Fenugreek leaf recipes 10

Click the image on the left to see the cookbook. This cookbook lists 10 simple recipes using fenugreek leaves. For pictures / detailed recipes, check out my fellow bloggers below:

1.: Methi raita 

2.: Methi Chutney  

3.: Menthya Tambli     ( Udupi)

4.: Vendaiya Keerai Poriyal   ( Tamil)

5.: Methi Saag   

6.: Venthiya Keerai Kootu    (Tamil)

7.:  Methi Dal  

8.:. Methi rice  

9.:  Methi thepla   ( Gujrati)

10.: Methi Poori

 Fenugreek: Latin for "Greek hay" was originally cultivated as a fodder for cattle. It is used both as a herb (fresh / dried leaves) and as a spice (seeds). Fenugreek belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae - the family covering lentils, peas and beans).

India (particularly Rajasthan) is the largest producer of fenugreek in the world.  In most Indian languages, fenugreek is known by the same name ' Methi" / (Menthi : Sanskrit) (  Venthiyam : Tamil). 

Culinary Uses of fenugeek leaves : Fresh leaves are used across India like any other edible green. They are cooked into a huge array of curries. Dried leaves ( Kasuri Methi) are especially flavourful and a few pinches can be added to almost any north Indian curry, turning them into methi curries. 

Medicinal Uses: Fenugreek is one of the world's oldest medicinal herbs.   Cooked leaves are rich in iron and help prevent anemia. A paste of leaves can be used as  tan external ointment to treat swelling, pain or burns. The paste is also used as a hair vitalizer, when rubbed into the scalp before taking a bath. The same paste can be used as a face pack and is believed to revitalize skin, keeping it fresh and young. 

Buying Fenugreek leaves :
1. Choose fresh looking leaves without discolouration, holes etc. Avoid wilted leaves.
2. Early morning / late evening are usually the best time to buy them in India as the fresh leaves get delivered to cities twice a day.
3. Wash leaves well to remove dirt and soil sticking to them. Add them  to a colander and wash them under running water.

Fenugreek Seed recipes 10

Click the image on the left to see the cookbook. This cookbook lists 10 simple recipes with fenugreek seeds listed below.

For detailed recipes and pictures, check out my fellow bloggers below : 

1.:   Venthiya Poriyal (Tamil fenugreek dry curry)   

2.:   Hilbeh (Yemenite fenugreek spread)  

3.:   Tamil Venthiya Kulambu (Tamil fenugreek sour stew)

4.:   Universal South Indian Pickling powder

5.:   Menthi Podi (Karnataka fenugreek powder) 

6.:   Sprouted Fenugreek salad

7.:   North Indian Fenugreek Roti 

8.:.  Metkut (Marathi fenugreek powder) 

9.:   Marathi Methi Laddoo (Marathi fenugreek sweet balls)

10.: Venthiya Dosai (Tamil fenugreek crepe)

 Fenugreek: Latin for "Greek hay" was originally cultivated as a fodder for cattle. It is used both as a herb (fresh / dried leaves) and as a spice (seeds). Fenugreek belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae) - the same family of all lentils, peas and beans.

India (particularly Rajasthan) is the largest producer of fenugreek in the world.  In most Indian languages, fenugreek is known by the same name ' Methi" / (Menthi : Sanskrit) (  Venthiyam : Tamil)

Culinary Uses : Roast and ground seeds are used in pickle powders & curry powders. Whole seeds are fried in oil and used as flavouring agents. Dried leaves are used in curries as flavouring. Fresh leaves are used like other edible greens.

Medicinal Uses: Fenugreek is one of the world's oldest medicinal herbs.  Fenugreek is widely used by nursing mothers as a galactogen (milk supply stimulant).  The seeds are steeped in boiling water to make tea, which alleviates fever and menstrual cramps. Eating fenugreek is also seen as a remedy for bronchitis, coughs, & respiratory problems. Fenugreek oil is used in the manufacture of hair tonics. Ground fenugreek seeds are mixed with water/ yogurt to a paste and  rubbed into hair, and washed away after 30 minutes to prevent hair loss.

Indian Sour Fruit Pickle Varieties

This cookbook lists variations of sour fruit pickles listed below. The technique is greatly simplified, so that a first time cook can easily prepare them. These are the simplest pickles of them all. Just mix in salt, turmeric powder with sour fruits, add flavouring, mix in additives and your pickle is ready in a few days! 

0.: Chopped raw mango pickle.
1.: Lemon pickle ( Elumichai Oorugai)
2.: Large Citron Pickle (Narthangai oorugai).  
3.: Small Gooseberry Pickle ( Aru nellikai Oorgai)
4.: Baby mango pickle ( vadu manga).
5.: Avakkai Pickle
6.: Grated mango pickle ( Manga Thokku)
7.: Large Gooseberry Pickle ( Peru nellikkai oorugai)
8.: Karanda Pickle (Kilakkai Oorguai)
9.: Fusion Pickles 

Core Logic: Salt sour fruits to draw out their natural acid. Mx in spice powders. Let soak and use. 

Pickling Basics: Pickles were invented as a way to preserve vegetables without refrigeration.  Enzymes within food / Microorganisms from outside spoil food.  So, the goal of all pickling is to retard the microbial/ enzyme actions.

Pickling in an acid (vinegar / wine) arose in the west. History records that these pickles were eaten by Roman soldiers and even by Cleopatra.

An interesting preservation technique is to let the food ferment, so that lactic acid bacteria can create an acid, which acts as a preservative. This process is similar to turning milk into yogurt, but a lot slower. Such pickling by fermentation arose in the east. Benign lactic acid bacteria digest plant sugar, produce lactic acid, carbon di oxide and alcohol. These inhibit the growth of other harmful bacteria. Unlike vinegar / wine, which just preserve food, fermentation can actually enrich foodstuffs by making them more digestible, more flavourful and packed with vitamins. Kimchi, Sauerkraut and a huge variety of Japanese pickles are all fermented pickles. Yogurt, cheese, wine, bread, sausages - are all products of fermentation by lactic acid bacteria. India never learnt fermentation because the tropical temperature was too high for proper fermentation. This is why none of fermented products - leavened breads, cheese, wine or sausages are native to Indian cuisine.

Indian pickles rely on salting and use lemon juice / vinegar or natural acids of sour fruits as a preservation medium. The foodstuff is salted (even sunned and salted), mixed with antibacterial spices and covered with oil to seal the surface against the entry of other microorganisms. In sour fruit pickles, the preservative medium is the naturally acidic juice. Salting the fruit draws out the natural juices, reducing enzyme action. The sour juice acts as a natural preservative, preventing the growth of micro organisms.  Thus, these pickles easily last for months. Other fruit / vegetables, which do not have acidic juices (garlic, chilies, ginger etc) can be pickled the same way, but need to have an acid (vinegar / lemon juice) mixed in. By following a few simple rules listed below, you can easily prepare fool-proof pickles

. 1. Use fresh, unblemished sour fruits. The sourer the fruit, the stronger the acid and better the pickle.
2. Wash and completely dry fruits, bottles and spoons.
3. Never use a wet spoon or your bare hands to touch the pickle.
4. Aluminum, plastic or brass vessels react with the acid in pickles and should be avoided. Use glass / stainless steel / porcelain jars.
5. Salt always has moisture in it. So dry roast it / dry it in sun for a day before adding it to the pickle.
6. Sterilize the bottles before filling them with pickles. ( See below)
7. Fill the bottles almost to the top to reduce the amount of air sealed in.
8. Once pickles are ready, cover them with a layer of oil and refrigerate them to make them last much longer.
9. Optionally, mix in a tiny pinch of sodium benzoate, a preservative.
10. Optionally mix in half a handful of dried chickpeas / a spoon of fenugreek seeds / 4-5 garlic cloves with these pickles. These taste delicious when pickled in the sour juice.
11. If the fruits are not sour enough, mix in a spoon or two of vinegar.

The more rules you break, the less time your pickles will last. Follow all of them and your pickle will easily last for a year or more. .

South Indian Pickling powder:  Take a handful of mustard seeds, half a handful of fenugreek, two handfuls of red chilies. (Optionally add in a spoon of dhania / cumin). Dry the mixture in the sun for a day.( Or microwave for a minute at the highest setting). Let cool and grind to a powder.

 

North Indian Pickling powder Take a handful of red chilies. Add two pinches each of onion seeds ( kalonji), fenugreek, cumin, peppercorns and  four pinches of mango powder.. Let dry in the sun for a day (or microwave at the highest setting for a minute). Let cool and grind to a coarse powder.

For south Indian pickles use sesame oil and for north Indian pickles use mustard oil. If you do not like the raw oil taste, heat the oil till it smokes, let it cool and then add to the pickle.

Sterilising bottles Fill a pan with cold water. Immerse the bottles and bring water to a boil. Boil for five minutes, remove bottles and keep them inverted in the sun till they are completely dry.

You can use this technique to pickle any sour fruit from across the world.  

Tamil Keerai Kootu Varieties

Kootus are mild, thick curries built from boiled lentils and coconut. A thick kootu without boiled lentils starts resembling a poriyal and a kootu without coconut borders on becoming a dal curry. So cooking a kootu without coconut or lentils is best left to experts. A Kootu is always mildly flavoured. Too much of spices / chilies are never used. A huge variety of spinach is used in Tamil kootus, some of which are listed below  : 

0.:  Arai Keerai  kootu

1.: Mulai Keerai  kootu

2.: Thandan Keerai  kootu

3.: Ponnanganni Keerai  kootu

4.: Murungai Keerai  kootu

5.: Agathi Keerai  kootu

6.: Vendaiya kerai kootu

7.:  Palak keerai  kootu

8.: Manathakkali Keerai kootu

9.: Fusion kootu ( Bok Choy kootu, Kale kootu etc)

The base :
Kootus  are cooked with a variety of dals , though Bengal gram ( Kadalai paruppu), Tuvar dal ( Tuvaram paruppu) and Mung dal ( Pasi paruppu) are the most common. A mixture of lentils is  also used. A kootu cooked with yogurt is a Thayir kootu. The popular Aviyal is a type of thayir kootu. A sweetish pal kootu is cooked up from from milk / coconut milk. Kootus can be eaten not just with rice, but with a variety of flatbreads like chappatis and parathas. Being mild, they also serve as an excellent introduction to south Indian cuisine. A large variety of spinach go well with kootus.

The flavouring :
The blended paste of cocont, cumin and chilies are common to all kootus. . Like most Tamil curries, all kootus can be garnished with a pinch of mustard and curry leaves fried in oil. In addition a mix of fried, roast & ground  or fried and ground spices ( listed in column 2) can be used as flavouring. Ready made kootu podi can be mixed in for an extra burst of flavour.

Easy Kootu podi :

 Take ½ handful roasted urad dal,  1 spoon of roasted chana dal  and 3 red chilies. Add to a mixie and blend all to a powder. Optionally add a bit of dhania, pepper, cumin, curry leaves or sesame seeds.

 Spinach used.: 
Almost  any edible greens can be used in a kootu. A huge variety of spinach is consumed across south India and all of them can be turned into delicious kootus. It is faster to precook spinach and add it to the kootu. Spinach can be easily cooked in the following ways :

Stir frying : Heat a spoon of oil. Add two handfuls of chopped spinach.& stir fry for 3 - 5 minutes.

Boiling :Bring a liter of water to a boil. Add a spoon of salt. Add two handfuls of chopped spinach. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour in a colander to drain water. (Chitra rightly points out you lose nutrients here by draining the water. To minimise nutrient loss you can cook spinach in the simmering kootu itself. Would however take longer to cook.)

Microwaving : Add two handfuls of chopped spinach in a microwave safe cup. Sprinkle a bit of water. Cover loosely and cook on high for 1 -2 minutes.
Pressure cooking : Add two handfuls of chopped spinach to a pressure cooker. Add half a cup of water, Pressure cook on medium heat for 2 whistles.

Sour Fruit based South Indian Pickles 10

This cookbook lists 10 sour fruit pickles listed below. The technique is greatly simplified, so that a first time cook can easily prepare them. These are the simplest pickles of them all. Just mix in salt, turmeric powder with sour fruits and your pickle is ready in a few days! 

1.:Chopped raw mango pickle.

2.:Lemon pickle ( Elumichai Oorugai)

3.:Large Citron Pickle (Narthangai oorugai).  

4.:Baby mango pickle ( vadu manga).

5.:Small Citron pickle (Kidarangai Oorugai)

6.: Avakkai Pickle

7.: Grated mango pickle ( Manga Thokku)

8.:  Karanda Pickle (Kilakkai Oorguai)

9.: Small Gooseberry Pickle ( Aru nellikai Oorgai)

10.:Large Gooseberry Pickle ( Peru nellikkai oorugai)

Core Logic: Salt a sour fruit to draw out its juices, mix in spices.

 Pickling Basics: Pickles were invented as a way to preserve vegetables without refrigeration.  Enzymes within food / Microorganisms from outside spoil food.  So, the goal of all pickling is to retard the microbial/ enzyme actions. This is accomplished in sour fruit pickles by salting. Salt draws out the natural juices, reducing enzyme action. The sour juice acts as a natural preservative, preventing the growth of micro organisms.  Thus, these pickles easily last for months. Other fruit / vegetables, which do not have acidic juices (garlic, chilies, ginger etc) can be pickled the same way, but need to have an acid (vinegar / lemon juice) mixed in. By following a few simple rules listed below, you can easily prepare fool-proof pickles.

1. Use fresh, unblemished sour fruits. The sourer the fruit, the better the pickle.

2. Wash and completely dry fruits, bottles and spoons.
3. Never use a wet spoon or your bare hands to touch the pickle.
4. Aluminum, plastic or brass vessels react with the acid in pickles and should be avoided. Use glass / stainless steel / porcelain jars.
5. Salt always has moisture in it. So dry roast it / dry it in sun for a day before adding it to the pickle.
6. Sterilize the bottles before filling them with pickles. ( See below)
7. Fill the bottles almost to the top to reduce the amount of air sealed in.
8. Once pickles are ready, cover them with a layer of oil and refrigerate them to make them last much longer.
9. Optionally, mix in a tiny pinch of sodium benzoate, a preservative.
10. Optionally mix in half a handful of dried chickpeas / a spoon of fenugreek seeds / 4-5 garlic cloves with these pickles. These taste delicious when pickled in the sour juice.
11. If the fruits are not sour enough, mix in a spoon or two of vinegar.

 

The more rules you break, the less time your pickles will last. Follow all of them and your pickle will easily last for a year or more. .

South Indian Pickling powder:  Take a handful of mustard seeds, half a handful of fenugreek, two handfuls of red chilies. (Optionally add in a spoon of dhania / cumin). Dry the mixture in the sun for a day.( Or microwave for a minute at the highest setting). Let cool and grind to a powder.

 

North Indian Pickling powder Take a handful of red chilies. Add two pinches each of onion seeds ( kalonji), fenugreek, cumin, peppercorns and  four pinches of mango powder.. Let dry in the sun for a day (or microwave at the highest setting for a minute). Let cool and grind to a coarse powder.

For south Indian pickles use sesame oil and for north Indian pickles use mustard oil. If you do not like the raw oil taste, heat the oil till it smokes, let it cool and then add to the pickle.

Sterilising bottles Fill a pan with cold water. Immerse the bottles and bring water to a boil. Boil for five minutes, remove bottles and keep them inverted in the sun till they are completely dry.

You can use this technique to pickle any sour fruit from across the world.  

Tamil Koozhu Vadam ( Porridge based crispies)

This cookbook lists 1000 variations of porridge based vadams from 000 to 999. As with all One page cookbooks, 000 is the easiest recipe and 999 the hardest. Variations of  the following vadams are listed in this cookbook

Pacha arisi vadam

Maravalli Kilangu vadam

Godi vadam

Javvarisi vadam

Pulicha arisi vadam

Ravai vadam

Arisi vadam with javvarisi

Godi pal vadam

Ragi pal vadam

Koozhu Vadam Logic: Cook a cereal into a porridge, sun dry into various shapes. Deep fry.

Tamil cuisine discovered that a batter made from raw / fermented cereals / grain milk can be boiled into a thick porridge ( Koozhu), mixed in with flavouring, additives and sun dried into various shapes. These taste delicious when deep fried ( or microwaved). They usually accompany variety rice or  rice & curry.

Shaping Vadams: Depending on the thickness of the batter, you can shape vadams in various ways. If the batter is very thick, you can pinch off small pieces ( killu vadam). You can also extrude it into different shapes using a muruku press or cookie press. If the batter has the consistency of thick soup, you can pour a spoonful of it on a plastic sheet and spread into small rounds. For most vadams , The koozh ( porridge) should have the consistency of dosa batter. If it is too thick, mix in hot water. If it is too thin, mix in rice flour dissolved in water and cook to get the right consistency.

Thalir Vadams / Ilai Vadams : These are special kind of koozhu vadams where the batter is not boiled, but steamed and sundried. The batter needs to have a thin, spread able consistency like a thick soup.. It is spread it onto palm sized rounds on flat plates/ banana leaf ( hence the name ilai vadam or leaf vadam).  The batter is steamed in an idli cooker / steamer  for five minutes. It is then peeled  and sun dried. Special Ilai vadam moulds designed to be used in a idli cooker are available. These taste extra delicious when the batter is left to ferment for 3-4 days. They can also be cooked from batter which has been partially boiled. Depending on whether the batter is fermented/ unfermented, boiled / raw, thick/ thin, short fermented ( overnight) / long fermented (4 days) – you get different tasting thali vadams.

The base
Though raw rice followed by sago is the most common base for vadams, a variety of cereals / cereal milk / starchy tubers can be cooked into Koozhu vadam. Experiment by turning your favourite cereals / tubers  into vadams.

Flavouring
Almost anything can be used to flavour a vadam. The traditional flavourings are listed in column 2.

Additives
Traditional additives are listed in column 3. Lemon / Yogurt are usually used to lend a sour taste when the batter is not fermented. These are not cooked, but mixed in just before the batter is removed from fire. A variety of food colours are now used to make colourful vadams. Even jaggery / sugar is mixed in to make sweet vadams. Sesame lends a nice flavour, but is prone to spoilage on long storage. Feel free to experiment with your favourite additives.

Though vadams last long, they do deteriorate over time. It is advisable to use them within an year or refrigerate them for longer storage. Freezing vadams for a week after sun drying them would help improve their shelf life (as freezing kills off any insect larvae / eggs)

 Key skills :
1. Learn to make a porridge. Almost any porridge can be turned into a vadam.
2. Learn to make grain milk. Almost any grain milk can be cooked into a vadam. Experiment with rice milk, wheat milk, oat milk etc.,

Once you master these basic techniques, you can mix and match stuff to your hearts content and cook up never before cooked vadams !

No cook Vadam / Vadagam varieties ( Tamil sun dried crispies)

This cookbook lists 1000 variations of no-cook vadams from 000 to 999. As with all One page cookbooks, 000 is the easiest recipe and 999 the hardest. The variations of  the following vadams are listed in this cookbook

 

Sadham vadam

Avil Adam

Pori Vadam

Paruppu vadam

Idli vadam

Thayir avil vadam

Karamani vadam

Thenga vadam

 

Vadam Logic: Sun dry spiced lentil – processed cereal paste in various shapes. Deep fry and use

Shaping Vadams:  Depending on the thickness of the batter, you can shape vadams in various ways. If the batter is very thick, with the consistency of a chapatti dough, you can pinch off small pieces ( killu vadam) or extrude it with a muruku press ( or a cookie press) into different shapes ( long thin strips, coiled tubes like a jalebi, short, thick strips etc). If the batter has the consistency of thick soup you can pour a spoonful of it on a  plastic sheet cloth and spread into small rounds

The Base
Processed cereals ( Rice flakes, puffed rice, cooked rice, even Idlis) are mashed into a paste form the base for many vadams. Soaked and ground dals (Urad dal, cowpea, tuvar dal, chana dal ), coconut are also used as a base. These are usually mixed with chili & salt.

Flavouring
Almost anything can be used to flavouir a vadam. The traditional flavourings are listed in column 2.

Additives
Traditional additives are listed in column 3. Bone vine grows wild in countryside is a unique additive. A variety of food colours are now used to make colourful vadams. Sesame lends a nice flavour, but is prone to spoilage on long storage. Feel free to experiment with your favourite additives

Though vadams last long, they do deteriorate over time. It is advisable to use them within an year or refrigerate them for longer storage. Freezing vadams for a week after sun drying them would help improve their shelf life (as freezing kills off any insect larvae / eggs)

Thalippu Vadam   / Thalippu Vadagam or Vengaya Vadagam is the secret ingredient in divinely flavoured kulambu / kootu / poriyal / sambar. Traditional thalippu (fried seasoning) ingredients are mixed with crushed shallots , garlic and are sun cooked it for a couple of days. They are then shaped into lemon sized balls and are sun dried completely. A small bit of the ball is broken, fried in oil and used to flavour curries, imparting a deep, rich  flavour to them. Surprisingly, Castor oil, a powerful laxative is traditionally used to shape this vadagam !     As Vadouvan, it has started to gain global fame and is now used in traditional western dishes. Like all vadagams, they can be oven roasted instead of being sun dried.

Easy Tamil Vatrals ( Sun dried veggies)

This cookbook lists 10 simple vatrals ( sun dried vegetables). The logic is simple :

Vatrals : Sun dried goodies:  Sun dry raw / marinated/ blanched vegetables, deep fry and use.

Sundrying is one of the oldest ways to preserve foodstuff.  Enzymes/ other natural chemicals within food / Microorganisms from outside are the main causes of food spoilage. Sun dries out water (and enzymes). This absence of water prevents the growth of microorganisms. So food is prevented from both internal and external spoilage.  Sun drying works only when the weather is really hot. Almost any fruit / vegetable without too much water content can be sun dried.  Large pieces do not sun dry well as the water deep inside does not evaporate fast. In coastal areas, a large variety of fish/ prawns is sun dried into karuvadu . It is interesting to note that only vegetables indigenous to India are sun dried into vatrals. Introduced vegetables like beans, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms etc are not made into vatrals. The following vatrals are listed in this cookbook :

1.       Avarakkai Vatral

2.       Kothavarangai Vatral

3.       Vepampoo vatral

4.       Kathirikai Vatral

5.       Chenai vatral

6.       Sundakkai Vatral

7.       Kovakkai Vatral

8.       Manathakkali Vatral

9.       Vendakkai Vatral

10.   Thamarai thandu vatral

11.   Pavakkai vatral

 

Using Vatrals :

1. Vatrals can act as vegetable substitutes in kulambu  & sambar. Just add them straight to the gravy and let simmer till cooked.

2. Brush vatral with oil and microwave on high for 30 seconds to a minute or deep fry them in hot oil. Use to accompany curry and rice.

3.Deep fried / microwaved vatrals can be  crumbled into a coarse powder and eaten mixed in with hot rice and ghee.  

Tips :

1.  Hot, dry, breezy days are best for vatrals.  A temperature of 85ºF or above, with humidity below 60 % is ideal for vatral making..

2. Keep vartals on a raised, perforated surface so that air can circulate all around them. Keep them covered with a cheese cloth to deter pests.
3.  An oven or a dehydrator can be used instead of sun drying.
4. After sun drying, keep vatrals for 4-5 days in the freezer to make them last longer (Freezing kills off most insects / insect eggs).
5. Though not commonly practiced in south India, tomatoes can be cut into quarters, sun dried and used in gravies / as pizza topping.
6. Sun dried vatrals still have around 5-10% moisture left. So they do deteriorate eventually. Use them within a year.
7. While sun drying, keep vatrals indoors at night or they might soak up moisture from the cool night air.