Aloo methi, potatoes with fenugreek leaves
Ingredients
Method
- Pick the fenugreek leaves, keeping only the leaves and the very thin stems. Wash them in several changes of water, chop roughly, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of the salt and leave for 10 minutes. Then squeeze them firmly in your hands to remove the bitter water.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes. Slice the onion; chop the garlic, ginger and green chilli.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, then the turmeric, coriander and Kashmiri chilli. Stir for 30 seconds without letting the spices burn.
- Add the potatoes and the rest of the salt, stir well to coat them in the spices, cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring now and then. Add 2 tbsp of water if they stick.
- When the potatoes are almost tender, add the squeezed fenugreek leaves, stir and cook uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leaves are soft and the potatoes golden. If using kasuri methi, crush it between your palms and add it only 2 minutes before the end.
- Off the heat, sprinkle with garam masala and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve hot.
Notes
Simple, fragrant and deeply Indian, aloo methi pairs golden potatoes with slightly bitter fenugreek leaves, lifted with cumin, turmeric and ginger. In Hindi, aloo means potato and methi means fenugreek. This home-style dish from northern India is cooked in a frying pan in 45 minutes, with no cream and no hard-to-find ingredients. Our aloo methi recipe shows you how to prepare the leaves, balance the spices and soften the bitterness, whether you use fresh or dried fenugreek.
Aloo methi, an Indian vegetarian potato dish
Aloo methi is a sabzi, a dish of sautéed vegetables served every day in India with chapatis and dal. It is one of those seasonal recipes made in winter, when bunches of fresh fenugreek arrive at the markets of Punjab and Rajasthan.
It is also an excellent Indian vegetarian potato dish for discovering Indian cooking without spending hours in the kitchen. The potato and fenugreek pairing works beautifully: the soft, floury sweetness of the potato balances the green bitterness of methi, and the spices tie the two together.
Easy aloo methi: the quick step-by-step
This easy aloo methi comes down to four stages. First, prepare the fenugreek leaves: pick them, salt them, then squeeze them. Next, sizzle the cumin seeds in oil and brown the onion. Add the aromatics and spices, then the diced potatoes, and cook them covered. Finally, stir in the fenugreek at the end and finish with garam masala and a squeeze of lemon.
The only real secret is the size of the cubes. Cut the potatoes into 2 cm dice: small enough to cook in 15 minutes in a pan, big enough to stay whole. Waxy varieties such as Charlotte hold up much better than floury potatoes.
Fenugreek leaves recipe: fresh or kasuri methi
To make this recipe with fenugreek leaves, you have two options. Fresh leaves give a greener, softer dish with a more pronounced bitterness. Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek leaves, very aromatic and easy to find in packets. It gives a gentler, slightly sweet flavour reminiscent of maple syrup.
Fresh fenugreek in cooking: where to find it and how to prepare it
Fresh fenugreek is mainly sold in bunches in Indian and Asian grocery shops, from October to March. Some shops also sell it frozen and already chopped. You can even grow it yourself: fenugreek seeds sown in a pot give young shoots ready to cut in about three weeks.
To prepare it, pull off the leaves and keep only the very thin stems, as the thick stems are tough and bitter. Wash the leaves in several changes of water, since they often hold soil, then chop them roughly.
How to use kasuri methi, and how much
To replace fresh fenugreek, allow about 3 tablespoons of dried leaves for a large bunch (150 g of leaves). Crush them between your palms over the pan to wake up their aroma, and add them only 2 minutes before the end of cooking. Kasuri methi is also used as a finishing touch in butter chicken, dals, vegetable curries and naan dough.
How to cook fenugreek without bitterness
Wondering how to cook fenugreek so that its bitterness doesn’t take over? The Indian technique is simple: salt the chopped leaves, leave them for 10 minutes, then squeeze them firmly in your hands. Some of the bitter water runs off. Then cook them well, for at least 5 minutes, as the bitterness softens with heat. Finally, the sweetness of the golden onion and potatoes, and the squeeze of lemon at the end, balance the dish. Some cooks also add a pinch of sugar or jaggery.
An Indian fenugreek recipe: the spices in aloo methi
Fenugreek is a cornerstone of northern Indian cooking. In this Indian fenugreek recipe, the aloo methi spices are deliberately simple, so the methi can shine:
- Cumin seeds: sizzled in hot oil at the start, this is the tadka. They bring a warm, toasted note. Discover their benefits in our article on cumin.
- Turmeric: it gives its golden colour and a slight earthy note.
- Ground coriander: mild and lemony, it rounds everything off.
- Chilli: a fresh green chilli for heat, and Kashmiri chilli for colour without too much fire.
- Ginger and garlic: fresh and chopped, they add depth.
- Garam masala: a pinch right at the end, off the heat, to keep its fragrance.
Aloo methi curry: the saucy version
Classic aloo methi is dry, the potatoes simply coated in spices. For a more generous aloo methi curry, add two chopped tomatoes after the spices and let them soften for 5 minutes before adding the potatoes. Then pour in 150 ml of water or coconut milk and simmer covered. You get a thick sauce, perfect for mopping up with bread. For another Indian dish with sauce, try our vegetable curry with coconut milk.
Indian fenugreek recipes and the benefits of fenugreek in cooking
An Indian recipe with fenugreek isn’t just tasty. As for the benefits of fenugreek in cooking, the plant has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to aid digestion. Its leaves provide fibre, iron, vitamin K and antioxidants. Its seeds are rich in soluble fibre, which forms a gel in the gut and slows the absorption of sugars. Studies remain modest, however, and a plate of aloo methi is above all a good vegetable dish, not a remedy.
One precaution: fenugreek belongs to the legume family, like peanuts and chickpeas, and can cause reactions in people with allergies. Culinary amounts are generally fine, but concentrated supplements are not recommended during pregnancy. To learn everything about the plant, read our full article on fenugreek, its benefits and contraindications.
What to serve with aloo methi?
Aloo methi can be eaten on its own, but it is above all a perfect side dish for Indian curry. Here is how to build a complete Indian meal:
- With Indian breads: warm chapatis, rotis or naans, to scoop up the potatoes with your fingers, as in India.
- With a dal: our red lentil dal with coconut milk brings the protein and creaminess that aloo methi lacks.
- With rice: plain basmati rice or our saffron rice.
- With raita: plain yogurt with cucumber and mint, to cool the palate.
Aloo methi FAQ
Can you replace fenugreek with another leafy green?
Yes, but it won’t be aloo methi any more. With spinach, you get aloo palak, milder and without bitterness. To keep a little of the fenugreek flavour, add 1 tablespoon of kasuri methi to the spinach.
Can you make aloo methi ahead?
Yes. It keeps for 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat it in a pan with a drizzle of oil so the potatoes turn golden again. Add the lemon juice just before serving.
Can you use fenugreek seeds instead of the leaves?
Not really. The seeds taste much more bitter and powerful. Half a teaspoon of seeds, toasted with the cumin at the start, can flavour the dish but won’t replace the leaves. If you have no fresh fenugreek, kasuri methi remains the best option.
