Kothimbir Vadi
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Kothimbir vadi is a popular Maharashtrian snack made using the fresh coriander leaves, besan (gram flour) and basic Indian spices usually served with a cup of tea and tomato ketchup. “Kothimbir” means coriander leaves in Marathi and it plays the key role in this recipe. First, the batter is prepared by mixing the coriander leaves, gram flour and spices with water and then the batter is steam cooked and sliced into small pieces to make vadis, and in the last, the vadis are either shallow fried in a pan or deep fried until crispy. Follow the below given recipe with step by step photos and don’t forget to read tips before making these crispy coriander fritters.
| Ingredients: |
| 2 cups Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped (1 bunch or 80-90 grams) |
| 1 cup Besan (gram flour) |
| 1/2 teaspoon chopped Ginger |
| 1/2 teaspoon chopped Garlic |
| 1 Green Chilli, chopped |
| 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds |
| 2 tablespoons Roasted Peanuts Powder, optional |
| 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder |
| 1 teaspoon Cumin-Coriander Powder |
| 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder |
| 1/8 teaspoon Baking Soda, optional |
| Salt to taste |
| 1/4 cup Water (more or less as needed) |
| Oil, for shallow frying |
Directions:
- Grind 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon garlic and 1 green chilli together in the small jar of a grinder until a medium coarse paste.
- Wash the coriander leaves and drain excess water. Remove any wilted or discolored cilantro leaves. Spread them over kitchen towel or paper towel to remove excess moisture. Finely chop them and add to a large bowl.
- Add 1 cup besan(gram flour).
- Add 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda and salt.
- Mix well. Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste(made in step-1).
- Add little water at a time (up to 1/4 cup, or more or less as needed, used 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) as needed and mix well to make thick batter (or dough, add less water to make dough or more water to make the batter).
- Pour 1-2 glasses of water in a steamer or a broad and deep vessel and heat it over medium flame. Place a stand in the steamer. Grease a tray with oil and place it over the stand. Spread the batter in the greased tray. (If you have prepared the dough – The dough will be sticky so grease your palms with oil and divide the dough into two equal portions. Give them a cylindrical shape and place over a greased tray). Cover it with a lid and steam it for 15-20 minutes over medium flame.
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid and check it by inserting a toothpick or a knife in the center and if it comes out clean then it is cooked. If it is not, then steam cook it for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the steamer and let it cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife on the sides of the tray and invert it on a plate so the steamed batter will come out easily.
- When it cools completely, cut into small pieces.
- Heat 3-4 tablespoons oil in a non-stick pan over medium flame. Place 7-8 pieces (or more depending on the size of a pan) in a pan and shallow fry them until bottom surface turns light golden brown.
- Flip them carefully and shallow fry another side until light golden brown.
- Remove them using a slotted spoon on the paper towel in a plate. Shallow fry remaining vadis. If required, add more oil to shallow fry the next batch of vadi. Kothimbir vadis are ready for serving.
Tips and Variations:
- Always use fresh coriander leaves.
- If possible, clean and wash the coriander leaves and pat dry them 2-3 hours before making this recipe.
- Baking soda is an optional ingredient, it’s added to make the vadis a little soft.
- Don’t steam the vadis on high flame or low flame. Always steam them on medium flame.
- Vadis can be deep fried in oil instead of shallow frying.
- For variation, use half of the spinach or fenugreek leaves instead of half of the coriander leaves.
- This recipe can be halved or doubled.
Taste: Mild Spicy and Little Crispy
Serving Ideas: Serve kothimbir vadi with tomato ketchup and a cup of tea as an afternoon snack.