Fenugreek popularly called methi, a plant that is cultivated for both its seeds and leaves, is widely used in Indian cuisine. Both leaves and seeds are more commonly used in cooking.
Fenugreek's unique taste and potential nutritional benefits make it a valuable ingredient in cooking. It’s used in diverse ways in different cuisines and traditional remedies around the world.
Culinary Uses
Fenugreek seeds is commonly used in Indian cuisine. Before being ground into a powder or used whole, they are typically toasted or dry-roasted. Fenugreek seeds are essential for making curry powders, spice blends, and various dishes like curries, chutneys like raw mango chutney and pickles such as tomato pachadi and Andhra allam pachadi.
Fresh fenugreek leaves are used in various culinary preparations, especially in Indian cuisine. They are used to make dishes like methi pulao, where they provide a distinctive slightly bitter and herbaceous flavor. Fenugreek leaves can also be used in curries such as methi malai paneer.
Fenugreek seeds can be used to make herbal tea, which is believed to have various benefits. It is commonly consumed for its potential digestive and anti-inflammatory properties.
Spice Blends: Fenugreek seeds is an integral component of many spice blends such as rasam powder, instant sambar mix, bisi bele bath powder contributing to the overall flavour profile.
Flavouring Agent: Dried fenugreek leaves are used to flavour a wide range of foods, such as paneer curries such as paneer makhani, kadai paneer, lentil dishes and most north Indian dishes such as aloo gobi and baby corn masala. Their warm, aromatic quality enhances these dishes.
FAQ
Methi seeds have a pronounced bitter taste, which is one of their most prominent flavour characteristics. They have an earthy and nutty flavour. When toasted or used in cooking, they release a strong, pleasant, and nutty aroma that adds depth to the flavour of dishes.
Similar to cumin or coriander, methi seeds can produce a subtle warming sensation in the mouth.
Methi seeds are small and typically have a length of 3-5 mm.
The shape is roughly rectangular or cuboidal.
Methi seeds typically have a warm, yellowish-brown to amber color.
The outer surface is smooth, hard, and glossy in texture.
Store these tiny seeds in a clean and dry airtight continer in a dark and cool place for a long shelf life.
Store them in ziplock bags or airtight containers in the fridge or freezer for longer shelf life. Keep a small amount of the bottle in the pantry for cooking and refill as needed. It is necessary to keep them away from moisture and sunlight to prevent spoilage.
Related
Looking for other Indian spices like this? Check these:
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
Leave a Reply