Beetroot Leaves Vadi

Today’s recipe for Beetroot Leaves Vadi takes inspiration from a popular Maharashtrian snack, Kothimbir Vadi. Kothimbir Vadi is a tea-time snack made with fresh coriander leaves, gram flour, and a few spices. In my recipe, I have replaced coriander leaves with beetroot leaves.

Recently, after a successful harvest of beetroot from my terrace garden in Germany, along with the fleshy juicy beetroot vegetable, I had a bunch of beetroot leaves, which i could use in my kitchen. It was a great opportunity because beetroot leaves are not commonly available in Germany. In supermarkets, fresh and canned beets are commonly available. Although you can source leaves from farm shops that sell beets with leaves, it is not so common. The best way is to grow them at home. Summer is when you can grow your vegetables and enjoy them, and that’s what I did this summer 🙂

I have already shared an article about my experience of growing beetroot in my terrace garden. Do check it out.

Now, coming back to today’s recipe, Beetroot Leaves Vadi. Beetroot Leaves Vadi is a tea-time snack. It is crispy and has a slightly bitter taste, which is balanced by the spices and a small amount of sugar.

To make Beetroot Leaves Vadi, I combined finely chopped fresh beetroot leaves with gram flour and spices. I steamed the dough and then deep-fried it till it turned crispy. I paired it with tomato ketchup. You can do the same or enjoy them with any chutney you choose. Coriander and Mint Chutney is a good choice 🙂

Now, let’s check out the recipe in detail:

Equipment Needed:

Mixing bowl: I used a parath, which is a big, rimmed plate ideal for kneading dough. You can even use a big mixing bowl.
Knives and Cutting Board
Steamer and Vessel for steaming: I used my Idli Steamer.
Pan for frying: I used the smallest saucepan from this set.
Slotted Spoon

Read about all the kitchen equipment I use in my article: Setting Up My Indian Kitchen in Germany.

Ingredients for Beetroot Leaves Vadi:

300 gm Beetroot Leaves
100 gm Gram Flour (Besan)
30 gm Rice Flour
1 tsp Salt
⅔ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Dry Mango Powder (Amchur)
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
½ tsp Asafoetida
1 tsp Powdered Sugar
1 tbsp Ginger-Green Chilli Paste
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
Water for steaming
Oil for frying

Method to make Beetroot Leaves Vadi:

Wash and finely chop the beetroot leaves.
Add salt, mix and rest it for 10 minutes to allow the leaves to release water.
After 10 minutes, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, lemon juice, dry mango powder, ginger-green chilli paste, asafoetida, sugar and sesame seeds. Squeeze the leaves and mix well.
Add gram flour and rice flour and knead it to a dough.
Grease the steel/glass/heat-resistant vessel and transfer the dough to it. Spread it evenly. Press it to compress it.
Heat water in a steamer. When the water starts bubbling and boiling, place this dough into the steamer. Cover and steam it for 15 minutes on high heat. After 15 minutes, turn off the steamer, but let the dough stay in the steamer for another 10 minutes. Then, remove the cooked dough. Let it cool completely.
Once it cools, loosen it along the edges using a knife. Then invert the vessel and remove it.
Cut it into the desired shape.
Deep fry on medium-high heat till the surface becomes crispy.
Serve with any chutney of your choice.

Some Notes about the recipe:

You can try this recipe with any of your favourite greens. Some good choices are coriander, fenugreek and spinach.
The first step of adding salt and letting the leaves release water is important. That way, you can correctly gauge the amount of water needed in the recipe. In my recipe, since the leaves had enough moisture, I didn’t have to add any more water. You can add a few tablespoons of water if you are unable to knead the dough.
Place the dough in the steamer only after the water comes to a full boil.
Cut the vadis and fry them only after they have cooled completely.

Here is the recipe in printable format: