Cabbage Muthiya.A healthy, Gujarati snack.

I really enjoy eating Gujarati cuisine. It is so different from our usual Punjabi food, simple, sweet, flavorful and so delicious. Most of their dishes are steamed vegetables or flour that are then tempered to enhance taste. Some of my favorite dishes include Thepla, Daal Dhokli, Handvo, Dhokla, Khandavi and of course Muthiya. Today I am making some healthy and delicious Muthiya but with a twist. 😉

Muthiya gets its name from the action of “gripping the flour” in your hand (or Muthi, as called in hindi). It is traditionally made with chick pea flour (Besan) and fenugreek leaves (methi) flavored with spices and finally steamed. This is then either tempered or fried, as preferred. The steamed version really appeals to me as its a pretty healthy snack and so flavorful. You can also make this ahead of time and temper it right before serving. Such an easy and healthy snack item.

I have always had Muthiya with Methi but when I came across this recipe of Cabbage Muthia at Spusht, I was impressed. It looked delicious, healthy and was using cabbage. I can hardly find any uses for cabbage other than the boring sabji we make (Or koftas, salad, cole slaw etc.) And when I finally tried it, it was delicious. I could hardly tell, it had cabbage and the taste was so good. Thank you Nisha Sarda for this amazing recipe. I loved it and will surely make it again. Do check out her blog guys, she is an amazing cook and a great photographer too – Spusht.

Here is the recipe for Cabbage Muthiya 

Ingredients:

To make Muthiya:

Grated Cabbage – 2 cups

Chick pea flour – 1/4 cup

Whole wheat flour – 1/2 cup

Semolina or sooji – 1/4 cup

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp.

Oil – 1 tbsp.

Cilantro – 1 tbsp, chopped

Mint – 1 tbsp., chopped

Ginger – 1 tsp, grated

Baking Soda – a fat pinch

Salt – to taste

Sugar – 1 tsp

Red chilly podwer or chopped green chilies – to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Water – as needed

For Tempering:

Oil – 1 Tsp

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Sesame seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – about 5, crushed

Green chilies – slit, optional

Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp

For garnish – Chopped Cilantro, grated coconut

Procedure:

1. Mix all the ingredients listed under Muthiya except the soda and leave it aside for about 10 minutes. The cabbage releases some water which should be good enough to bind it all together. You can add more water if needed. Add the baking soda. Conversely, If the mixture becomes too watery you can add more flour till it all comes together as a soft dough. You should be able to give it a log shape when you grip the mixture between your hands. That’s when you know its done.
2. Get your steamer ready with some hot water. Coat your hands with some oil and pick up little balls of the mixture and shape them into logs. You can also use an instant pot for steaming.
3. Steam for about 20 minutes on medium heat. Check with a toothpick to make sure its cooked from inside.
4. Let them cool for a few minutes before tempering. You can also let them cool completely and keep it in the fridge in a zip lock bag or air tight container and temper them when you are ready to eat.
5. For the tempering, heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the sesame seeds and the curry leaves and also the green chilies, if using. Let them cook for a few seconds and add in the sliced Muthiya. The size and shape of the muthia is totally as per your preference.
6. Cook the Muthiya for a minute or two till all the tempering is well coated and you see a pretty golden color. Drizzle some lemon juice on top, mix well and switch off the gas.
7. Finely garnish with chopped cilantro and/or grated coconut and enjoy your delicious and healthy snack.

So thanks again Nisha for this recipe. I will surely be making it again, May be with Kale this time. 🙂

Some other options would be raddish, bottle gourd, or spinach Muthiya.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you will try this and let me know if you liked it.

See you again soon.

Love,

Ritu 🙂