Methi Dal

Fenugreek and lentil stew with South Indian spices
Ingredients - Serves 4-6
  • 300 g fresh or 4 blocks of frozen fenugreek leaves, chopped
  • 2 medium-sized (or 200 g) tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ cup split pigeon peas (toor dal) or split red lentils (masoor dal) (split pigeon peas/toor dal will take longer to cook)
  • 1-1½ cups water
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste or ½ tsp ginger and ½ tsp garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder, optional
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder, optional
  • Salt, to taste
Steps
  1. Cook the lentils separately until soft and mushy
    2. Use a {pressure cooker} to speed up the cooking
  2. Heat the oil in a pot. Fry the cumin seeds until they start to brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute or until the raw smell is gone
  3. Add the tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, red chilli powder and cook till the tomatoes are soft and mushy
  4. Add the fenugreek leaves and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer until the leaves are cooked
  5. Season well and serve hot with plain rice
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