Dudhi muthia is a healthy, classic Gujarati snack. Perfectly steamed and bursting with flavor, these muthiya turned out super soft and fluffy. Keep reading for all the tips and tricks to make them perfect every time.

What Is Muthiya?

Muthiya is a traditional Indian snack originating from the Gujarati cuisine. It’s essentially a type of dumpling made with a combination of flours, vegetables, and spices. The mixture is shaped into cylindrical logs or small dumplings, which are then steamed or fried (like methi muthia) until cooked.

Muthiya can be served as a snack or appetizer, often accompanied by chutneys or sauces for dipping. Or it can be added into shaak (sabzi) like undhiyu, tameta muthia nu shaak.

❤️ You’ll Love This Recipe

Healthy Breakfast or Snack: Offers a nutritious alternative to deep-fried options as these are steamed.
Meal-Prep Friendly: Steam ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use, then quickly make tempering and serve when ready. More details are in the storage instructions section below.
Ideal for Picnics or Travel: Enjoy at room temperature, making them perfect for on-the-go snacks during outings or trips. Pair with small ketchup pouches for added convenience.
Lunch-Box Favorite: Pack for kids’ lunch boxes as a tasty and wholesome option.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Dudhi muthia ingredients in bowls and spoons with labels.

Bottle Gourd (Lauki): How to choose lauki?
- Look for a bottle gourd with smooth, firm skin that is free from blemishes, bruises, soft spots, or leaking juices. The color should be consistent and pale green.
- Choose a medium-sized bottle gourd that feels heavy for its size. Avoid ones that are too small or too large, as they may be immature or overripe, respectively.
- Choose thin varieties of bottle gourd as they typically contain fewer seeds.
Ginger and Green Chilies: I usually crush them together in a wet jar of my spice grinder. Alternatively, you can use mortar and pestle, or simply use grated ginger or ginger paste and finely chopped green chilies.
Sugar and Lime juice: Please do not skip sugar. Trust me, it provides the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
Red chili powder: Adjust the amount as per your liking spice preference. Keep in mind that green chilies are also added.
Coriander-Cumin powder: It is commonly known as dhana-jiru powder in Gujarati. If you can use half coriander powder and half cumin powder separately.
Coarse Whole Wheat Flour (Bhakhri Flour): This coarse flour adds texture to the muthiya and makes them fluffy (and not gummy, dense). If unavailable, you can use regular whole wheat flour.
Besan (Gram flour): Choose finely ground regular besan for a smoother texture in the dough.
Baking Soda: A small amount of baking soda helps in achieving a light and fluffy texture in the muthia.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tempering (aka vaghar). Sesame seeds add a nice crunch and nutty flavor. Plus, curry leaves add a unique flavor and aroma.

Muthiya tempering ingredients in spoons and bowl with labels.

👩‍🍳 Step By Step Photo Instructions

Prepare the Muthia Dough & Steam:

1, 2) In a large bowl, combine grated lauki, chopped cilantro, crushed ginger-green chili, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder, hing, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds. Mix thoroughly.

3, 4) Add yogurt, lemon juice, oil, and baking soda. Mix until well combined.

Collage of 4 images showing mixing lauki, spices, yogurt, oil.

5, 6) Add coarse wheat flour and besan, and mix until a sticky, loose dough forms. The dough should be loose enough to barely shape into balls or logs.

7, 8) Drizzle a teaspoon of oil over the dough and smooth it out to reduce stickiness.

Collage of 4 images showing making a dough by adding flour.

9) Prepare the steamer by adding water to the base and bringing it to a boil. Grease the steamer tray with oil.

10) Grease your palms with oil and shape the dough into 1 ½ inches diameter logs.

11) Place them on the greased tray, leaving space between each log.

12) Steam them on medium-high for 23-25 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Collage of 4 images showing greasing the tray, shaping muthia and steaming.

13) Allow the steamed muthiya to cool in the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a chopping board. Let them cool to warm, almost room temperature.

14) Once cooled, slice the muthiya into thin slices.

Collage of 2 images showing muthia logs on a chopping board and sliced muthia.

Prepare the Tempering:

1) Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add sesame seeds, which will start to pop.

2) Add curry leaves.

3, 4) Immediately add the sliced muthiya to the pan. Toss gently and cook until golden brown and slightly crisp around the edges, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Collage of 4 images showing tempering muthia.

💭 Expert Tips

Dough Consistency: Aim for a soft and sticky dough consistency that can be shaped into logs with ease.
- Avoid Stiff Dough: Stiff dough can result in dense and hard muthia.
- Avoid Overly Sticky Dough: It may lead to gummy and sticky muthia from the center.
More or Less Flour: Adjust the amount of flour based on the moisture content of the bottle gourd.
Allow to Cool Before Slicing: Let the steamed muthia cool down before slicing to prevent them from crumbling.
No Resting Time for Dough: Shape and steam right away after making the dough otherwise lauki will keep releasing water and the dough will become wet and sticky.
Steam on Medium-High Heat: Make sure the water is boiling all the time and not simmer while steaming muthia to get the best texture.

Taking one piece of muthia from the plate.

🥣 Storage Instructions

Refrigerator:

Steamed muthia: Steamed muthia: Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Before serving, let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then prepare the tempering and serve.
Vagharela muthia: Store in an air-tight container for up to 2-3 days. To reheat, spread in almost a single layer on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it for around 45 seconds to 1 minute or until it becomes warm. Overheating may result in dry muthia.

Freezer:

Arrange sliced muthia in a single layer on a tray. Flash freeze them (for around 1 hour) until frozen.
Transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
To thaw, place the desired amount in a bowl on the counter for 20-30 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight (for the next morning).
Right before serving make the tempering, stir-fry, and enjoy hot!

Collage of 2 images showing spread on the tray and storing in a ziplock bag.

🍽 Serving Ideas

With Chutney or Sauce: Serve muthia with your choice of chutney or sauce e.g. green chutney, tomato chili sauce, or garlic chutney.
With Chunda: This is my childhood favorite combo to enjoy garama-garam muthia with mango chunda.
With Tea or Coffee: Enjoy it as an evening snack or breakfast with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
With Kadhi: Kadhi muthia is a good combo. Give it a try if you’ve never tried. Turn this into a light dinner by serving dudhi muthiya with Gujarati kadhi.
As Farsaan: They also make a great addition to a traditional Gujarati thali or meal.

Dudhi muthiya in a white plate with napkin under it and a cup in the back.

Check Out Other Gujarati Snacks

Did you try this muthia recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.