Hi all,

I have really developed a taste for methi (the boxed dry form) in my dishes over the last year or so.

Today, I bought some fresh fenugreek leaves, which are sold in abundance very cheaply at my asian supermarket, to see how that worked in curry.

I tried adding to Mamta's chicken 'Madras' earlier today but couldn't really taste the leaves (I blanched them in hot water for a minute before adding at the end of cooking).

Can anyone direct me on the best way to use the leaves in curry dishes, or point me to some recipes calling for fresh methi on this site?

Many thanks,

James.

Hello James

You probably lost most of the flavour by blanching them. To add to curries, simply wash the leaves, chop and add. Fresh methi leaves are lovely. A simple dish called 'aaloo methi' is one of my favourites.

When you add dry methi leaves, you are adding a lot, because in dry form, they shrivel up. Even 2 tbs. is quite a lot.

To top it all, methi has health benefits too;

This is from a section entitled 'Healing Foods', that is meant to go on the site, but I haven't got around to finishing it!

"Fenugreek (Hindi name methi), Trigonella foenum-graecum L seeds contains protein, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and iron. They are also antipyretic, anthelmintic, appetizer, and diuretic. Ground methi seeds, mixed with yoghurt/dahi, makes a good hair conditioner. Methi is recommended in any form, seeds or leaves, to type 2 diabetics, probably because it has some plant insulin. 1 teaspoonful of ground seeds should be taken daily on empty stomach, stirred in a glass of warm water. Methi leaves are cleansing to the body due to their high sulphur and chlorine content. You can add them to dals, to vegetable, meat, chicken curries, to the dough for chapatties and parathas and many other things. It's seeds are used in 'tempering' many Indian dishes, on their own or as part of a five spice mix called Paanch Pooran. In India, methi is sometimes given to lactating mothers, to improve lactation. Seeds can be eaten soaked and lightly stir-fried with cumin, salt, pepper and a little lemon juice. Sprouted methi seeds are used in salads. For methi leaves/seed containing recipes, put methi in the search window of this site and watch!

I knew methi had health benefits but I wasn't sure what they were until reading your post, Mamta. I use the dried leaves quite often and I find that they add a nice balance to certain curries/dishes. I use the seeds to make bean sprouts (along with other seeds) and I find that they work really well in stir-fries and salads.

I have used fresh leaves, recently, in a dish called dhansak. I'm afraid I found the methi leaves did not add the usual methi flavour. This is best described as 'maple syrup' flavour, as the methi should contain a substance called sotolone, a very powerfully smelling substance, found in real maple syrup. Methi was the source of sotolone to make a mock maple syrup flavouring. It also appears to be the predominant flavouring in 'Indian restaurant' curries.

I have dried my own methi leaves in the past, and it produced a wonderful aroma on drying, so I can only think the sotolone (and other compounds, no doubt) is formed on drying, and concentrated, as Mamta says. I forgot about the leaves after a while, and found them several years later, still smelling wonderful.

Any tips for growing methi? I tried growing it in the spring but unfortunately the plants went really leggy and the leaves started turning brown and crispy. I tried it in full sun and in shade and nothing changed. What was i doing wrong?

It likes full sun and well-drained, neutral to slightly acid soil. It doesn't like to be transplanted. In spring, after the threat of frost has passed, sow seeds to a depth of a little less than a quarter inch. The seeds sprout quickly. Unlike many other herbs that thrive on neglect, fenugreek likes fertile soil, so be generous with the compost. Space plants five to six inches apart.

Methi seeds grow very easily, but do get leggy very quickly. They have to be picked fast, not left to grow for too long. There may be different seeds for cultivating the leaves, though I have never come across them.

Fresh methi leaves give lovely flavour to chapatties, parathas and when made into a bhaji with potatoes. I have those recipes on this site, take a look. I often buy a full box of methi leaves in summer, wash and clean them and then leave them to dry on newspaper, in a very hot conservatory. This gives me dust free, good quality dry leaves. I store them in sealed sandwich packets.

Mamta

Thanks all for your quick responses!!

just bought some more fresh methi this weekend, and made a dhal and chicken soup. The fresh methi did not smell of maple syrup (see above) but fresh raw peas (not unexpected really, considering what it is). This leads me to conclude the sotolone (maple syrup smell) is produced by the leaves on drying.