Steaming Muthia In A Cooker: A Quick, Easy Guide

Muthia is a traditional Gujarati snack, which can be steamed or fried. The steamed version is mostly prepared for snacking and goes well with a hot cup of tea or coffee. It is made with a combination of flours, vegetables, and spices. The dough is shaped into cylindrical logs or small dumplings and then steamed or fried.

To steam muthia in a cooker, first prepare the dough by mixing the dry ingredients and then adding water to make a smooth dough. Next, grease a tray or container that fits inside your cooker and shape the dough into sausage-shaped rolls, placing them on the greased tray. Add water to the cooker and place a trivet or stand inside. Carefully place the tray on the trivet, close the lid without the whistle, and steam for 10-20 minutes. Once cooked, remove the tray and allow the muthia to cool before slicing and serving.

Prepare the steamer

To prepare the steamer, start by adding about 1-1.5 inches of water to the steamer base. You can also add water to the Instant Pot insert and set it on Sauté mode to heat the water. Let the water come to a simmer or boil. Grease the steamer plate or tray with oil. You can also grease your palms to shape the dough.

Make the dough

Making the Dough

To make the dough for muthia, you will need a variety of ingredients, including flours, spices, and vegetables. The core ingredients are gram flour (besan) and fenugreek leaves (methi). However, you can also experiment with different flours and vegetables, such as wheat flour, jowar flour, bottle gourd (dudhi), cabbage, or spinach.

• Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, spices, and seasonings. This includes gram flour, wheat flour (if using), sesame seeds, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix these ingredients thoroughly.
• Add Wet Ingredients: To the dry mixture, add ginger-green chili paste, lemon juice or citric acid, and oil. Mix everything well. If you are using baking soda, add it at this stage along with a small amount of water. The fenugreek leaves will release some water, so you may not need to add too much at this point.
• Knead the Dough: After mixing the ingredients, set the dough aside for about 15-20 minutes. This allows the fenugreek leaves to release their moisture, which will help determine how much additional water is needed. Now, gradually add water and knead the mixture to form a smooth dough. The dough should be soft but not too sticky. Adjust the amount of water as needed, depending on the moisture content of the fenugreek leaves.
• Shape the Dough: Grease your palms with oil and shape the dough into small cylindrical or oval rolls. The traditional muthia is shaped like a fist, giving it the name "muthia." Place the shaped dough on a greased tray or container.

Now that you have prepared the dough, you can proceed to steam the muthia. Remember to grease the steamer tray or plate with oil before placing the dough on it.

Shape the dough

Shaping the dough is an important step in making muthia. The name "muthia" comes from the Gujarati word "muthi," meaning fist, as the dough is traditionally shaped using one's fist. However, nowadays, to make it look more presentable, the dough is often shaped into cylindrical logs.

• Mix the ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, including the flour(s), spices, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Then, add the wet ingredients, such as lemon juice and oil, and mix well. Finally, add the chopped vegetables or leafy greens, like fenugreek leaves (methi), spinach, or bottle gourd (dudhi/lauki), and mix until well combined.
• Knead the dough: Gradually add water to the mixture and knead it to form a smooth and soft dough. The amount of water needed may vary depending on the water content of the vegetables and the type of flour used. Be careful not to make the dough too soft or sticky. You may need to adjust the amount of flour or water accordingly.
• Shape the dough: Grease your palms with oil to prevent sticking. Divide the dough into equal portions if making both steamed and fried muthia. Shape the dough into sausage-type rolls or small cylindrical, oval, or rectangular dumplings. The shape and size may vary depending on whether you are making steamed or fried muthia.
• Grease the tray: Place the shaped dough on a greased tray or container, leaving some space between each piece to allow for expansion during steaming.
• Steam the dough: Prepare your steamer by adding water to the base and bringing it to a simmer. Carefully place the tray of dough in the steamer, cover with a lid, and steam for 10-20 minutes. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the rolls. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or knife into the center of the dough—it should come out clean when fully cooked.
• Cool and slice the steamed muthia: Remove the steamed muthia from the steamer and let it cool at room temperature. Once lukewarm or cooled, slice the steamed rolls into thin pieces. You can serve these as-is or temper them in oil with spices for extra flavor.

Steam the muthia

Steaming the muthia

Now that you have prepared the muthia dough, it is time to steam it. The process is simple and can be done in a steamer or a pressure cooker. Here is a step-by-step guide:

• Grease a baking tray or pan with neutral-flavoured oil. You can also spread some oil in your palms while shaping the dough.
• Heat some water in a deep pan with a trivet placed on it. You can also use a pressure cooker without the whistle.
• When the water is hot, carefully place the greased tray on the trivet in the pan. If using a pressure cooker, place the tray on the stand that comes with it.
• Cover and steam the muthia for 10 to 20 minutes. The steaming time may vary depending on the recipe and the size of your muthia.
• To check if the muthia is done, insert a clean knife or toothpick into the centre of one of the rolls. If it comes out clean, without any dough sticking to it, then the muthia is perfectly steamed.
• Remove the tray from the pan or pressure cooker and let the muthia cool at room temperature.
• Once lukewarm or cooled, slice the steamed muthia rolls into thin pieces. You can now proceed to tempering the steamed muthia or frying them, depending on your preference.

Temper the steamed muthia

To temper steamed muthia, you will need to prepare a tempering or vaghar. Here is how you can do it:

• Heat oil in a pan or kadai on medium heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
• Then add sesame seeds and asafoetida (hing). As soon as the sesame seeds start to splutter, you can add the hing.
• Immediately add the sliced steamed muthia and sauté for a few minutes.
• Toss the muthia gently and cook until they are slightly browned and crisp around the edges.

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