Kothimbir vadi (Coriander leaves fritters). When coriander (cilantro) leaves are plentiful and at their best, make this healthy steamed cake featuring the vibrant green herb combined with chickpea flour. Packed with flavor and nutrition, these delicious bites makes for the perfect snack with your afternoon tea.
I love the flavor of vibrant coriander (cilantro) leaves. When they are at their peak in summer, it’s the ideal time to prepare all your favorite dishes that showcase the versatility of this beautiful herb. Truth to be told, the flavor potential of fresh homegrown herbs can’t be beaten. Besides flavor, they also come with nutritional benefits.
How to make kothimbir (coriander leaves) vadi (slices)
The key flavor obviously comes from coriander (cilantro) leaves and chickpea flour. With these two ingredients as the base, you’ll need to make a smooth batter with the consistency of regular “cake” batter. Making this batter is super easy. Just combine all the ingredients- coriander (cilantro) leaves, chickpea flour, rice flour, ginger garlic green chilies paste, ground turmeric, ground coriander, red chili powder, sesame seeds and baking soda with a little water. Make sure you add water in batches to create smooth batter without any lumps. Contrary to the traditional recipe that only requires white sesame seeds, I’ve used two kinds of sesame seeds in this recipe- white and black. Again, I sprinkled the black sesame seeds on batter prior to steaming.
Pour the batter of kothimbir vadi into a small container and steam for about 15-18 minutes. Leave this to cool before cutting them into squares. Now, onto the final step. You’ll need to shallow fry the coriander cubes in a little oil. The idea is to create a crisp exterior and a contrasting soft interior. Trust me, the texture is incredible. Again, if you don’t want to fry these vadis, skip this step. Steamed coriander cubes are as good as the fried ones.
Simple and delicious, these Maharashtrian kothimbir vadis are certainly the perfect healthy snack apt to serve with your afternoon tea.
More Coriander Leaves Recipes:
- Coriander Coconut Chutney
- Green Chutney | Coriander Chutney for Chaat
- Green Chutney Sandwich
- Hariyali Paneer Tikka | Green Paneer Tikka
Kothimbir Vadi | Coriander Leaves Fritters | Video
Ingredients
- ½ inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped
- 1 large garlic clove chopped
- 1 -2 large green chilies chopped
- 1 and ½ cups chopped coriander cilantro leaves, leaves only
- 1 cup chickpea flour besan
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- Salt to taste
- Water to make batter
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
- Place ginger, garlic and green chilies in a food processor. Process to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Place ginger-garlic-chili paste, coriander (cilantro) leaves, chickpea flour, rice flour, baking soda and white sesame seeds in a large bowl. Season with salt. Add water little by little to make smooth batter.
- Pour batter into a greased plate or container.Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.
- Transfer to a steamer, and cook for 15-18 minutes. Leave to cool. Cut into cubes. Remove from plate. Set aside.
- Meanwhile heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Arrange the coriander cakes in a single layer in the pan. When one side is brown and crispy, flip over to brown the other side. Remove from pan. Drain on paper towel.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
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