The cold snap has now started here and I really fancied something hot and spicy. I wanted to make rasiya muthia but didn’t have any fresh methi (fenugreek).  My hubby suggested making them using fresh cabbage (cobi na rasiya muthia).  I added some breadcrumbs to the dough to make the muthias a bit softer.  This dish is a favourite of mine in the cold weather as it’s quick and easy to make, warms you up and fills you up as well.

Ingredients to serve 4 people:

• 1 heaped cup- finely grated fresh cabbage  (You can also use methi or even left over rice or khichedi)
• 1 cup chick pea flour
• ½ cup- chapatti flour (Whole wheat Flour)
• ½ cup bread crumbs (optional)
• 1-2 tbls : ginger, garlic and green chilly mixture (use it to your taste)
• 2 tsps Salt
• 2 tsps turmeric
• ¼ tsps soda bicarbonate.
• 1-2 cup of plain yogurt (good time to use up any sharp yogurt you may have left over)
• ½ cup of oil ( you’ll need to make the dumplings and also for the soup)
• 1 tsps mustard Seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 2-3 fresh green chillies
• 2-3 tsps sugar or jaggery (optional)
• 1-2 tbls of lemon juice (optional)
• Fresh coriander

Method:

1 . Add the grated cabbage to the chick pea flour, bread crumbs and whole wheat flour. Add the ginger, garlic and chilly mixture.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, quarter teaspoon of soda bicarbonate and 1 teaspoon of  turmeric to the flour. Add 1 and ½ tablespoon oil to the flour.

3. Mix half a cup of yoghurt to some warm water and mix.  Then pour a little of this mixture slowly  and bind the dough.  The dough does get sticky so keep some dry flour handy to dip your hands into.  Leave this for a couple of minutes, wash your hands and then rub some oil in your hands to make the muthias.

4. Make small muthias the size of small marbles and keep them covered under a Tea Towel.  We got about 30 muthias from this amount of ingredients.

6. One the mustard seeds stop popping, add  7 cups of water to it. Do this carefully as adding the liquid to the oil can make it splutter.

7.  Add the remaining salt and turmeric and allow the mixture to heat up until it starts to look as if it might boil over.   At this stage, turn the heat to medium.

11. The muthias will expand a little and float to the top when they are cooked.

12.  Mix half a cup of plain water to half a cup of yoghurt , stir well and add it to the cooked rasiya muthia and stir gently using a fork.  Make sure you don’t break any of the muthias. The sauce will also start to thicken now.