Steamed Bottlegourd Muthiya | Doodhi Muthiya | Lauki Muthiya | Steamed Indian dumplings | Gujarati food

This is the healthier version of Muthiya....So in place of deep frying (like we did for methi Muthiya), here, we steam. But don't worry, by increasing health quotient, we are not compromising on Taste quotient!!! They are equally yummy if not more...
Oh and do i need to add how healthy this complete food is?!?!! So let's get making them....
I am giving the recipe of Dudhi/Lauki/bottle gourd Muthiya. You can replace lauki by Methi (Fenugreek) and follow same recipe to get steamed Methi Muthiya...

Muthiya

Muthiya

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup grated bottle gourd (a little more or litlle less, won't do much harm though)
1/4 cup Handva no lot (You can easily get this grinded at your local chakkiwala / flour mill, or can even do grinding at home also with very little water in your mixy. But still if you are not inclined to get this, then mix 3 parts semolina (Sooji/Rawa) with one part besan (garbanzo bean flour))
1/4 cup Juwar Aata (White Millet flour)
1/4 Cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 pinch hing (Asafoetida)
1/4 teaspoon green chili paste
1/4 teaspoon ginger paste
3 tablespoon Oil for mixing
Salt to taste
1/2 cup curd

For Tadka:

2 tablespoon Oil

1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon Ajwain (carom seeds)

1/2 teaspoon Til (Sesame seeds)

1 pinch Hing (Asafoetida)

1 Green chili, cut into pieces (Optional)

Method:

1) Mix all the 3 flours and grated lauki, add salt, turmeric powder, green chili and ginger paste, hing and 3 tablespoon oil. Mix well, but don't knead with pressure, if you do vigorous kneading then lauki leaves water.

2)  Now, add curd spoon by spoon and mix well (still don't knead). No water is to be added.

Add curd little by little to get a sticky dough

3) Now we have to steam the muthiya. For that i take my pressure pan and fill it upto 3/4th mark with water. On that i keep my chhanni (Strainer) after greasing with oil (Thankfully it fits snugly in it).

4) Then after greasing my hands with oil, i take the dough (of the size of a tennis ball) and pull them in long cylindrical shape and keep them on the greased Chhanni.

Muthiya on the greased Chhanni - ready to be steamed..

5) Cover it with lead and steam like this on low flame for 20-25 minutes (or till the knife inserted in the muthiya comes out clean)

Cooked Muthiyas (this photo is of steamed methi Muthiya  - similar with methi replacing lauki)

6) Once cooked, take out in a plate and let them cool. Then, cut into approx 1 inch long cylindrical pieces.
7) Take oil in a pan (preferably NOT a thick bottomed one), add mustard seeds. Once they crackle add Sesame seeds, Carom seeds and hing.
8) Then add the cut Muthiya pieces, mix well, keep the flame on high, keep stirring carefully for 3-4 minutes. Don't worry about any of the muthiya breaking...The small crumbs that we get when muthiya breaks during tadka tastes great (I intentionally break 4-5 muyhiyas ;) )!!!!

Take out in a plate and enjoy your Muthiya....I love mine with a glass of milk, while hubby enjoys them more with ketchup or green chutney....You can also have them with Tea/Coffee or enjoy just like that....

Note:

1) You can increase/decrease amount of green chili, ginger and lauki as per your liking.

2) As i said in the Methi Muthiya post, they can be made from different flours, like wheat and Besan. So in case you don't have Handva no lot and Juvar Aata, then you can replace them by Wheat flour and Besan. (But i like the above version better)

Sending this to Priya's May 2013 edition of Healthy me and Healthy Us event hosted by Jayanthi

Methi Muthiya (Fried version)...

One more favorite of mine. And a very nice way to eat Methi!!!! Everybody loves them, from kids to grand parents!!! Zini munches on them while playing, running, dancing, having dinner/lunch/breakfast - Basically every time, if they are available (Just like me ;) )!!!!!

They are kind of kebab or koftas, but with really healthy ingredients and is a complete meal with cereal, lentils, dairy and veggie and pretty quick to whip up if you have ingredients ready!!! you can either deep fry them or steam them. I am giving recipe of deep fried Muthiyas...

Again, this is something that is made differently in different home. This is how my mom makes it. Another gem from my mom.....

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Methi (Fenugreek) Cleaned, washed and chopped (refer to Aalu Methi post for Methi cleaning and chopping)
1/4 cup Handva no lot (You can easily get this grinded at your local chakkiwala, or can even do grinding at home also with very little water. But still if you are not inclined to get this, then see point 3 in Notes at the end of the post)
1/4 cup Juwar Aata (White Millet flour)
1/4 Cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 pinch hing (Asafoetida)
1/4 teaspoon green chili paste
1/4 teaspoon ginger paste
3 tablespoon Oil for mixing
Salt to taste
1/2 cup curd
Oil for frying

Method:

1) Mix all the 3 flours and Methi, add salt, turmeric powder, green chili and ginger paste, hing and 3 tablespoon oil. Mix well, but don't knead with pressure, if you do vigorous kneading then methi leaves water.

Flours + Methi + Oil + Masala = gate to heaven!!!

2) Now, add curd spoon by spoon and mix well (still don't knead). No water is to be added.
3) At the end you should get sticky (very sticky) dough (for the lack of better word).
4) Heat oil in the frying pan for deep frying.
5) Now, grease your hands with little oil and take ball of dough (smaller than lemon) in your hands and make cylindrical (bullet shaped) Muthiyas.

Muthiyas from really sticky dough....

6) Immediately deep fry Muthiyas in the oil.(If you don't fry them immediately then, later it will be difficult to handle them)

Take out on a tissue paper and Enjoy!!!

These Muthiyas are also used in Undhiyu - the famous Gujarati winter special delicacy!!! But they taste great on their own too!!! I once took them for one of our potluck dinner and people even enjoyed them with their wine!!!

Note:

1) You can also steam these. I'll do a post on that as well.
2) You can increase/decrease amount of green chili, ginger and methi as per your liking.
3) Methi Muthiyas are also made from different flours, like wheat and Besan. So in case you don't have Handva no lot and Juvar Aata, then you can replace them by Wheat flour and Besan. (But i like the above version better)