Methi dal is a Methi dal is a healthy and flavorful dish thats an accompaniment for a rice. With fresh or frozen fenugreek leaves and lentils, it turns out delicious.

Jump to:
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. Just love it a lot.
Other than that, 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.
Instructions
- 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.
- 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. After that, add cooked dal, enough water (I added 1 & ¾ 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.
Serve with hot steamed rice or soft phulkas! Check out the and dal fry recipe too.
Recipe card
Methi dal recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Moong dal
- ¾ cup Methi leaves fenugreek leaves
- 1 Onion
- 2 Tomato
- 2 Green chilli
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- Salt
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
Instructions
- 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.
- Heat a kadai with ghee and add cumin seeds in low flame.
- Add onion and fry till transparent.
- After that, add green chilli (I didnt add), ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame.
- Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and fry until tomatoes turn soft.
- Then add washed methi leaves and fry till its reduced in volume.
- Add cooked dal, enough water (I added 1 & ¾ cups) and let it boil for 2 minutes.
- 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 suppress the bitterness of the methi leaves.
- You can add ½ teaspoon of Amchoor powder if you are short of tomatoes.
- If the tanginess and spice level is not balanced then it may taste bitter.
AparnaRajeshkumar
I loved the top angle shot much , i tried the same with toor dal (but its no onion and garlic version ) welcome to chennai
jeyashri suresh
I love dal and methi combo. Gorgeous click. This reminds me that I have a pack of methi leaves lying in my fridge.
Kurinji
Dal and clicks looks superb....welcome to chennai Raks!
Hari Chandana P
Lovely and flavorful dal 🙂
Kuttu
Hi Raks! Wonderful recipe! Did you add some ghee at the end? I can see some ghee floating atop the dal in the last pic...
Anonymous
Dal and methi healthy combo.. Pics r tempting
Veena Theagarajan
very comforting and healthy dish..
Gayathri NG
Delicious dal...
Chandra
Delicious stuff.
Good for even a diabetic.
Will you please consider adding this key word to your tags?
Thank you.
Peace 🙂
M D
That looks delicious! Yum!
Hamaree Rasoi
Delicious and comforting to look at Methi dal. Wonderfully prepared.
Deepa
The Gastronomic Bong
Hi Raks,
Made this dal today. . It turned put superb... loved it.. 🙂
Cheers
Arpita
SHARMILEE J
Comforting and healthy dal recipe!
sadhiq ha
Tasty...
sadhiq ha
Tasty...
Meeeeee
Tried this recipe.... turned out great.. 🙂
Shobana Ranganathan
Love all of rak's recepies
Steph
Hello Raks! I love your recipes. I live in Canada so it is difficult to find fresh Methi. Do you think it would be possible to substitute with dry methi? If so, should I adjust the quantity?
Raks Anand
Soak 2 tbsp kasuri methi in hot water for a while and use it in the recipe.