Popular in the state of Maharashtra, these freezer-friendly spicy cilantro cakes are a must in a vegetarian thali meal.
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In the summer months, I love to buy large bunches of cilantro from local farmers’ markets to make these Kothimbir Vadi. After steaming I cut them into squares and store them in the freezer. To serve, simply thaw them overnight and then pan-fry with sesame seeds until they turn golden-crisp.
Made with just a few ingredients, these cakes are packed with flavors and are very tasty. This recipe uses the Instant Pot to steam the batter in a stainless steel bowl and is a slight variation to the original Kothimbir Vadi which I posted earlier. This modified version is lighter in texture and easier with the pour-and-done technique.
Ingredients
Cilantro -fresh cilantro leaves and tender steam can be used in this recipe Gram Flour - A staple in Indian cuisine, this gluten-free flour is made from yellow gram lentils(chana dal). Gram flour is known as “Besan” in Hindi and is used as a binding ingredient in this recipe. Green Chilies - Used widely in Indian cooking, green chilies add a unique earthy flavor and distinct hotness to Kothimbir Vadi
How to Make Kothimbir Vadi
Grease a 7-½ inch stainless steel bowl with cooking oil or spray. Add 1 ½ cups water to the Instant Pot insert. Set on Sauté mode so the water starts to heat. Note: Heating up the water before placing the batter in the Instant Pot will result in light cakes. Make sure to do this about 5 minutes before you are ready to place the batter in the Instant Pot for steaming. Boiling it for too long may cause a lot of water to evaporate. Add cilantro, oil, rice flour, garlic, green chilies, turmeric, besan, salt, and water to a medium bowl. Mix well. Add baking soda to the batter and mix well. Quickly pour the batter into the greased bowl. Place the bowl on the Instant Pot trivet and carefully place the trivet inside the Instant Pot. Note: It is important to start the steaming process within a couple of minutes for the baking soda to work (photos 1 - 4).
Close the Instant Pot lid with the pressure valve to venting. Set Instant Pot to Steam mode, with an external timer for 12 mins. Note: The timer function does not work with Steam/Venting, so an external timer is needed. Once the timer goes off, Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot after 5 minutes. Carefully take out the bowl using heat-resistant mitts.
Cut into small square pieces. Pan fry with remaining oil and sesame seeds on medium heat, cooking each side for about a minute or until the sides start to turn light brown. Enjoy hot!
Although the steamed cakes taste delicious as is, pan-frying them with some sesame seeds adds a nice crunch while keeping the moist texture inside.
Serving
Serve hot Kothimbir Cadi as a snack or breakfast with ginger chai or homemade lemonade. To serve along with an Indian meal, pair it with a curry, dal, raita, and hot roti. The steamed Vadi also tastes great at room temperature making them a perfect picnic or lunch box food.
Storing
These mouth-watering cakes have a unique aroma and can be made ahead. They can be refrigerated for a week and also freeze well. So go ahead and double up the batch.
Recipe
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Rava Dhokla Muthia Sabudana Wada
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