Methi Pakoda | Methi Bhajiya | Methi Pakora

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Methi pakoda recipe with step by step photos. These are crisp as well as soft textured fritters made with fenugreek leaves, gram flour (besan), herbs and spices. They make for a good tea time snack with a side of green chutney or tomato ketchup.

methi pakoda served on a plate with a side of chutney and text layover.

Pakora or pakoda is a popular Indian snack of fried fritters. Pakora are made with different veggies. There are also many regional variations in the recipes.

Gram flour or besan is the flour that always used in making pakoras. Sometimes for more crispness, rice flour can also be added. But the main flour is gram flour.

This methi bhajiya recipe is quick chai time snack that we like on occasions. For health reasons, I don’t make pakoras often. But once in a while we do indulge in pakoras and with the cricket world cup match going on, pakodas make for a quick munching snack.

This is a good and easy recipe to use any leftover bunch of fenugreek leaves. The recipe can be easily scaled to suit your requirements.

Serve methi pakoda as a starter or as a tea time snack with green chutney or tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup. You can also have them with roti or sandwich them between bread slices.

Two helpful tips for fenugreek leaves:

1. Firstly I get a big bunch of fenugreek leaves. Pluck the leaves and keep them stored in a box in the fridge. This way you save time while prepping a fenugreek based dish. Just remove them from the fridge. Rinse, chop and then add to the recipe. The fenugreek leaves stay good for 10 to 12 days in the fridge.

2. We do not get fenugreek leaves which are too bitter here. If you get bitter fenugreek leaves or are not particular fond of the bitter taste, then rub the chopped fenugreek leaves with a bit of salt in a bowl or strainer. Keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze the leaves lightly. Then add to the dish.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make methi bhajiya or methi pakoda

Make Pakoda Batter

1. In a mixing bowl, take the following ingredients:

  • ¼ cup tightly packed fenugreek leaves (chopped)
  • 1 small-sized finely chopped onion or about ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 chopped green chilli or ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped
  • ½ inch finely chopped ginger or ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
  • 2 to 3 pinches of red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)
  • 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric (ground turmeric)
  • 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 pinch of baking soda
  • salt as required.

Note that you can alter the amount of spices according to your taste.

ingredients for batter in a bowl

2. Then add ¾ cup of besan (gram flour).

besan added

3. Add ¼ cup of water or as required.

The amount of water requires depending upon the quality of gram flour. If the gram flour is coarse then you might need to add more water. If it is finely ground then you will need to add less water.

water added to bowl

4. Begin to mix very well to make a pakora batter without any lumps. Keep the batter covered for 5 to 6 minutes.

mixing to make methi pakora batter

5. The pakoda batter after 6 minutes. The batter is of medium consistency. If the batter becomes too thin, then add some gram flour. If the batter becomes too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.

methi pakora batter in bowl

Frying Methi Pakoda

6. Heat oil for shallow frying or deep frying in a kadai or pan. When the oil becomes moderately hot, add spoonfuls of the methi pakoda batter to the hot oil.

Depending upon the size of the kadai add the pakora batter taking care that you don’t overcrowd the kadai.

You can use any neutral flavored oil. Keep the heat medium to medium high.

frying methi pakora in kadai

7. Once the pakoras are cooked lightly, turn over carefully using a slotted spoon and cook the other side.

frying methi pakora in hot oil in kadai

8. Fry till they become golden and crisp. You will have to turn them a few times for even cooking.

frying methi pakora till crisp

9. Remove the fried pakora with a slotted spoon. Drain as much oil as possible while removing the pakoras.

removing fried methi pakora

10. Drain them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. This way fry the remaining batch of fritters.

fried methi pakora on kitchen paper towels

11. Serve these methi pakoda hot or warm with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney or tamarind chutney or mint chutney. While serving you can also sprinkle some chaat masala on top.

They also go well as a starter snack. You can also have them with chapati or with bread slices. They make for a good tea-time snack.

methi pakora served on a plate with a side of chutney

If you are looking for more Pakoda recipes then do check:

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methi pakoda recipe, methi bhajiya recipe, methi pakora recipe

Methi Pakoda

Methi pakoda are spiced fried fritters made with gram flour batter, fresh fenugreek leaves, herbs and spices.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine Indian
Course Snacks
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 3
Units

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) – tightly packed, chopped
  • ¾ cup gram flour (besan)
  • ¼ cup water or add as required
  • 1 onion small-sized, finely chopped (optional) or ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 green chilli or ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies
  • ½ inch ginger – finely chopped or ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
  • 2 to 3 pinches red chilli powder or cayenne pepper or paprika
  • 2 to 3 pinches turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
  • 1 pinch baking soda
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • salt as required
  • oil as required for shallow frying or deep frying

Instructions
 

Making pakoda batter

  • In a mixing bowl, take the chopped fenugreek leaves, finely chopped onions, green chillies and ginger. 
  • Also add 2 to 3 pinches of red chilli powder, 2 to 3 pinches of turmeric, 1 pinch of asafoetida, 1 pinch of baking soda and salt as required.
  • Add the gram flour and water. The amount of water requires depends upon the quality of the gram flour.
  • Begin to mix very well to make a pakora batter without any lumps. The batter is of medium consistency. Keep the batter covered for 5 to 6 minutes.

Frying methi pakoda

  • Heat oil for shallow frying or deep frying in a kadai or pan. When the oil becomes moderately hot, add spoonfuls of the pakoda batter to the hot oil. Keep the heat to medium to medium high.
  • Once the pakoras are cooked lightly, turn over and cook the other side.
  • Fry the pakoras till they become golden and crisp.
  • Remove the fried pakoras with a slotted spoon. Drain as much oil as possible while removing them.
  • Drain them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
  • Serve these methi pakodas hot with tomato sauce, cilantro chutney or tamarind chutney. They also go well as a starter snack or can also be had with roti or bread.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Methi Pakoda
Amount Per Serving
Calories 233 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Sodium 562mg24%
Potassium 343mg10%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 211IU4%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg13%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.05mg3%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 0.2mg10%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Vitamin E 4mg27%
Vitamin K 4µg4%
Calcium 104mg10%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 139µg35%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 57mg14%
Phosphorus 110mg11%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Methi Pakoda post from the archives first published in Feb 2015 has been republished and updated on 25 June 2022. 

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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18 Comments

    1. kaise khatta ho gaya. is me koi bhi khatti cheez nahi dali hain. thoda sa chini daal sakte hain.

  1. forgot to mention..i made your tomato ketchup and used that to accompany these pakodas..but could not rate the ketchup recipe then ..the ‘post comment ‘ box was not showing at all..happy that it works now..:)..5 stars

    1. thanks again ani. glad to know this. the comment box on all recipe posts will be open soon.

  2. delicious…had sprouted some methi and used those baby methi to make pakodas..turned out so yummy..thanks5 stars

  3. DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY I MADE THIS PAKORAS,N IT WAS SO YUMMY, TESTY N GOOD….ME N MY ALL FAIMLY JUST LOVED IT….SPECILLY MY ELDER BROTHER BECOZ HE DONT LIKE TO EAT METHI SO IT IS GOOD ALTERNATIVE FOR HIM….
    THANKS FOR SUCH A GREAT RECIPE….5 stars

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