Methi dal ( Dal with fenugreek leaves )

                                                   

Methi dal

Once I happen to visit a Hydrabadi mess with my husband, in that restaurant, in the veg thali they served the methi dal. Hence I thought of preparing methi dal in my own style. 

Dal is the staple food at home but just to make healthy twist to the dal I thought of preparing methi dal ,as sometimes we get bored by eating the same dal tadka recipe.

I know many people know about the benefits of methi leaves, though few people eat methi leaves in their food regularly but still there will be some people who don’t like the taste of this leafy vegetable.

Methi dal is the best way to make these fussy eaters consume methi leaves. Methi leaves are bitter in taste but the health benefits are really very sweet.

        Ingredients

• 1 cup Tur dal(pigeon pea lentils)
• Water (as per requirement)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1-2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated coconut
• 1 medium size onion (finely chopped)
• ½ inch ginger (finely chopped)
• 5 to 6 garlic (finely chopped)
• 1-2 green chilies (slit)
• 1 to 2 dry red bedgi chilies
• 1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• A pinch of asafetida
• 1 cup fresh fenugreek/methi leaves (cleaned &chopped)
• Salt (as per taste)
• jaggery (around 1 tsp)

       Method of preparation

• Pressure cook the dal,methi leaves,tomato,onion,ginger, green chilies turmeric and water till the 3 whistles.
• Once the pressure cooker cools down, open the lid and gently mix all the ingredients with the help of whisk.
• Add salt,jaggery,grated coconut and red chili powder and mix again with the ladle.
• Give tempering with some oil and red chili, cumin,mustard seeds, asafetida and chopped garlic.
• Pour this mixture in the dal or add the cooked dal to this tempering mixture. Add water as per requirement.Stir very well and simmer the dal for 7 to 8 minutes more.
• Serve the methi dal steaming hot with steamed rice.

       Note

• In the above  recipe i have used tur dal, but you can also make this dal with moong dal and chana dal . You can also use a combination of two to three lentils.
• I have cooked dal ,methi leaves ,tomato and onion together to give integrated taste to the dal.As per personal choice you can cook dal and other ingredients separately.                                                                                                                                                                                                         Happy Cooking !