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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
oh wow….that looks beautiful!!! the dish as well as the plants.
Thanks LG and Nabeela. I will post it as a comment,LG. If anything else grows, I will definitely post about it.
Hi.
Methi photos looks so refreshingly cool and green. Pomphret is my favorite fish, thank you for the recipe.
Archana
Hi GINI,
nice methi leaves.
good work.
Vineela
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.
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.
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!
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…
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.
An innovative dish i must say,methi with fish Wow!
lovely shade of green! i have never tried fish with methi leaves, so this one is going to my must try list:)
Hi Gini, looks scrumptious! dying to try it now
Very nice post and great photos. I haven’t tasted methi, but I’d love to try it.
Thanks for participating in WHB.
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.
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.
Mouth watering fish!!!!
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.
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?
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
pls can anyone tell me how to plant the methi ?im living in US and wonder if it will grow here, like in india?
Hallo, If you are interesting in Salmon or buy caviar or buy sea fish come in our fisherei
Ciao se ssei interessato allacquisto di Salmone a prezzi imbattibili visita la nostra pescheriaonline. saluti
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
Hey,
I love what you’e doing!
Don’t ever change and best of luck.
Raymon W.
I’ve been pretty stressed lately. This site helps to ease the anxiety!
Thanks a lot and take care of yourself.
Mrs. McNamara
It is always great to find fresh ideas in food. Congrats))
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
Anna,
If you have the fenugreek seeds (methi) it is easy to sprout them by soaking a small handful of the seeds for a few hours first, and then sprout them indoors just like any other sandwich sprouts. The degree of bitterness depends on when you eat them. To get plants just take a few of the sprouts that you don’t want to eat and stick them in a little root tone and then in a pot of dirt. Soon you will be harvesting your own seeds!
I grow mine in water, with nutrients (fertilizer) added and an airstone in the water to oxygenate the roots. The airstone is connected to an inexpensive air pump like they use outside of fish tanks.
Giniann,
Again, these photos of yours are just beautiful! My other favorite green for this kind of cooking is purslane, which I only recently learned was Gandhi’s favorite food. Until recently most US gardeners thought purslane was a noxious weed! However, I have always liked it and now we know that it is rich in Omega-3 nutrients for good health.
where to find finugreek leveas?
it can be grown in the philippines? thank you!
Is Finugreek plant available in the philippines?
I am preparing to grow some methi plants on my windowsill. I live in Manhattan and I have eastern exposure. I found my wife’s fenugreek seeds in the cupboard and sprouted them in a moist paper towel inside a plastic baggie. I am preparing to plant a patch in a day or so.
Any tips?
Did the methi grow back after it was cut or do you need to replant the patch after you harvest the baby leaves?
can u tell me were i can buy this in melbourne i have never seen it around ????
These are great baby wipes. Our newborn has never had a negative reaction to these wipes, and they are wet enough to get the job done on even the dirtiest diapers. This package contains 4 packs, each of which contains 192 wipes. The 192-wipe packs are further broken down into three individually-wrapped packs of 64 wipes, which fit perfectly into standard-sized plastic…