Methi dal recipe | Methi dal with moong dal

I got a bunch of methi leaves in Mustafa last week when I went for monthly grocery purchase. With only 2 weeks to go to Chennai, when I was picking all the veggies, Vj reminded me there is only 2 weeks and as Aj too planned to travel alone prior to us, he told to buy accordingly. But since its 2 weeks, I had to buy as the vegetables as usual. I saw the methi leaves fresh and so bought and kept. I usually clean and freeze the leaves and use it for making methi thepla. I just love it a lot. Other than methi thepla, I rarely make aloo methi. Otherwise, I do not use methi in anything else. My MIL makes kootu with this as we call it vendhaya keerai kootu. But I have not tried that. I tried making methi pulao, which I will schedule next month before going to Chennai. I had half the methi leaves remaining, so I tried making this methi dal. It was really falvorful, I love all kind of dals, so loved this as well. It goes well with both rice and roti.

Methi dal recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Side dish
Prep Time: 15 mins    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Serves: 3

Ingredients

Moong dal / Paasi paruppu	1/2 cup
Methi leaves	3/4 cup
Onion	1
Tomato	2
Green chilli	2
Garam masala powder	1/2 tsp
Turmeric	1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder	1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste	1 tsp
Salt	As needed

 

To temper

Ghee	1 tblsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds	2 tsp

 

Method

1. Pressure cook dal with enough water for 3 whistles. Chop onion and tomatoes finely, slit the green chillies. Clean the leaves and keep it ready.
2. Heat a kadai with ghee and add cumin seeds in low flame. Add onion and fry till transparent. Add green chilli (I didnt add), ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame.

3. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and fry until tomatoes turn soft.

4. Add washed methi leaves and fry till its reduced in volume.

5. Add cooked dal, enough water (I added 1 & 3/4 cups) and let it boil for 2 minutes.

6. Let it be in low flame for 5 minutes or until the desired consistency reaches also the methi leaves gets cooked.

Notes

• Chopping the methi leaves or adding as such is your choice.
• You can add either finely chopped ginger or garlic alone instead of ginger garlic paste.
• If adding ginger, adding asafoetida will enhance the taste.
• Add enough tomatoes for tanginess to supress the bitterness of the methi leaves.
• You can add 1/2 tsp of Amchoor powder if you are short of tomatoes.
• If the tanginess and spice level is not balanced then it may taste bitter.

Serve with hot steamed rice or soft phulkas!  Check out the dal tadka and dal fry recipe too...

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