Methi Dal is a protein-rich main course item. This dal is cooked with sauteed methi. Also, this is vegan and gluten-free. It takes 30 minutes to prepare this methi dal.
In the methi dal dish, lentil is cooked with greens of fenugreek (leaves) and tamperings of aromatic spices. It's an easy recipe that pairs well with rice or flatbreads. This is a real comfort food.
You can make this in a pressure cooker (manual or electric) or an open pot. If you have leftover dal, you can make this methi dal in just 10 minutes. Saute the fenugreek with onion, garlic, and other spices. Add the leftover dal. Simmer for a few minutes till the flavor is infused.
How to make methi dal?
Ingredients
Lentils - moong beans or red lentils
Fenugreek leaves, aka methi leaves
Onion, garlic, tomatoes, green chilies
Spices - Cumin seeds, asafoetida, ground cumin, coriander powder, red chili powder (paprika), turmeric powder, and salt to taste.
Coriander leaves
Instructions
Heat oil in a pressure cooker or large pot. Add cumin seeds and let splutter completely. Add chopped garlic (generous amount), onions, green chili and saute till translucent. Next, add the diced tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes turn tender. Then add hing and other ground spices and salt to it. Toss to mix all. Hing adds a nice, strong flavor to these lentil recipes, indeed.
Then add chopped methi or fenugreek leaves. Saute for a minute. Next, add washed lentils to the cooker or the large pot. Add water to it as needed. After that, close the lid and cook for 2 - 3 whistles in a manual pressure cooker.
Or simmer in the pot for 10 - 15 minutes or till the lentils are cooked thoroughly. Keep the flame low to medium and cover while simmering. You can also use an Instant Pot and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
How to make this with leftover dal?
Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and hing. Let the seeds crackle completely. Add minced garlic, green chilies, and chopped onions, and saute till translucent. Add tomatoes, followed by salt. When tomatoes are tender, add the ground spices. Stir them nicely.
Once the masala is cooked and starts releasing oil on the sides, add chopped leaves. Cook on low flame for 5 - 6 minutes or till the leaves are cooked soft and tender. Next, add the cooked dal or leftover dal. Stir nicely, mixing everything. Add ยผ cup water if required and then simmer on low heat for another 3 - 5 minutes. You can also add tempering or tadka to the dal in the end.
For additional tadka, heat a small pan. Add oil or clarified butter. Once the oil is hot, add some more minced garlic and cumin seeds and let them crackle until the garlic starts to color. Turn off the heat, and add red chili powder or paprika to the pan. Mix once and then pour in the tempering into the methi dal. This tadka is optional, though.
Similar Recipes
- Dal Palak or Spinach Lentils
- Punjabi Dal Makhani
- methi matar pulao
- Green Gram (Moong) Dal
- Whole Masoor Dal
- methi paratha
- methi aloo fry
Methi Dal (Lentils Soup with Fenugreek Greens)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups methi leaves clean, chopped
- 1 cup moong dal or red lentils
- 1 medium tomato Diced
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 - 4 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 - 2 dry red chili optional
- 1 tsp asafoetida or hing
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 5 - 6 garlic cloves minced
- ยผ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder or paprika
- salt as per taste
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves
Instructions
Method I
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker or large pot.
- Add cumin seeds and let splutter completely.
- Add chopped garlic (generous amount), onions, green chili and saute till translucent.
- Next, add the diced tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes turn tender.
- Then add hing and other ground spices and salt to it. Toss to mix all. Hing adds a nice strong flavor to these lentil recipes indeed.
- Then add chopped methi or fenugreek leaves. Saute for a minute.
- Next, add washed lentils to the cooker or the large pot.
- Add water to it as needed. After that close the lid and cook for 2 - 3 whistles in a manual pressure cooker.
- Or simmer in the pot for 10 - 15 minutes or till the lentils are cooked completely. Keep the flame low to medium and cover while simmering. You can also use an Instant Pot and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
Method II
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and hing. Let the seeds crackle completely.
- Add minced garlic, green chilies, and chopped onions, and saute till translucent.
- Add tomatoes followed by salt. When tomatoes are tender, add the ground spices. Stir them nicely.
- Once the masala is cooked and starts releasing oil on the sides, add chopped leaves.
- Cook on low flame for 5 - 6 minutes or till the leaves are cooked soft and tender.
- Next, add the cooked dal or leftover dal. Stir nicely mixing everything.
- Add ยผ cup water if required and then simmer on low heat for another 3 - 5 minutes.
Additional Tempering
- You can also add an additional tempering or tadka to the dal in the end.
- For additional tadka, heat a small pan. Add oil or clarified butter.
- Once the oil is hot, add some more minced garlic, and cumin seeds and let them crackle and the garlic starts to change color.
- Turn off the heat and to the pan add red chili powder or paprika.
- Mix once and then pour in the tempering into the methi dal. This tadka is optional though.
- In the end, add finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
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