Green Blog Project - Fish with baby methi (fenugreek) leaves

8 06 2006

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Methi was a foreign vegetable for me until I started to blog. Foreign in the sense that I have never tasted it. This wasn’t available in Kerala when I was growing up, and even when I was in Delhi, I never ventured to try it. But most Indian food blogs and many non- Indian bloggers featured this veggie, and I had to try it. And of course, I loved it.

Fenugreek is used both as an herb (the leaves) and as a spice(the seed). The yellow, rhombic fenugreek seed is frequently used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders and pastes, and is often encountered in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent and Thailand. The young leaves and sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as greens and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell which means they need to be used sparingly.( Link)

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Then Green Blog Project came along, and most of us started to work the soil and grow food. Indira showed me that methi can be grown in a pot, and so I sprouted methi seeds and potted them. They are growing very well, some in a pot and some directly in the ground.

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I harvested some baby methi today to make this recipe. I just snipped the tops of the methi plants. I am not sure if they will keep growing and put out more leaves but we will see. The dish was so wonderful and is wonderful with rice. Thanks Harshita for the recipe.

Recipe

One pomfret cleaned

Chilly powder 1/2 tsp, pinch of turmeric and a pinch of garlic powder ( Combine all the above, and apply on the pomfret. Set aside for about 30 min)

Curry leaves 1 sprig

A handful of methi leaves, cleaned.

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Ginger 2 large cloves and ginger 1/2 tsp crushed
Green chillies 2 slit

Onion 1/4 of a big onion, and tomato 1/4 of a big tomato both diced

Coriander powder 2/3 tsp, a Pinch each of jeera/cumin powder, garam masala and fenugreek/asafoetida powder(optional)

Water

Oil

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Heat a non stick pan to fry fish. Add some oil to the pan, place a sprig of curry leaf on the bottom of the plan. Place the fish on top. Fry on both sides till the fish turns brown on each side. I turn the flame on low after the initial sear, and keep the fish covered so it cooks well.

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Once the fish is done, we prepare the gravy. In another pan, add some oil. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chilies. After 3-4 min when the onions start turning brown, add the coriander and turmeric powder. Let it cook for a min or so. Then add methi, followed by tomato. Once the tomatoes and methi cook down, add the fish to this. Add the jeera powder, garam masala and asafoetida. I added some water into the pan to make some gravy. After about 4-5 min, it is done. Sprinkle coriander leaves just before serving.

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LG, here is my submission.
One question, some methi plants have some black spots on their leaves? Any ideas as to what this is?

Here is another dish with methi- Aloo methi

This is my submission for weekend herb blogging hosted by Sweetnicks.


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27 responses to “Green Blog Project - Fish with baby methi (fenugreek) leaves”

8 06 2006
L.G (13:35:41) :

Look at that mesmerizing parrot greeen…..It complements your template so much…Thanks a lot Gini! A new recipe also!

Could you please post it as a comment on the GBP-Summer link so it would be easy for me to compile all? Thanks, once again and hope to see more summer entries and more pics of your garden.

8 06 2006
Nabeela (14:12:18) :

oh wow….that looks beautiful!!! the dish as well as the plants.

8 06 2006
giniann (16:28:55) :

Thanks LG and Nabeela. I will post it as a comment,LG. If anything else grows, I will definitely post about it.

8 06 2006
Archana (18:11:05) :

Hi.
Methi photos looks so refreshingly cool and green. Pomphret is my favorite fish, thank you for the recipe.
Archana

8 06 2006
vineela (19:35:28) :

Hi GINI,
nice methi leaves.
good work.
Vineela

9 06 2006
Indira (08:37:28) :

These are some pretty little things, dazzling!
They survived the non-stop rains, huh (the ones on the ground). :)

About black spots - perhaps bugs or weather related may be the reason, I am only guessing here. Are these black spots on both plantar and soil plotted ones? I’ve removed and cooked a dal, when mine (leaves) started to get light yellow, but no black spots.

9 06 2006
L.G (11:24:23) :

black spots, if in close inspection are not pests, it might be due to overwatering or no air to breath. if they are not pests and not spreading,dont worry about it.

9 06 2006
riotofreasons (22:20:02) :

I think the green blog project is a great idea. Growing vegetables locally is very energy efficient, nature friendly and healthy. I have planted some tomato & pepper. Things have sprouted and things look good so far.

btw…loved the 2nd picture with its shallow DOF and the fish looks delish!

9 06 2006
Luv2Cook (23:56:03) :

Gini:

Great pics of the methi. I was too late to plant the seeds. I have small patio and have to be conservative with my space. May be next year, I will be able to have a huge garden…

10 06 2006
giniann (10:25:56) :

Archana, I love their green color too..

Vineela, thanks!

LG, overwatering sounds possible. It has been raining nonstop here. I dont think it is a pest.

ROR, I think so too…Post some tomato and pepper plant pics. You could contribute to the Green Blog Project too..Curious to see what you cook up.

L2C, I think you can get decent size plants in about 2 months. These grow quite well in a container.

11 06 2006
Sumitha Shibu (11:37:26) :

An innovative dish i must say,methi with fish Wow!

11 06 2006
reshma (22:22:01) :

lovely shade of green! i have never tried fish with methi leaves, so this one is going to my must try list :)

12 06 2006
soo (06:13:55) :

Hi Gini, looks scrumptious! dying to try it now :)

12 06 2006
kalyn (21:10:48) :

Very nice post and great photos. I haven’t tasted methi, but I’d love to try it.
Thanks for participating in WHB.

13 06 2006
Anna (02:58:31) :

This looks so delicious! Methinks I have a severe case of food envy. I love fenugreek seeds but have never seen the fresh leaves. That’s one to try if I can locate them in Sydney.

13 06 2006
giniann (08:55:03) :

Sumitha, it was a first for me too.

Reshma, if you like methi this is a must try.

Thanks Soo. That is how I felt after I read the original recipe.

Kalyn, thank you for starting such a great event. WHB is one of my favorites. I think methi is an acquired taste, but if you like bitter greens you probably like methi too.

Anna, if you dont find methi try sprouting the seeds and then just add them to some potted soil. They dont require much care other than watering.

13 06 2006
Puspha (09:31:28) :

Mouth watering fish!!!!

15 06 2006
Manisha (00:40:10) :

Drool-worthy! I can’t remember the last time I had pomfret! Definitely over 3 years now. My husband is allergic to fish from Indian waters so I don’t buy any Indian fish. I could try this with tilapia. I love methi. It goes so well with fish and meat. I also love to sprinkle some on potatoes - gives it just that additional kick.

Your methi looks quite healthy. I don’t see any spots. There is a thread on methi at Another Subcontinent, which you might find useful. I found out that you can directly sow the seeds without sprouting them. My methi was a disaster. I need to start afresh.

16 06 2006
giniann (09:34:14) :

Thanks Pushpa.

Manisha, I haven’t tried mehi with meat. I am sure it will taste good. You are right about methi and potatoes..made for each other.
You dont see the spots because I didnt use those leaves. Thanks for the thread. It seems to have gone away now. I think there is still time to start another batch of methi. The coriander I planted was a disaster. They put out couple of leaves and then started flowering. No more updates on the pickle?

28 06 2006
amu (15:19:02) :

Hi

Looks yumm, i no some fish recepes but i don’t no good fish names, if you no any fish names pls. post for me
Thanx

5 07 2006
faiza (11:41:47) :

pls can anyone tell me how to plant the methi ?im living in US and wonder if it will grow here, like in india?

25 09 2006
Spaccio ittico (08:54:48) :

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Ciao se ssei interessato allacquisto di Salmone a prezzi imbattibili visita la nostra pescheriaonline. saluti

26 01 2007
Shn (10:12:40) :

Gini, How re u? I was going thru ur picture gallery and landed at Methi. Could u pls tell me how u went about planting this? I wanted to try mint and basil too but never knew how to go about it.Wonder whether it will grow indoor. I’ve around 10 plants, some are outdoor types but I ve kept them indoor, inside the house without giving me much trouble. Was wondering whether I can do the same with methi too !!

Shn

20 04 2007
RaymonWazerri (19:05:42) :

Hey,
I love what you’e doing!
Don’t ever change and best of luck.

Raymon W.

7 07 2007
anxiety (21:11:59) :

I’ve been pretty stressed lately. This site helps to ease the anxiety! ;-)

Thanks a lot and take care of yourself.

Mrs. McNamara

17 07 2007
CreditSage (03:11:26) :

It is always great to find fresh ideas in food. Congrats))

3 02 2008
Ravi Menon (07:41:46) :

Well I don’t know about your comment of Fenugreek leaves not available in Kerala. But I am a Kerlaite and one of my favourite veggies was a “kootan” my mother made with freshly sprouted “uluva” leaves. Try it you can sprout them in a pot and cook them with daal and ground coconut.
Tastes awesome. But again I am not sure if its a kerala dish or whether its a veggie my mother found and used in Bombay.
Ravi

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