This recipe is compliments of my mum, who used to make this Methi Pak every winter for my dad. She had to coach me through this whole video!
Methi Pak is a superfood bar, made with Fenugreek Seeds (Methi) and a bunch of other ingredients. Methi itself is bitter in taste but is known to be very good for you: research shows it can reduce the risk of diabetes, improve milk production and flow, improve weight loss, raise testosterone and boost sperm count, reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of heart and blood pressure conditions, and the list goes on.
Many women have this bar post child birth to increase milk flow and strength.
Traditionally, Methi Pak is a winter food as it helps to heat you up from the inside out. This recipe includes not only methi but a whole array of ingredients that are healthy and make this recipe delicious! I hope you do try it! I wasn't a fan of Methi Pak, but I actually love this recipe and eat a piece everyday!! So do try it! You may be a convert like me!!
Methi Pak Recipe Cooking Time: 60 Minutes (Approx)
Plus Setting Overnight
Makes 3 9" Thalis
INGREDIENTS
300g Magaj Flour (Coarse Chickpea Flour)
300g Adadia Flour
100g Methi (Fenugreek) Flour (or seeds ground finely)
100g Gundar (Kibble Gum)
100g Magaj Tari/ Char Magaj (Melon Seeds)
100g Desiccated Coconut
50g Katlu (Batrisu) Powder
50g Ghantoda Powder (Peepramul Powder)
50g Soonth (Ginger Powder)
50g Cinnamon Powder
10g Aniseeds/Valiyari
100g Mixed Almonds & Pistachio Nuts
500g Icing Sugar
500g - 600g Homemade Ghee
Shaved Pistachios & Almonds and Cardamom Powder for garnishing
Extra Ghee for greasing the thalis or trays
METHOD
Grind the nuts so they are fairly fine but still have some texture.
If you are using Fenugreek seeds, grind them into to a fine powder.
Grind up the Aniseed/Valiyari so that it is fairly coarse. It tastes good if you bite into it.
Place the Gundar or Kibble Gum into a bowl and place it into the microwave. Cook on high for 30 seconds at a time. You should see them pop. Mine took 1 1/2 minutes to pop fully. Then crush them up but leave some texture to it.
To cook the Methi Pak, you’ll need 2 large, heavy-bottomed pans, a rounded spoon or karchi for the Ghee, a flat spoon and a silicone spatula.
Heat up one pan on a medium heat and add 1 cup of Ghee (3 karchi) and let it melt. Then add the Magaj (Chick Pea Flour) and mix it well. Increase the heat slightly if needed. Continue stirring and cooking the flour until it feels lighter when stirring and it starts to go caramel brown and smells nutty. Turn down the heat completely and remove this into your other pan using the spatula.
Add 1 Cup (3 Karchi) Ghee to the cooking pan again and add the Adadia Flour. Increase the heat again and cook this is the same way as the Magaj Flour. The Adadia Flour will take a little longer to cook completely.
Tip: You’ll know when it’s done by the colour (caramel brown) and the smell (nutty). Also the Ghee will separate from the flour and sit on top and be light and foamy. Turn down the heat and remove the flour to the pan with the cooked Magaj Flour.
Add 2/3 Cup (2 karchi) Ghee to the pan and add the Kibble Gum. Increase the heat again to medium and roast the Kibble Gum for about 5 minutes to cook it through so any further popping can occur and until it becomes a light golden brown.
Add the Desiccated Coconut to the Kibble Gum and mix it in. Cook for a minute.
Add the ground Almonds and Pistachios and the Melon Seeds and mix it in. You may need to reduce the heat at this point as the nuts cook quickly. Add another 1/3 Cup Ghee if it looks dry. At this point, I had used up all 500g Ghee. Reduce the heat and place the nut mixture into the other pan.
Place the pan with all the mixture on a low heat and mix all the cooked ingredients together well. The mixture should not be dry at all but have enough Ghee so it’s slightly runny and easy to move around in the pan.
Add all the spice ingredients and mix this very well. This is workout! The mixture will become slightly drier after the spices are added, but keep mixing until is well combined.
Add the Icing Sugar. Tip: it is best to sieve the Icing Sugar to remove any clumps. Once you add the Icing Sugar, mix it in well. Increase the heat a little if needed. As the Icing Sugar melts, the mixture will loosen up again.
Tip: To establish if you have enough Ghee in the mixture, push the mixture to one side. You should have a smooth flat surface with very few cracks. Add a little more Ghee if needed and check it again. I ended up adding 600g Ghee total.
Turn off the heat. Grease three 9” - 10” thalis or trays with Ghee. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the mix in them, then flatten it using the spoon or a spatula so that they are smooth on the top. The mixture should be 2-3cm thick. Spread the ground cardamom powder, sliced pistachios and almonds over the top and press it in with the spatula.
Tip: Let the thali cool at room temperature overnight. This is very important! Be patient! Cover lightly with newspaper or a mesh net covering.
The following day, cut the Methi Pak by using a flat edged knife. Cut around the edges first. Then make marks to make pieces that are 3-4cm big. If you cut them too small, the pieces won’t hold together and will crumble. Push the knife down flat to cut the pieces. Use a flat spoon to remove the pieces. Take out one side first then remove it to your plate.
Tip: If it feels too solid, you can heat up the bottom by placing it on your stove for a few seconds to melt the Ghee a little. Then remove the spices carefully. You can store this in a container and it will last a good six months.
Tip: If your mixture crumbles, despite following the above instructions, it is likely that you didn’t add enough Ghee. You can melt the mixture in a pan again, add some Ghee and re-set it. But be sure to let it cool overnight (not in the fridge as it will crumble). Also cut it following my instructions. And any small pieces left in the thali can be made into ladoos! Enjoy!!
