Kothimbir vadi is a delicious savory crisp snack from the Maharashtrian cuisine made with gram flour (besan), coriander leaves, peanut, sesame seeds and spices. These savory, herby and flavorful bites can be pan-fried or deep-fried. They are a popular tea-time fritter snack loaded with coriander leaves (cilantro).
In Marathi language “kothimbir” or “kothmir” stands for coriander leaves. The word ‘vadi’ means cubes or slices or wedges. So these are basically steamed coriander and gram flour cake cubes that are fried.
To prepare kothimbir vadi is very simple. You need to first prepare a thick batter mixture from the ingredients and later steam it until firm and well cooked. This steamed cake is then cut into squares or cubes which we call as vadi and then fried.
For a low-fat version, you can consider skipping the last frying part and eat the steamed cake bites or vadis as it is. They taste delicious even when not fried.
Alternatively, you can even temper with some oil, mustard seeds, hing (asafoetida) and curry leaves and then add this tempering on the steamed vadi. Then garnish with some fresh grated coconut.
This kothimbir vadi recipe is my mom’s recipe and the one she learned from her Maharashtrian friend. The recipe gives a really tasty kothimbir vadi that I make for our evening snack.
Serve kothimbir vadi with green chutney, coconut chutney or tamarind dates chutney or mint chutney. These coriander fritters also pairs well with plain curd (yogurt) or tomato ketchup.
Cuisine
