI want to have for tea snack
Sangeetha Nambi says
March 4, 2013 at 4:47 amWow ! What a crispy tea time muncher…
Hari Chandana says
March 4, 2013 at 4:46 amThis looks absolutely mouthwatering.. and the pictures are gorgeous.. love it 🙂