Methi Gota Recipe (Gujarati Methi Pakora)

Methi Na Gota - Gujarati methi pakora Recipe

Methi Gota Recipe (Gujarati Methi Pakora)

Methi Gota — the most beloved Gujarati tea-time snack — are soft, spongy, and fluffy from inside with a lightly crisp outside. One bite and you'll understand why there's always a crowd at every farsan shop in Gujarat the moment it starts raining!

Course Snack

Cuisine Gujarati, Indian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings (18-20 small gota)

Calories 394kcal

Author Kanan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Oil + more for deep frying
⅔ cup Water
a pinch Baking soda
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Sugar
¼ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
8-10 Black peppercorns lightly crushed in mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon Coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya) lightly crushed in mortar and pestle
½ teaspoon Ajwain (Carom seeds)
4 Green chilies chopped finely
½ cup Fenugreek leaves (Methi leaves) plucked, measured, washed and chopped
1 cup Besan (gram flour)

Instructions

Mix wet ingredients & spices: In a bowl, take water. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, baking soda, salt, sugar, hing (asafoetida), crushed peppercorns and coriander seeds, ajwain (carom seeds), and finely chopped green chilies. Mix everything together very well.
Add in Methi leaves: Add the washed, squeezed, and chopped fenugreek leaves. Mix well to combine.
Add Besan: Now add the besan (chickpea flour). Mix thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps. The batter should be thick — not runny, not stiff.
Batter consistency: The batter should be thick — not runny, not stiff.
Prep for deep frying: Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan on medium heat for deep frying.
To test if the oil is ready, drop a tiny bit of batter in. It should rise to the surface within 2–3 seconds. If it sinks and takes a long time to come up, the oil is not hot enough. If it browns immediately, the oil is too hot — lower the flame.
Deep fry methi na gota: Once the oil is at the right temperature, drop small-medium portions of batter into the oil using your hand or two spoons.
- Do not make them too big — they puff up significantly while frying and will get much larger.
- Do not touch or move the gota for the first 40 seconds. This is very important — moving them too early causes them to break apart in the oil. After 40 seconds, gently move them around using a slotted spoon and continue frying on medium heat, turning them to ensure even golden browning from all sides. This takes about 4–5 minutes per batch.
Ready: Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat for the remaining batter. Serve immediately while hot!

Notes

Let the oil come back to temperature between batches. After each batch, the oil temperature drops slightly. Wait 30–60 seconds before dropping the next batch so the oil is back at the right temperature. If you add batter to cool oil, the gota turn out greasy and heavy.
Gota will puff up significantly. Keep the size of each piece small-medium when you drop them in the oil. They look small going in and come out much bigger!
How to make fried green chili (the traditional side): Wash and completely dry the whole green chilies. Make a slit down the side of each one. Deep fry in hot oil for just a few seconds until the skin blisters and starts to change color. Remove immediately — they cook very fast. Sprinkle a little salt over them.

Nutrition