Aloo Methi

Aloo Methi is a popular Punjabi dry subzi which goes well both with rotis / phulkas and with rice. Methi leaves adds flavour to this dish. This is an absolutely easy to prepare dish with limited ingredients. Tasty vegetarian dish prepared in minutes; with the inclusion of the methi leaves adds nutrition, flavour and also taste to the subzi.

Initially I had no idea about the taste of the fresh methi leaves in subzi and I guesstimated that it would taste similar to mehti seeds. But when i prepared the Methi thepla I had fallen in love with the flavour of the fresh methi leaves and that inspired me to try more methi recipes like Methi masala vada, Methi dal..etc. Quite a nice veggie to have it on summer to reduce the body heat & keep it cool.

INGREDIENTS:
Potatoes- 4 nos (1½ cups)
Methi/ fenugreek leaves-1 big bunch (3 cups)
Oil- 3-5 teaspoons
Jeera- 1 teaspoon
Green chilli, chopped- 2
Asafetida- 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1½ teaspoons
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Wash and keep the potatoes inside the pressure cooker with enough water to submerge.
• Close with a lid and pressure cook for about 2 whistles (say 75% cooked)
• Meantime remove the methi leaves from stem and wash them thoroughly to remove the dirt and clay particles sticking on it. Then spread the leaves slightly  to dry the water. Chop the leaves if you wish.
• Once the pressure releases peel and cut the potatoes into medium bite sized pieces; set aside.

• In a pan heat oil and add the jeera once you get the flavour of jeera add the chopped green chillies and fry in the same oil.
• Now add the cut potatoes with some salt and roast in that oil.
• Once the colour of the potatoes starts to become golden add the spice . You could add the spice powder in oil before adding potatoes too. But i prefer adding on later stage; adding spices direct;y in hot oil may burn the spices.
• Add asafetida, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and mix well to coat well.

• Once the raw flavour of masala leaves add the methi leaves and mix well.
• Allow the methi leaves to cook and the flavours of methi leaves mix with the potatoes.

• Methi leaves wilt and reduce in size. Once the methi leaves get cooked check for salt and switch off the gas.

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Methi Dal

Methi dal is a flavoured and versatile curry which goes well with rotis/chapatis as well as withsteamed rice. Methi leaves and its seeds are well known body coolants. Methi leaves could be included in various methods in cooking. I have already shared Methi Masala Vada and Methi Thepla recipes.

This curry could be prepared using either toor dhal or with Moong dhal as per your fancy. But here I am preparing by adding toor dhal and moong dhal in a 2: 1 ratio. Toor dal gives the coarse texture and moong dal gives the smooth texture to the curry.Adding tomatoes to this curry is optional. Add very little if you wish to add.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Cuisine: North Indian
Serves:4

INGREDIENTS:
Methi/ fenugreek leaves- 1 bunch
Toor dhal- 1/2 cup
Moong Dhal- 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Jeera/ cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Onion, chopped- 1/2
Green chilli, chopped- 1
Ginger- 1/2 inch
Garlic- 2 cloves
Tomato-1 small (optional)
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Remove the methi leaves from the stem; wash them with enough water to remove the clay and sand sticking in it. Drain the water allow to dry.
• In a pressure cooker add the toor dal, moong dal together with turmeric powder and two and half cups of water; pressure cook for three whistles.

• Meantime, heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds once it starts to crackle add the chopped onion and green chilli. Cook till the onion becomes translucent.
• Now add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook till the falvour arises for about thirty seconds.

• Add the tomatoes very less numbers / quantity if you wish to add them. Cook till it starts to become mushy.
• Now add the methi leaves and cook for about thirty seconds till it wilt and reduce in size.
• Now add the red chilli powder and salt. Mix well and add the cooked dal mixture. Slightly mash the dal before adding if required.

• Add half a cup of water to dilute the thick dal. Mix well with a ladle.
• Bring it to boil. Once the curry starts to bubble check the salt and switch off the gas.

• Serve with hot rice, papad and a dry subzi or with rotis/chapatis.
• Squeeze few drops of lime juice if you are not adding tomatoes in the curry.

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Methi Masala Vada

Winter season makes us feel hungry especially in the evening. So we crave for something crispy crunchy and spicy. So we prefer eating from food like different types of vadas, pakoras ..,etc at this season. Adding some greens in it makes the dish little healthy and avoids the guilt of consuming the fried food.

Previously i have shared Spinach Masala Vadai , Mint Masala Vadai and Oats Masala Vadai. This is my new trial recipe which came out so delicious. Tasty crispy flavourful vadas perfect with a cup of steaming hot tea. Try this recipe for this pongal and make your family members happy!!!

INGREDIENTS:

Channa Dhal/ Garbanzo beans- 1 cup

Methi leaves/ Fenugreek leaves, chopped- 1 cup (1 bunch)

Onion,chopped- 1

Green chillies,cut - 2

Ginger , finely chopped- 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds- 1/2 teaspoon

Jeera- 1/2 teaspoon 

Asafetida- big pinch

Salt- to taste

Oil to fry- 1 teaspoon+ 1 cup

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Makes- 12 Vadas

PROCEDURE:

• Soak the channa dhal in a bowl with enough water to soak for about 2 hours. 
• Drain the water well and transfer this soaked dhal on to a blender jar.
• Pulse the mixture three to five times in a blender jar, scrapping the edges in between each pulse to get a coarse dhal mixture.

• Remove the big stem from the methi leaves and wash them to remove sand and finely chop them and set aside.
• In a bowl add the chopped methi leaves, onion, green chillies, ginger, fennel seeds, jeera, asafetida, salt, a teaspoon of oil and the ground dhal mixture.
• Mix well with hand to evenly mix all the ingredients.

• Take a big gooseberry sized mixture and pat and shape inside the left hand using right hand fingers.
• Heat oil in a deep pan till hot and drop the shaped vadas one by one and fry till golden and crisp.

• Drain the fried vada from oil and keep on top a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil. 
• Notes: Add a pinch of baking powder to get a crispy vadas, to keep the crispiness lasts for hours.

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Methi Thepla

       Methi Thepla  is a popular Gujarati flat bread. These are easy to make soft and flavourful spiced paratha type. These parathas made soft with the addition of gram flour in it and flavoured with methi leaves and spices. Simple to make soft paratha perfect for travel as it has long shelf life. A famous food from Gujrat  as famous like Dhoklas.

      You can have them with tea as a snack or as a breakfast, lunch or dinner. Perfect food to eat at any time a day. So falvourful spiced paratha. I still remember my neighbour preparing this theplas for picnics and for travel. She used to tell that the best food to carry for train travels as it wont spoil for 2-3 days.

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat Flour- 1.5 cups
Gram Flour/ Chick pea flour- 2 tablespoon
Methi/ Fenugreek leaves- 3/4 cup(1 bunch)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder/ seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Remove the methi leaves from the stalk and wash them in a big bowl of water. You can see sand settled at the bottom of the bowl.
• Takeout the leaves and allow to dry by spreading on top of news paper or a wide plate.

• Heat a pan a wilt the methi leaves lightly for about thirty seconds. Do not roast them.(See picture)(wilting reduces the bitterness mixing into the whole dough, and methi leaves cooks well inside the thepla)
• In a bowl add wheat flour, gram flour, methi leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder/ seeds, oil and salt. 

• Dry mix them; add water little by little and make a dough.
• No need to massage the dough. As the dough has gram flour in it dough is soft and pliable so no need for resting time too.

• Divide the dough into 7-8 lemon sized balls.
• Spread them in to thin theplas on a flat surface spinkled with atta.

• Heat half a teaspoon of oil in a flat pan and cook the both sides of theplas till it gets golden brown blisters.
• Note: This theplas has longer shelf life of 2-3 days than other parathas. So it is best for long travels.

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