Methi na Gota with Besan Kadhi (Gujarati Farsan)
Crispy, lacy methi na gota made with besan and bloomed kasuri methi, plus a quick tangy besan kadhi for dunking. Naturally vegan and gluten-free when you use gluten-free hing.
Equipment
- Deep heavy-bottomed kadai or Dutch oven
- Mixing bowl and sturdy whisk
- Two spoons or small ice-cream scoop for dropping batter
- Wire cooling rack
- Small saucepan for kadhi
Ingredients
For the Methi na Gota
- 1 1/2 cups besan gram flour; sifted
- 3/4 to 1 cup room-temperature water plus extra if needed
- 3 tbsp kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
- About 1/2 cup warm water for blooming the kasuri methi
- 3/4 tsp ajwain carom seeds; lightly crushed between your palms
- 1 tsp coriander seeds crushed
- 1/4 tsp black peppercorns crushed
- 1/4 tsp hing asafoetida; gluten-free if required
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp sugar optional, balances bitterness
- 2 to 3 green chillies finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Neutral oil for deep frying (about 1 litre / 4 cups, depending on kadai size)
For the Besan Kadhi
- 2 tbsp besan gram flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar optional
- Salt to taste
- 1/8 tsp limbu na phool citric acid crystals; OR 1 to 2 tbsp lemon juice
- About 3 tbsp cold water for the slurry, plus extra if needed
- 1 cup water for simmering
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 generous pinch hing asafoetida
- 1 green chilli slit lengthwise
Instructions
Bloom the Kasuri Methi
- Place kasuri methi in a small bowl, cover with warm water, and soak 10 minutes until leaves soften and swell.
- Squeeze out excess water and chop roughly if any long stems remain.
Whisk and Season the Gota Batter
- In a mixing bowl, gradually whisk besan with water until smooth, then whisk vigorously about 5 minutes until the batter lightens from deep yellow to pale lemon and looks airy. A ribbon of batter should fall from the spoon and hold on the surface for about 3 seconds.
- Stir in squeezed kasuri methi, ajwain, crushed coriander, crushed pepper, hing, salt, sugar (if using), green chillies, and fresh coriander. Rest 5 minutes if the kitchen is cool.
Fry the Methi na Gota
- Heat oil in a kadai over medium heat until a crumb of batter rises gently (not smoking hot).
- Just before frying, sprinkle baking soda and lemon juice over the batter and fold gently until you see tiny bubbles.
- Drop rough rounds with two spoons or your fingers, avoiding stirring for the first 30 seconds so they set.
- Fry on medium heat until deep golden, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Drain on a wire rack.
Make the Besan Kadhi
- In a bowl, whisk besan, turmeric, sugar (if using), salt, and citric acid or lemon juice with enough cold water to form a lump-free slurry.
- Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, hing, and slit green chilli. When the seeds crackle, pour in 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
- Stream in the besan slurry while whisking constantly. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes on low until slightly thickened and the raw besan smell is gone. Taste and adjust salt and tang. Loosen with hot water if it thickens while standing.
Notes
If gota turn hollow or greasy, the oil was too hot and the soda flashed off early. Fry a tester first and adjust the flame.
Batter can be mixed up to 1 hour ahead and chilled, but add baking soda and lemon only right before frying.
Cool leftovers completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. Re-crisp in an air fryer at 180 C for 4 to 5 minutes or a hot oven. Avoid the microwave, which makes gota chewy.
For fresh methi instead of kasuri, use about 1 cup finely chopped leaves, washed and squeezed dry, and skip the soaking step.
For air-fryer gota, brush each piece generously with oil and cook at 180 C for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway. Texture will be softer with less lace than deep-fried.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!