Zucchini Spinach Muthia (Steamed Muthiya)

This Zucchini Spinach Muthia recipe is packed with flavors and deliciousness. These Muthias are loaded with zucchini, spinach, Indian spices, and herbs, and I have steamed them to make them healthier!

Gujarati Muthia is one of the most famous snacks, and the recipe is easy to follow with healthy ingredients. These Zucchini Spinach Muthia are moderately spicy, slightly sweet, and packed with flavors.

Jump to:

• What is Muthia or Muthiya?
• About Zucchini Spinach Muthia
• Why You Will Love The Muthia
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Directions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storing and Freezing Suggestions
• Helpful Tips
• More Gujarati Recipes
• Recipe Card

What is Muthia or Muthiya?

Muthiya or Muthia is a popular Gujarati snack (steamed dumplings); the name is derived from how it is made. Muthi means fist, and we shape the Muthia dough by gripping it in the fist. Hence, it is known as Muthiya. Mainly, we make them with gram flour, herbs, and spices. But there are various ways of making Muthia, and we can make them with other flour, such as wheat flour, sorghum flour, millet flour, or handva flour. Then, we can either steam or fry the Muthia.

About Zucchini Spinach Muthia

In this recipe, I share steamed Muthia loaded with zucchini and spinach. I have made the Muthiya with whole wheat and handva flour. Handva flour is a mix of rice and lentils, and it has a coarse texture.

My mom used to make steamed Doodhi Muthia using only whole wheat flour. So, keeping my mom’s recipe with me, I have made my version by replacing Doodhi with zucchini, and to make it healthier, I have added chopped spinach and methi leaves.

Zucchini Muthia is moderately spicy, mildly sweet, flavorful, and slightly crispy outside with a soft texture inside. After steaming, we further temper the Muthia with oil, mustard and sesame seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Tempering makes the Muthiya more delicious and tempting.

Zucchini and Spinach Muthia are perfect for breakfast with a cup of tea or coffee. However, my in-laws like to have them with a glass of hot milk.

We can serve these Muthiya as a snack with green chutney or ketchup. Also, we can serve these Steamed Muthia with a bowl of plain yogurt.

Why You Will Love The Muthia

• Zucchini Spinach Muthiya is packed with flavors and deliciousness.
• They contain healthy ingredients: zucchini, spinach, and other Indian herbs.
• The recipe is easy with pantry staple ingredients.
• Muthias are great for breakfast; however, they are perfect with an afternoon chai.
• They are one of the famous dishes of Gujarat.
• The best part is that, in this recipe, I have steamed the Muthias and not fried.

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat Flour: I have used regular whole wheat flour, which I use for Roti. But for more texture, you can also use coarse whole wheat flour.
2. Handva Flour: This flour is a mix of lentil and rice flour with a coarse texture. I like to add handva flour for convenience, as there is no need to add gram flour and rice flour individually. If you do not have Handva flour, it is readily available in Indian grocery stores.
3. Oil: Oil adds moisture and makes the Muthia soft. So, do not skimp on oil and add it as mentioned in the recipe.
4. Zucchini: On my website, you will find various recipes using zucchini. I adore this vegetable as it blends well with other ingredients, so I like to use it in savory and sweet recipes. Zucchini adds moisture to the Muthia and makes them soft and tender.
5. Spinach: Adding spinach makes this snack healthier and provides a beautiful light green hue. Use fresh and tender spinach leaves and discard the wilted ones. However, you can add less spinach if you want.
6. Fresh Methi Leaves or Kasoori Methi: Methi leaves add a very slight but pleasant bitter taste and more flavor to these Steamed Muthiya. However, if you do not have fresh fenugreek leaves, add a tablespoon of Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
7. Coriander Leaves: Fresh coriander leaves add a great earthy flavor to these Gujarati Zucchini Muthia.
8. Green Chilis and Giner: Add green chilis and ginger according to your preference. Instead of green chili paste, you can add finely chopped green chilis.
9. Ground Spices: The recipe requires turmeric powder, cumin, and coriander powder.
10. Salt: Once you mix all the ingredients, I recommend tasting a pinch of dough to check if you need to adjust the salt.
11. Carom Seeds (Ajwain / Ajmo): These seeds add flavor to the dish. But if you do not have or do not like carom seeds, skip them.
12. Sesame Seeds: Add white or brown sesame seeds, and they are used twice in the recipe. First, in the dough and then added to the tempering.
13. Jaggery Powder: Zucchini Spinach Muthia are mildly sweet, and I have used jaggery powder for the sweetness. However, cane or regular sugar can be used instead of jaggery powder.
14. Yogurt: Yogurt adds moisture and a slight tanginess to the Muthia. Add plain yogurt one tablespoon at a time until the dough is formed.
15. Fruit Salt (ENO): I like to add fruit salt to make the Muthiya light and fluffy. Also, baking soda creates red spots by interacting with turmeric powder in the Muthiay while steaming. However, skip turmeric powder or add only a pinch if you want to use baking soda.
16. Tempering: Tempering is essential to complete the dish. I have tempered the Muthiya with oil, mustard seeds, sesame, asafoetida, and curry leaves.

Step-by-Step Directions

Making The Muthia Dough

• Add whole wheat flour, handva flour, and oil in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix well with your hands until you get a crumb-like texture.

• Then, add shredded zucchini, chopped spinach, methi, and coriander leaves.
• Mix until everything is well combined.

• Add green chili paste, ginger, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, carom seeds, sesame seeds, and jaggery powder.
• Mix well.

• Sprinkle fruit salt over the mixture and add yogurt, one tablespoon at a time.
• Mix until you get a soft dough.
• Depending on the moisture of the zucchini, you may need to add yogurt as little as 2 tablespoon or up to ½ cup of it.
• I needed to add ¼ cup of yogurt.

Steaming The Muthia

• Add enough water, or about 2 cups of water, to a steamer or a large pot with a lid for steaming.
• Heat the water and bring it to a boil.
• Grease the steamer plate with the holes with oil and set it aside.
• Apply oil on your palms, divide the dough into equal portions, and shape each portion into a log of approximately 5-6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.
• Arrange the logs on a greased plate by keeping enough space between them, as they will increase in size upon steaming.
• All the logs may not fit on the plate, so you may need to steam them in batches.

• Place the plate in the steamer and cover the pot with the lid.
• Steam the Muthia on medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
• Check if the Muthiya is steamed by inserting the tip of a knife or toothpick in the Muthiya; it should come out clean.

• Remove from the steamer and allow the Muthia to cool down completely.
• Then, cut them into slices with about half an inch of the thickness.

Tempering The Muthia

• Heat oil in a pan of Kadai and add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida.
• Stir well and allow mustard seeds to crackle.

• Add Muthia slices, mix gently, and saute until they are slightly crispy on the edges.
• Turn off the heat and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve Zucchini Spinach Muthia with this Cilantro Mint Chutney or this Coriander Chutney.
• It can also be served with tomato ketchup.
• These Steamed Muthia are perfect with tea, coffee, or milk.
• They taste well with plain yogurt or even with chhas.

Storing and Freezing Suggestions

• Refrigerator: Store the Muthiya in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. When ready to serve, heat them in the microwave or on the stovetop on low heat. While heating on the stovetop, sprinkle some water on Muthia to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Freezer: These Steamed Muthiya freeze well for up to two months. After steaming the Muthia, allow the logs to cool completely. Now, you can either store the logs in the freezer-safe container or slice them before freezing. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, temper them as mentioned in the recipe, and serve.

Helpful Tips

• Make It Vegan: Do not add yogurt if you want to make vegan zucchini Muthia. Instead of yogurt, gradually add 3-4 tablespoon water until a soft dough is formed. Also, add lemon juice to taste for some tanginess.
• Zucchini: You can add shredded bottle gourd instead of zucchini. If zucchini releases too much water, you may need to add yogurt just as much to form the dough. So add yogurt gradually and not all together.
• Shaping Muthiya: The dough will be very soft, so grease your palm with oil before shaping the dough into Muthiya.
• Tempering: Tempering is essential to complete the dish, so do not skip this step. However, you can temper the Muthiya as you want and skip or add your choice of ingredients.
• Tempering In Batches: For the crispy Muthia, temper the Muthia in batches. Add a few Muthia in the hot tempering and place them in a pan in a single layer. Temper them on low-medium heat until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
• Scaling: This recipe yields a large batch of Muthia, about 6-7 servings. So, you can scale it down and make a small batch.

More Gujarati Recipes

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