I got a bunch of methi leaves in Mustafa last week when I went for monthly grocery purchase. With only 2 weeks to go to Chennai, when I was picking all the veggies, Vj reminded me there is only 2 weeks and as Aj too planned to travel alone prior to us, he told to buy accordingly. But since its 2 weeks, I had to buy as the vegetables as usual. I saw the methi leaves fresh and so bought and kept. I usually clean and freeze the leaves and use it for making methi thepla. I just love it a lot. Other than methi thepla, I rarely make aloo methi. Otherwise, I do not use methi in anything else. My MIL makes kootu with this as we call it vendhaya keerai kootu. But I have not tried that. I tried making methi pulao, which I will schedule next month before going to Chennai. I had half the methi leaves remaining, so I tried making this methi dal. It was really falvorful, I love all kind of dals, so loved this as well. It goes well with both rice and roti.
Methi dal recipe
Recipe Cuisine:Indian | Recipe Category:Side dish
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 3
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 3
Ingredients
| Moong dal / Paasi paruppu | 1/2 cup |
| Methi leaves | 3/4 cup |
| Onion | 1 |
| Tomato | 2 |
| Green chilli | 2 |
| Garam masala powder | 1/2 tsp |
| Turmeric | 1/4 tsp |
| Red chilli powder | 1 tsp |
| Ginger garlic paste | 1 tsp |
| Salt | As needed |
To temper
| Ghee | 1 tblsp |
| Jeera / Cumin seeds | 2 tsp |
Method
- Pressure cook dal with enough water for 3 whistles. Chop onion and tomatoes finely, slit the green chillies. Clean the leaves and keep it ready.
- Heat a kadai with ghee and add cumin seeds in low flame. Add onion and fry till transparent. Add green chilli (I didnt add), ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame.
- Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and fry until tomatoes turn soft.
- Add washed methi leaves and fry till its reduced in volume.
- Add cooked dal, enough water (I added 1 & 3/4 cups) and let it boil for 2 minutes.
- Let it be in low flame for 5 minutes or until the desired consistency reaches also the methi leaves gets cooked.
Notes
- Chopping the methi leaves or adding as such is your choice.
- You can add either finely chopped ginger or garlic alone instead of ginger garlic paste.
- If adding ginger, adding asafoetida will enhance the taste.
- Add enough tomatoes for tanginess to supress the bitterness of the methi leaves.
- You can add 1/2 tsp of manchoor powder if you are short of tomatoes.
- If the tanginess and spice level is not balanced then it may taste bitter.
Serve with hot steamed rice or softphulkas! Check out thedal tadka and dal fry recipe too...
