Methi Dal - Fenugreek Leaves Dal
Methi dal or fenugreek leaves dal is a quick cooking side dish. You can serve this with rice, chapati, paratha etc.
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker If cooking in pressure cooker
- 1 Deep pot If cooking in a pot on the stove top
- 1 Tadka pan/small pan for making tempering
Ingredients
- Masoor dal - 1/2 cup
- Methi / fenugreek leaves chopped - 1/2 cup or more
- Water - 2 cups or more
- Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
- Jeera powder Cumin seed powder - 1/2 tsp
- Dhania powder coriander seed powder - 1 tsp
- turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
- Sugar or gud jaggery - 1/4 tsp or to taste
- Salt - 1/2 tsp or according to taste
Optional ingredients
- Green chili - 1 slit in two
- Tomato - 1 medium sized chopped
- Curry leaves - 4-5
- Garlic flakes - 4-5 chopped
- Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Ingredients for tempering
- Oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
- Rai / Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Hing / Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Instructions
Method 1 - Cook fenugreek - methi dal in pressure cooker
- Wash the dal and add to the pressure cooker along with 2 cups water and chopped methi.
- Add the ingredients from dal to turmeric powder to the pressure cooker.
- Close the pressure cooker and let it cook till 1 whistle.
- Switch off and let cool.
- When the cooker has cooled, stir the dal mixture, check for consistency.
- Add more water if needed.
- Add salt, tamarind pulp (if adding) , sugar or jaggery and let boil for 2-3 minutes.
- To make tempering - see the image below.
- In a pan, heat oil/ghee. Add mustard seeds. Let splutter.
- Add cumin seeds and all the other ingredients one after another. Take off the fire.
- Add it to the mixture in pressure cooker. Mix well.
- Serve hot with plain rice or with any flat breads such as chapatti, nan, paratha etc.
Method 2 - Cook methi dal on the stove top in a pot / pan
- If cooking dal on the stove top in a pot/pan, wash and soak dals for 15-20 minutes before cooking. This will reduce cooking time. You may also cook dal without soaking.
- Add 2 cups water to the pan along with washed dal.
- Bring to boil and cook till just done. This will take about 10-12 minutes for masoor and moong dal. If using toor dal, it will take about 20-25 minutes.
- Or you may cook dal in a separator in the pressure cooker and then follow the process given below.
- While the dal is cooking, make the tempering and cooking the methi leaves as given below.
- Make tempering
- Heat oil/ ghee in a pan/kadai in which you are planning to make dal.
- Add mustard and cumin seeds and hing/asafotida.
- When they stop spluttering, add chopped methi/fenugreek leaves.
- Stir and cook for 2 minutes or till the leaves look wilted, which will take only 2-3 minutes.
- You may cover and cook methi leaves for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, if adding. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes till tomatoes start to lose shape.
- Add cooked dal, all the spices, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, salt.
- Add jaggery / sugar if adding. Stir well and add water according to the required consistency. It should not be watery. Dal is usually a bit thick.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes. Take off fire.
- Serve hot with rice, roti etc.