The triangular-shaped fenugreek seeds have a golden brown colour. It smells really deep, dark, and sweet, like caramel or maple. One of the five ingredients in Indian Panch Phoron spice blend, whole seeds are used to flavor curries, pickles, chutneys, daals, and pickles. It is one of the high fibre foods. It has soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. It may also be pounded into a fenugreek powder and added to breads or used for making ladoos or for marinating meat with chilli and garlic.
Fenugreek benefits digestive health, diabetes control, helps lactating mothers, helps manage weight and fenugreek seeds for hair health too is helpful.
To give the entire seeds a nutty, toasted-sugar flavor, methi can be dry-roasted in a heated pan or mellowed in hot ghee. However, be careful not to overheat them, as this can cause them to become bitter.
Methi & Sonth Ladoo
To enjoy post-workout and replace your protein stores, make delightful protein snacks like protein balls with oats, protein powder, flaxseed, and cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 60 gms ghee
- 1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
- 1 tbsp methi seeds (fenugreek)
- 2 tsp saunf (fennel seeds)
- 1 tsp sonth (dried, powdered ginger)
- 3/4 cup gur ki shakkar (natural brown sugar)
Instructions
- Melt the ghee and include the atta in a large kadahi.
- Stir-fry at a low temperature until the flour is well cooked. The flour needs around 30 minutes to completely cook. When finished, it takes on a pasty appearance and should have a light brown tone.
- Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to finish cooling. If you add jaggery before it has completely cooled, it will turn "wet".
- Dry roast the methi seeds or their powder, and saunf and grind them in a different pan.
- When atta mixture is completely cooled, add jaggery, ground ingredients, and the sonth, and mix very well, rubbing it with your open palm against the base of the bowl. Rub until blended thoroughly.
- Shape into tight, hard balls, pressing hard at every stage. In the final stage, keep it pressed a little longer so that the surface is smooth (when the ghee comes in contact with the body heat, it melts and smoothens the mixture).
- Decorate the top of each with the almonds and pistachios, if so desired.
- Store in airtight containers, and these will last 4-6 weeks.
Methi Dal
Methi dal is a hearty, high fibre and nutritious north Indian (Punjabi) dal dish cooked with a combination of fresh methi leaves, yellow lentils, garlic, and simple spices. With a serving of steaming basmati rice and some achaar (pickle), this delectable dal dish may be quickly and easily prepared. This simple dal will go well with rotis as well.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup arhar dal split pigeon peas lentils (note2)
- ⅓ cup yellow moong dal (note2)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch fresh methi 200g (note3), finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon amchoor powder adjust to taste
FOR TEMPERING
- 4 tablespoon mustard oil or ghee/vegan butter
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon hing asafoetida (note4)
- 2 dried chili or ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ inch ginger finely chopped
- 1/ small tomato cubed
- Ghee to drizzle
Instructions
- Rinse the dal mixture under running water three to four times, or until the water is clear. The inedible substances of lentils must be removed by washing them. Lentils should be soaked for 20 to 25 minutes. Lentils that have been soaked will cook more uniformly and will help our bodies better absorb minerals.
- In a pressure cooker, add the rinsed and soaked lentils. Cover with 3 cups of fresh water. Place on a stove. The lentils might also be prepared in an Instant Pot. White froth will appear on the lentils surface once they've boiled. Skim the froth with a spoon and throw it away.
- To cover the lentils, add another 1/2 cup of water. Add salt and turmeric powder. Three whistles should be blown when the lid is closed during cooking. In three whistles, the lentils should be tender. Lentils should not be mushy.
- When the pressure has been removed, open the lid and check the lentils to see whether they are mushy. I verify it by pressing a few grains with my thumb and index finger. If not, cook for an additional 1–2 whistles or as necessary. For a few minutes, until the lentils are creamy, mash them with the back of a spoon.
- Clean the methi leaves while the lentils are cooking. Remove the leaves from the stems and throw away the stems before cleaning. Chop the methi leaves finely after thoroughly washing them three or four times.
- Also, chop the ginger and garlic.
- To get rid of the raw scent, heat up the mustard oil in a saucepan to a mild, smoky temperature.
- Remove the pot from the heat and season with cumin, hing, chiles, minced garlic, and ginger. As everything starts to sizzle, keep stirring to prevent burning. Spending a little time in oil when sautéing.
- To eliminate the bitterness of the greens, add the chopped methi leaves next and sauté for 3–4 minutes. Additionally, this reduces the moisture in greens and keeps the dal from turning green.
- Add the cooked dal and, if using, the tomato. Stir, add additional water if necessary to correct consistency, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until everything is well heated.
- Add amchoor (or lemon juice) to finish. Garam masala may also be included in little amounts. Done!.
Methi Mathri
The term "mathri" refers to a cracker-like snack made by deep-frying a specifically made firm dough made of all-purpose flour, spices, and flavorings.
This recipe of masala methi mathri is a teatime snack, and because they are handmade, they are tastier and healthier than those that are purchased. They may also be served with chutney or pickles to make them more delicious. You may deep-fry them, bake them in the oven, or even air-fry them for a healthy alternative.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups All purpose flour
- ¼ cup Sooji (Semolina)
- ¼ cup Oil + 2 tablespoons extra
- ¼ cup Lukewarm water
- Oil for frying
SPICES
- ½ tsp. Dried Ginger Powder
- ½ tsp. Coarsely crushed black peppercorns
- ½ tsp. Kashmiri Red chili powder
- ¼ tsp. Haldi (Turmeric powder)
- ¾ tsp. Ajwain/ or carom seeds
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sooji and wheat flour together.
- Salt and kasoori methi or methi powder should also be added to the mixing bowl along with all of the spices.
- This wheat and spice combination needs oil.
- Rub the oil into the flour mixture with your hands until it resembles breadcrumbs and turns crumbly.
- Take a little amount of the mixture in your hand and compress it firmly to see whether the ghee is proper. whether it takes the shape of your fist, you are good to go. This demonstrates that the mixture's 'Moyen' (fat content) is just right.
- Now knead the dough while adding a little water.
- Never add more water than is necessary to produce dough at once; only a small amount should be added.
- If the dough begins to come together and there is still water in the bowl, as directed in the recipe, stop adding more water. The mathri dough has to be firm and compact.
- The dough should be covered with a damp piece of cloth and left for 30 minutes.
- Start forming the dough into a mathris when the resting period is finished. After forming them into little balls, carefully flatten them by pressing them between your palms.
- Avoid pressing them too firmly, since doing so will make them flat and thin.
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil. Put a tiny bit of dough in the oil.
- Cook 6–8 mathris at once. Make sure the kadhai is not overcrowded, and fry them in batches. Allow enough room in the kadhai for the mathris to cook and become crispy and flaky.
- Fry the mathris until they are golden, rotating them regularly to ensure equal frying.
- Increase the heat to medium-high after the mathris begin to turn golden and continue to fry until a rich golden colour is achieved. Take them out of the oil.
- Place the mathris on a dish covered with paper towels. Continue doing this until all of the mathris are cooked.
