One of my many reasons for loving the winter season is the options of fresh leafy green vegetables available in the Indian market during this season. Though now almost every vegetable is available in every season, like most Indians, I also prefer eating seasonal fruits and vegetables. They are not only good for your health but also taste better in their season. Today, I am sharing a simple Indian recipe made with one of my favorite leafy greens which is fenugreek leaves. The dish is called aloo methi. It’s one of the most frequently cooked winter recipes in North Indian homes. This is a vegan and gluten-free recipe that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.
What is aloo methi?
Aloo is the Hindi word for potato and methi for fenugreek leaves. So, aloo methi is an easy Indian recipe made with fresh fenugreek leaves and potatoes. The dish is gently flavored with basic Indian spices. It is also called aloo methi ki sabzi. Sabzi is a word that’s used for dishes made with vegetables. Though this simple stir fry recipe is made with very basic ingredients it’s full of flavors because fresh leaves of fenugreek are very flavorful.
What’s needed to make aloo methi?
To make aloo methi, you will need the simple ingredients that are shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
Fenugreek leaves: Use fresh fenugreek leaves to make aloo methi, not dried ones which are called kasoori methi. Potatoes: Any variety of potatoes is fine. You can use baby potatoes too. Ginger: Fresh ginger adds a very nice flavor to aloo methi ki sabzi. I would recommend not skipping it. You can add finely chopped garlic too. Chilies: I have used both dried red chilies and green chilies. If you want to make it less spicy, skip either one or both of them. Lime juice: Instead of lime juice, you can also use amchoor powder (dried mango powder) or lemon juice. Cumin seeds: This spice is used to temper a lot of Indian dishes. You can also temper aloo methi with black mustard seeds or crushed dried coriander seeds. Powdered spices: I prefer not adding a lot of spices to flavor this Indian stir fry dish as I want to keep the flavor of fresh fenugreek leaves more prominent in it. So, I have used only coriander powder and turmeric powder. Both these spices are easily available in most grocery stores especially, Indian or Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you want, you can also add other spices like cumin powder, black pepper powder, red chili powder, and garam masala. Cooking oil: Generally, in North India, mustard oil is used to cook leafy greens. They taste even better when cooked with mustard oil. If you don’t have mustard oil, use any cooking oil of your choice.
Other ingredient details and nutritional information are given in the recipe card.
Preparing methi to use in a recipe
If methi is a new ingredient for you, you first need to know how to prepare it to use in a recipe. Start with cutting off the roots of the fenugreek leaves if they are still attached. Discard the roots. Then, pluck the leaves and put them in a large bowl. If the stems are tender use them too, if they are not, discard them. Wash the leaves well with water multiple times and then put in a large strainer. Leave them in the strainer for a few minutes to get rid of the excess water then roughly chop. Your methi leaves are ready to be used in any recipe.
How to make (step-by-step instructions)?
To make aloo methi sabzi recipe, just follow the easy step-by-step instructions given below: Step 1: Heat oil in a pan. If using mustard oil, heat it till the smoking point then turn off the heat. Allow it to get slightly colder then turn on the heat again. Break dried red chilies into 2-3 pieces and add to the hot oil along with cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds splutter for a few seconds. Step 2: Add potato cubes and chopped green chilies. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring in between. Step 3: Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Saute for about a minute on low heat. Step 4: Add around ¼ cup of water and mix. Step 5: Let the potatoes get cooked completely. You may cover the pan to fasten this step. Step 6: Add roughly chopped methi and ginger. Step 7: Mix everything. Step 8: Cook uncovered on medium heat until the leaves get wilted. This will take around 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add lime juice. Your simple and easy aloo methi ki sabzi is ready to be served!
How to serve Aloo methi?
Serve aloo methi hot or warm. Generally, it’s served with Indian flatbread like roti or paratha. You can also serve dry aloo methi as a side dish with steamed rice or jeera rice and a dal like dal tadka, chana dal, moong dal, urad chana dal, or moong masoor dal.
Storing, freezing, and reheating tips
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for 2-3 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe, airtight container or zip-lock bag for up to 3 months. If the dish is frozen, thaw it before reheating. Then reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop. To reheat in the microwave, transfer to a microwave-safe container. Microwave for a minute, take out the container, stir, and microwave again until heated evenly. To reheat on the stovetop, transfer to a pan, add a splash of water and cover the pan. Heat covered on low heat until heated well. Keep on checking and stirring in between to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
Make sure the methi leaves are fresh and green. Discard the yellow leaves, if any. Discard the root part and thick stems too. Wash the leaves well before chopping. Don’t cut the potatoes in very large pieces otherwise, they take very long to get cooked. When the leaves are cooked they release water which gets evaporated during the cooking process, and the quantity of leaves in the dish gets reduced. So, add very little salt initially and if required add more once the leaves are wilted. You can make similar recipes by using other greens too like spinach, amaranth, or mustard greens. Of course, those dishes won’t be called aloo methi but they will also be delicious.
Frequently asked questions
More easy vegan Indian recipes
If you enjoyed this aloo methi recipe and looking for more easy vegan recipes from India then don’t miss to check out the following links: If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.
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