Methi dal - Fenugreek leaves cooked with pigeon pea, onion, tomato, spices and seasoned with ghee. Fenugreek leaves is not consumed as much as we consume other types of greens. Amaranth, moringa, arai keerai, sirukeerai, ponnanganni regularly form a part of lunch menu. Methi leaves and palak do not often show up on the table. I make methi leaves sambar and aloo methi (sometimes). I thought why don't I try something different so the idea of making methi leaves dal came up. This is a one pot dish, can be done over stove-top or in an insta pot.
Fenugreek leaves or vendhaya keerai are rch in iron, folate, calcium and vitamin C. The dried leaves have a distinct aroma and are used in north indian gravies and dals. The leaves have a slightly bitter taste which could be overcome by using them along with dals, and other vegetables.
How to make:
Season any neutrally flavoured oil with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, spices like green chillies, red chillies, ginger, garlic. I'm using cold pressed Sunflower oil for seasoning
Add all the vegetables - onions, country variety tomatoes, thoroughly cleaned methi leaves, tuvar dal, cumin seeds. Regular onions used.
Pressure cook veggies and dal. Add spice powders - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and crystal salt. Simmer.
Add tempering, this time with ghee. Include rai, cumin seeds, powdered hing, garlic cloves in the tempering.
How to clean methi leaves:
Remove the root from the bunch. Take water in a wide bowl , add crystal salt put the leaves, leave for sometime say 15 minutes. The mud would have settled at the bottom. Rinse the leaves. Discard the water. Repeat till you don't see any mud while rinsing.
Serving suggestions:
Serve with rice, roti or vegetables.
You may also try:
Equipments used: 3 ltr pressure cooker, seasoning pan.
Recipe:
 |
| Methi dal |
Total time taken: under 30 minutes.
No. Of servings: 4.
1 cup = 200ml.
Ingredients with measurements:
Methi leaves - 1 bunch
Regular Onion - 1 (big)/shallots - 10
Tomatoes - 3( medium)
Tuvar dal = 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tso
Salt - to taste.
Water - required quantity
Tempering 1:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1/2"(optional)
Garlic - 5 cloves
Green chillies - 4
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 4
Tempering 2:
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 4
Hing/asafoetida - a pinch.
Directions with pics:
1. Chop onions, tomatoes, methi leaves.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker/pan. Add tempering 1.
3. Add onions, tomatoes, methi leaves. Saute well.
4. Add tuvar dal. Add water.
5. Pressure cook for 6 or 7 whistles. Allow to cool down.
6. Mash with the back of a ladle. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6.1. Add spice powders. Simmer till raw smell disappears.
7. Heat ghee in a seasoning pan. Add tempering 2.
8. Pour the seasoning over the dal.
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