Methi (Fenugreek) Balls
Arti Acharya
Ayurveda Lifestyle & Nutrition Consultant
These Methi balls are one of my favourite simple recipes for healthy snacking. The ingredients have been carefully selected from a combination that has been used for thousands of years. They are packed with natural nutrition and have tremendous health benefits, and they only take 10 minutes to make!
Most energy snacks that are available in today’s modern age are highly convenient to consume but are often high in refined sugars. This can cause energy to rise rapidly then immediately drop leaving you feeling tired and sluggish. Not ignoring, most have extended shelf lives which is great for business sales but not for you as the prana is diminished by the time you get your hands on it.
Why Fenugreek?
Adding fenugreek to a daily snack may not sound conventional but once you start consuming these you will never look back.
High in Iron
Reduces lower back and pelvic pain and menstrual cramping
Help to reduce cholesterol
Helps to control diabetes
Controls your appetite by making you feel full and satisfied with your meal
Reduces heartburn, indigestion and bloating
Increases your digestive fire so you can digest your food fully
Anti-inflammatory effects
Increase breastmilk production in lactating mothers
Boost testosterone in males which helps to increase libido
Methi balls can be little bitter initially but are very tasty and will balance all of the 3 doshas; Kapha, Pitta and Vata
Serving: Makes 10 medium sized balls
Preparation time: 10-15mins
Ingredients:
o 1 cup milk (we used almond milk)
o 2 tablespoons wheat flour or gluten free four blend
o 2 tablespoons ground fenugreek seeds
o 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (optional)
o 3 tablespoons coconut (extra for dusting)
o 2.5 tablespoons jaggery (this gives medium sweetness)
o 3 teaspoons organic ghee
o 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
o 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Preparation:
Add Fenugreek seeds and Fennel seeds to a grinder and mix to make a fine powder, set aside (note: fennel is an optional ingredient)
Add the wheat/gluten-free flour to a pan and dry roast for 2 – 3 minutes, set aside
In a medium-sized pan add the milk and allow to come to a boil
Now add the ghee and jaggery to the boiling milk and stir until the jaggery melts
Add the powdered fenugreek, fennel and plain/GF flour (that we prepared in step 1 and 2) to the pan and mix thoroughly, you will see it starts to form into a thick mixture quite quickly. Keep on low heat.
Add the shredded coconut to the pan and mix – if you find the mixture is getting too thick just add a small amount of warm milk to help it all bind together nicely
Add the cinnamon and cardamom powder and mix to form a thick consistency
Allow to cook for a further 3 minutes then let the mixture cool down
Once cool, using a teaspoon scoop a spoonful of the mixture and roll into a walnut-sized ball in the palms of your hands
Finally, sprinkle with shredded coconut and leave in the fridge to set
Now enjoy!
Tips:
Can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks
Remember to experience slight bitterness in your food is deeply cleansing for your body as it dislodges ama, improves all your other tastes and satisfies your appetite. You will find that when you have one of these methi balls after a meal those insidious sweet/salty cravings will reduce. This is because we often lack the bitter taste in our meals, as a result, the body is always searching for more food until it can satisfy these taste buds. These balls do just that!
You can even add 1 teaspoon of dry ginger powder for improving digestion – this is particularly good for the winter months when you are prone to coughs and colds and for those who have particularly weak digestion i.e. aggravated kapha.
