Kothimbir Vadi Recipe - Easy Maharashtrian Snack with Coriander Leaves
Kothimbir Vadi recipe is an easy Maharashtrian Snack made with Gram Flour (besan, chickpea flour) and Coriander (or cilantro). This snack is the best way to use up excess cilantro or coriander. Traditionally deep fried, this can be pan fried, air fried or baked as well. Vegan and can be easily made GF.
Servings 16 Pieces
Equipment
- Steamer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Besan or Chickpea Flour (Sieve the flour)
- 2 cups Chopped Coriander Leaves
- 1 tablespoon Groundnuts or Peanuts
- 2 tablespoon Green Chilli + Garlic Coarsely crushed
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Red Chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder or Haldi Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida skip this ingredient for GF recipe
- Oil (1 tsp for the dough + few drops for greasing the steamer plate + extra as required to pan fry the vadis)
- Salt to taste
- Water (Few tablespoons as required for the vadi dough + extra as required for steaming)
Instructions
- Heat a pan and dry roast ground nuts. Once cool, remove skin and coarsely grind them in a mixer grinder jar. Note - If using roasted peanuts (without skin), just coarsely grind, no heating required.
- In a wide mixing bowl, measure and add finely chopped coriander leaves, sesame seeds, coarsely ground garlic and green Chilli, hing, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt to taste and sugar.
- Then add coarsely ground groundnuts.
- Measure and keep the besan or chickpea flour aside. (Note - Sieve or Sift the Flour for best results)
- First mix all the ingredients in the bowl (do not add chickpea flour at this stage)
- Now add half the quantity of the chickpea flour and mix again.
- You will notice that the moisture from the coriander leaves, salt etc has made the dough moist without adding any water
- At this stage, add the remaining quantity of chickpea flour or besan and mix everything well.
- Now using a spoon, add some water just enough to bring it into a soft sticky dough consistency.
- Then add a tsp of oil, mix well and divide the dough into two equal portions.
- Shape them into thick cylindrical shapes and place them over a steamer plate (greased with few drops of oil).
- Cover the Steamer and steam the vadis for atleast 15 minutes on low heat.
- Allow the steamed vadis to completely cool before slicing.
- Heat a pan, add some oil and pan fry these on low heat until nice and crispy from the top.
- Kothimbir Vadi's are ready to serve with a side of green chutney and tomato ketchup.
Notes
Measurements - 1 cup is 250ml, 1 tablespoon 15ml, 1 teaspoon 5ml.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- This is a Vegan snack recipe. If you are allergic to nuts, you can skip peanuts. The recipe can be easily made gluten free if you skip asafoetida or hing.
- I have used cold pressed peanut oil for pan frying kothimbir vadi. You can use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, olive oil etc.
- Sugar is added to balance heat from chili. You can skip this ingredient, if you like.
- Making ahead the snack - Once the vadis have steamed, you can refrigerate it for couple of days (48 hours). When ready to serve, slice the vadis and pan fry.
- The steamed vadis can also be frozen. Ensure you wrap it tightly before placing in the freezer compartment or store in airtight container, zip lock bags.
- Leftovers (Cooked / pan-fried vadis) stay fresh for couple of days in the refrigerator. You can re-heat in a microwave.