I wonder how many of you add dry methi leaves to your vegetarian and non-vegetarian masala mix for curries, dals, pakoras (besan coated fritters), and even things like stuffed roties/parathas? They impart a lovely, unique flavour to all sorts of savoury dishes. I use these leaves in many dishes, but don't often write them down in a recipe :-(. Today, I am making 2 bread loaves and am thinking of flavouring one with methi leaves and the other with chopped figs (organic, soft ones) to the other. I will ofcourse use Dan Lepard's Easy Bread method to make dough.

You can buy kasoori methi in small packets/boxes from Indian grocers, but I dry my own each summer, because the one in packet often has a lot of dry stalks, not very pleasant in your mouth! I buy about 12 bunches of fresh methi leaves, wash and clean them, removing thick stalks. I then leave them to dry in my intensely hot conservatory on newspaper. They are completely dry within 2-3 days.

I've not had dried fenugreek leaves for a while now as I get mine fresh frozen in blocks (like buying a bag of ice) from the supermarket. These I use in things like lamb and spinach curries to add more flavour.

Steve

I sometimes do add dry methi leaves in meat dishes and also in paranthas and pakoras, my mum used to cook pakoras from fresh methi leaves.

I have dried fenugreek leaves, but use them only in a dish with fenugreek leaves and ground fenugreek seeds.

Perhaps I should expand my use of them....

Phil

Fresh is good for pakoras and saags, but dry one has more intense flavour and seems to do better for curries and some Indian breads. My Kasoori meth bread is ready, will taste it tomorrow for breakfast or lunch.

Mamta,

I am a big fan of methi leaves and often use them to impart that distinct savoury note to several of my curries.

I do find them a bit of a pain to prep though due to stalks etc. I tend to grind mine in a coffee grinder which powders but then this colours my dish too heavily.

Do you have any better tips on how to use?

Thanks!

James.

James, when adding to dishes for flavouring purposes, when not making a specific methi dish, I tend to use home dried methi leaves. These are free of stalks/dust etc. and I add them directly, as they are to a dish. If using shop bought Kasoori Methi (dry leaves), I recommend washing them in cold water and before use. It is easy to dry them in summer, expecially if you have a conservatory or a green house that gets hot in summer. Just buy 10-12 bunches, destalk them whule watching TV, wash them and leave them on a few layers of newspaper to dry. You are then set for a whole year :-).

i use them quite a lot in certain tomato based dishes. i also buy big bags of the methi seeds and mustard seeds and sprout them in a little salt water and they are great in salads and stir fries. i will have to try and grow methi from seed.

Methi sprouts are said to be good for diabetics.

I must get into the habit of seeds and lentils again!

Methi sprouts

Sprouting Beans & Seeds

Not sure why the second link is not working!

sometimes it won't let you post several links (anti-spamming measures)

Sprouting Beans and Seeds

Steve

Thanks Steve :-)

Mamta,

Thanks for your tips!

James.

Hi Mamta,

I use Kasoori methi a lot - I add it to dhals, chicken etc but I do hate having pick the methi first. After having read your post about drying your own methi I am slapping my head and saying 'why didn't I think of this before!'.

My question is what is kasoori methi - is it a particular type or methi or is it the region that it comes from or is it just what it is called after drying? I live in Chennai at the moment and we get lovely fresh tiny methi sprouts - is that what I should be using?

My best guess would be that it is all the same as I have never seen any different methi seeds or anything but I just wanted confirmation from someone who knows.

Many thanks

Shalini

"Confirmation from someone who knows"

LOL!! Don't be fooled, I only know about what I cook!

It is called Kasuri/Kasoori because it was originally supplied only from the village of Kasur or Quasur in Pakistan. In India, it comes mainly from Rajasthan, which is probably the largest producer/supplier of it in the world*. My thinking about bought dry leaves has been that because it comes from dry, dusty regions (Rajasthan is a desert, not sure about Kasur) , it is full of dust. But for all I know, it is now dried in automated factories, though that would be a waste of energy in my view, because both Rajasthan, and have enough hot sun to dry it quickly anyway. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasur

*I left India 41 years ago, so things have probably changed a lot due to improved transport. Fresh vegetables are probably easily available in Rajasthan the whole year around now. When I was young, I was in a boarding school in Rajasthan (Pilani) for a few years, so learnt a fair bit about the place. People there dried a lot of vegetables for during the winter months, for use in the summer, because nothing much grew in the intense heat of summer. I still remember dry cauliflowers, bhindies, carrots, spinach, methi etc. They also use a lot of sprouted lentils/peas/some beans in Rajasthani cuisine, to include fresh produce to their summer diet. Perhaps that is why they became biggest suppliers of dry methi, they already knew the techniques of drying vegetables.

Thanks Mamta. To us you are the one who knows EVERYTHING!!

I have now got methi sprouts drying in the hot Madras sun. Looking forward to using it. Still shaking my head about why I didn't think of it!

Why are you drying methi sprouts? They are delicious fresh, both in salads and gently stir-fried. And, they can be sprouted at any time of the year, especially in Chinnai (Madras of old).

How to remove small reddish brown bugs from my kasuri methi, anyone who can give me any solution to this.

Hello Shalini

Kasoori methi is dry methi leaves. If I had bugs in mine, I would throw it away.

Mamta