Spinach Muthia Recipe

Spinach muthia is a traditional Gujarati snack made with fresh spinach, gram flour, wheat flour and aromatic spices. The combination of spinach, flour and spices gives the muthia a soft, tender and savory taste in every bite.

Spinach Muthia

This is my little ones favourite. I make this often as her snack and she loves it. I thought of sharing it with you because many of you have been asking me the recipe when I shared it in my Instagram. Each time I change the veggies in this, I make this using cabbage, carrots, zucchini as well.

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• About Spinach Muthia
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Pictures
• Expert Tips
• FAQ 
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About Spinach Muthia

Muthia is a classic Gujarati snack made with a combination of flours, vegetables and simple everyday spices. The name "muthia" refers to its soft, fist shaped dumplings. It is a popular steamed snack, side dish or street food across Gujarat. 

Muthia is also a versatile snack that you can customize with different flours like millet flour or oat flour to make it even more healthier. And include different vegetables like fenugreek leaves, bottle gourd, zucchini, carrot or cabbage to make it more nutritious.

In this recipe, I share both the steamed and pan fried versions so you can enjoy them according to your preference. These savory dumplings are perfect for breakfast, tea time or even as a light lunch and serve it along with your favorite dips such as green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney or tomato chutney for a wholesome meal. 

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Spinach is naturally rich in vitamins, iron and antioxidants. With its mild, earthy flavour spinach blends beautifully with spices. Spinaches are being widely available and nutritious leaves that makes these muthia both healthy and delicious. 

This spinach muthia is a wholesome and flavourful snack made with fresh spinach, gram flour, wheat flour and everyday spices. These soft, fist shaped dumplings are steamed and then tempered with cumin seeds, sesame seeds, ghee to add flavour and a slight crispiness outside while keeping the inside soft and tender.

In many Gujarati homes, it is served as a tea time treat. These soft, steamed dumplings also pair well with chutneys likegreen chutney, sweet tamarind chutney ,tomato chutney or can be enjoyed on its own. 

Ingredients

• Ghee : Ghee is used for tempering the muthia. It adds rich flavour and enhances the taste. It also helps achieve a lightly crispy texture when the dumpling is pan fried. 
• Spinach : Spinach is a healthy, nutritious leafy vegetable that makes this muthia more protein and iron rich dish. It adds moisture to the dough and softens the muthia. You can use any variety of spinach of your choice, but the most commonly used variety is palak, fenugreek / methi leaves. 
• Gram flour / Besan / Kadala maavu : Gram flour is used as a binding agent. It gives a firmness to hold the shape after steaming. 
• Wheat flour / Atta : Wheat flour makes the muthia softer and less dense than using only besan. It balances the overall texture. 
• Spices : Turmeric powder and chilli powder are used for the flavour and color. 
• Salt and Sugar : Salt and sugar are the essential seasoning used to balance the flavour and enhance the overall taste. 
• Cumin and sesame seeds : These seeds are tempered in hot ghee that adds rich aroma and a light crunch in every bite. 

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Step by Step Pictures

Make Muthia Dough

1)Take chopped spinach or palak in a bowl.

2)Add in gram flour in a bowl.

3)Add in whole wheat flour into the same bowl.

4)Add in turmeric powder, salt, sugar, cumin seeds and red chilli powder into the mixture.

5)Mix it really well. Add a splash of water to mix into a sticky dough.

Shape into muthia

6)Take small portion of dough. Shape it into muthia.

7)Place it on a greased steamer plate.

8)Steam for 8 to 10 minutes until the muthia is cooked.

Pan Frying Muthia

9)Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Heat until it gets hot. Add in spinach muthia.

10)Pan fry for 6 to 10 minutes till golden brown.

11)Add in sesame seeds and toss well.

12)Serve.

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Expert Tips

Perfect dough : Mix the flour and spinach first, then add water gradually. Leafy vegetables release moisture, so add water only as needed to form a soft dough that holds shape without being sticky. 

Size matters : Shape the muthia into logs or cylinder like shape so they cook evenly. Grease your hands with little oil before shaping. This avoids sticking. 

Steam well : Use a steamer or idli pot to cook the muthia. Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean. Then it is ready or else steam for another 2 minutes. 

Variation : To make it even more healthier, you can mix other flours like bajra, ragi, oats flour instead of whole wheat flour. 

Storage : Once the pan fried muthia cooled down, store them in an airtight container. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 days. You can also freeze the steamed muthia for up to 1 month. Thaw and re-steam or lightly pan fry before serving. 

Serving : Pair this with a warm cup of tea for a classic Gujarati snack combo. Serve it warm with rice, dal, Gujarati sabzis for a wholesome lunch. It can also be served as a quick snack along with dips like green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney or tomato chutney

FAQ 

Q. Can I make this recipe with other vegetables ? 

Traditionally, muthia is made with spinach, but you can also add grated vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, or zucchini for added flavour, texture and nutrition. 

Q. Can I make this recipe gluten free ?

Absolutely ! Substitute wheat flour with gluten free flours like pearl millet, jowar or oat flour along with gram flour to maintain the structure and texture of muthia. 

Q. Why should spinach be squeezed before using ? 

Squeezing removes excess moisture from spinach and prevents a sticky dough. This makes the dough easier to shape and helps the dumpling hold its form during steaming. 

Q. What dips go well with spinach muthia ? 

Spinach muthia tastes great on its own, but it also pairs well with dips like green chutney, tomato chutney, peanut chutney or sweet tamarind chutney to enhance the flavours in every bite.

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