The Marathi word for coriander leaves, "kothimbir," is translated as cubes or wedges. Kothmir Vadi is steamed rice cakes that have been fried and cut into squares (or sometimes scoops). To make this dish you first need to prepare a batter of ground dal flour mixed with water from the ingredients. The cake will then be cooked until firm through steam before it's sliced up like pie crusts and deep-fried all at once in hot oil so that they stay crunchy on the outside but soft inside when eaten!
In India, deep-fried snacks are a common and popular treat. These crispy little fritters have the perfect amount of spice - not too much that they overwhelm your taste buds but enough to make them interesting- all with just one ingredient: coriander leaves!
Kothimbir Vadi is a delicious savory crisp snack from the Maharashtrian cuisine made with gram flour (besan), coriander leaves, peanut, sesame seeds, and spices. The ingredients include cilantro which makes these herby crisps flavorful while also adding some heat; this unique flavor combination leads many people in India to enjoy kothimbir Vadis as tea-time treats on long workdays or after dinner for dessert, unlike other dishes.
Heat a small pan or tawa on low or medium heat.
Add ¼ cup peanuts. Stir occasionally and cook until the peanuts are crunchy with some brown-black spots on them.
Remove from the pan and cool them off quickly so that they do not burn. Rub the peanuts in your palms to remove the flaky skin in those spots.
Then add them to a small grinder jar that has a coarse consistency setting. Make sure that there is 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic, and 2 green chilies (or 2 teaspoons green chilies) also in this grinder jar before grinding everything up to make a coarse powder of spices. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and grind to make a smooth paste. Put aside.
Cut garlic, ginger, and green chilies in a mortar-pestle.
Rinse coriander leaves well for 5 minutes. Drain extra water and finely chop them. You will need 2 cups of finely chopped coriander leaves.
The first thing to do is to take some coriander leaves.
Add green chilli paste, ginger and garlic paste. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and ½ teaspoon of cumin. Add 1 pinch of hing (optional).
Next add the coarsely ground peanut powder and 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds. Now add ½ cup besan (gram flour). Add sugar as required (optional) and salt as required also.
Mix everything very well so that the batter becomes thick like a dough. Lastly add water in parts until it becomes a liquid batter that is not too runny or too thin but just right for cooking on a stovetop or frying in oil.
First, grease a pan with some oil.
Then add the batter to the pan.
Bring water in another pot to boil over a low to medium heat and then lower the flame when you put the pan of batter into it. Cover it with a lid and steam until it is finished cooking. Do not cook on too high a heat or else your food will burn inside.
When you are ready, take out your toothpick and test if it is done by holding it inside your food for 5 seconds and pulling out again without touching anything - if there's nothing on the toothpick then you know that your food is done cooking! Right before serving, carefully turn out your dish onto a plate and cut into square or diamond shape.
Put 3 tablespoons of oil in the pan.
Steam the kothimbir vadi and place it on the pan.
Fry on medium heat until it is golden brown (or deep fry if you want).
Flip it a few times to make sure both sides are cooked. Place them on some kitchen paper towels so that any extra oil will be absorbed.
Fry the remaining kothmir vadi at this time, too.
Serve with chutney or sauce of your choice when they're done cooking!
Servings 3
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
To make a spicy kothimbir vadi, you can add more green chilies.
You can also use a little baking soda to make the batter softer.
Use fresh and tender coriander leaves for a better taste. If the stems are tender, you can use them in your dish too!