Methi Dal (Lentil Soup with Fenugreek)
More produce from my backyard. A few showers last month rejuvenated the plants & they are happy. It is Methi/Fenugreek & Tomatoes this time.
I had to be very patient with the tomatoes for the heat was drying up all the flowers & there was no sign of a single fruit. But it happened after the rain, & I got to pick quite a few, 2 of which were partially consumed by the birds & I left it for them. Now I know that the moment they get a touch of red, the tomatoes need to come inside, or else it is bird food. The fenugreek did not make me wait.I had soaked up the seeds overnight & spread them the next morning & in a few weeks they were grown enough to make 2 meals. I have planted another set.
Here are my Methi/Fenugreek & the Tomato:
A Big Red:
The benefits of Methi/Fenugreek are numerous. It is a common Kitchen Herb in India & the leaves are known to have cooling effects. The Methi Dal makes a perfect summer time meal. During a heat stroke, the leaves are made into a paste applied on the body. Methi leaves are extensively used during the summer months in the northern & north western part of India, as food & part of kitchen medicine. (For more info on the benefits of the seeds & leaves, Read Here)
Methi Dal (Lentil Soup with Fenugreek)
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Toor/Tuvari/Tuvar/Arhaar Dal/Split & Husked Pigeon Peas [Picture]
- 1 Large Fresh Tomato, grated or pureed
- 1 Small Onion, Chopped into small pieces
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Methi/Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes or 2 Red Dry Chillies (Optional)
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled & chopped
- 2 Cups Fenugreek/Methi Leaves, Chopped (Leaves & Tender Stems)
- 2 Green Hot Peppers, slit
- 1 Teaspoon Turmeric/Haldi
- Salt
- 1.5 Tablespoons Oil or Ghee
- Fresh Lemon Juice
Preparation:Note: The methi/fenugreek leaves may be cooked with the dal/lentils, but I don’t like mine overcooked, so I cook the leaves separately.
Wash the lentils till the water runs clear.
Boil (Cover & Cook) the Dal/Lentil with salt,turmeric, tomato & about 2.5 Cups of water till soft & almost mushy. The easiest & quickest way to do it is in a pressure cooker. It might take about 45 minutes to an hour to cook it without a pressure cooker.
Heat the oil/ghee. Add the cumin Seeds, methi/fenugreek seeds & the Chilli Flakes/Red Dry whole Chillies. When the seeds start to sizzle & the pepper turns brown, add the chopped garlic & onions. Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes at high heat till the onions turn clear.
Add the methi/fenugreek leaves & the hot peppers to the pan & toss till everything is well combined. Cover & cook for about 10 minutes at medium heat.
After the dal/lentil is cooked, add the dal/lentil to the pan along with the onion, garlic & the leaves. It has to be soup consistency, not like a thick paste, so add water if you need to at this time.
Taste for salt. Add if needed. Cover & cook at medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.
Finish off with adding a fresh lemon juice.
Serve with Roti/flatbread or Rice.
A comfort food!
Methi Seeds & The Lentil are both considered Legumes. Sending to MLLA # 14 hosted by creator Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.
To: GYO #34 hosted by the creator Andrea.
To: The Chard Challenge, hosted by Indosungod at Daily Musings.
Related Posts:
Simply Seasoned Red Lentils – A Taste of Home
Roasted Vegetable Stew with Coconut Milk
Spinach Soup with Potato & Fried Garlic
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August 23rd, 2009 at 9:35 am
I have wondered if I could grow methi but I wasn’t sure the climate they needed to grow… Love the recipe, and dal looks delicious with all that methi.
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:03 am
Soma, are you reading my thoughts? I am on a huge Dal trip and this recipe is sure to be used in my kitchen as soon as I come back to Italy!
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:20 am
Yummy and simple. This frequent s my kitchen in winter when the methi is abundantly available.
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:54 pm
The methi leaves looks beautiful and so does the tomato. I oversoaked some methi and threw them in pots and they are coming along nicely, enough to make a meal of methi dal. This looks very good.
August 23rd, 2009 at 3:41 pm
It is real comfort food,Soma!You have some wonderful veggies growing in your backyard!
August 23rd, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Whoa…ur methi looks so natural and happy.
Beautiful pics as ever. I also use methi seeds very generously in my kitchen. I m gonna to plant methi seeds now. Thanks for reminding me. 
August 23rd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
This sounds like a wonderful soup, Soma! I love lentils!
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:40 pm
The methi looks so fresh and pretty. I love the combination of methi and daal, comfort food at its best.
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
lovely pictures…really healthy..
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Ami eta onekdin holo bhabchi post korbo … praaye ek bochor dhore.
My version is slightly different and I love it with plain rice. Tomar baagaaner bounty toh darun!
August 23rd, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Looks delicious….leaves pics are so gud…
August 24th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Methi dal looks delicious, total comfort food!
August 24th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Ha,great refreshing pictures there from your garden..feeling like had a breeze..what a pleasure to reap from our own place..nothing can replace that happiness Soma..
Lentil soup with methi is a meal,I think in itself..filing rich soup..Indian to the core.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Can Methi grown in hot weather like Singapore. Wonder add this in Chinese cooking?
We are at 100 degree F here, & it grows well in India, so I am sure it will grow in Singapore.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:39 am
What a gorgeous soup! I’ve never used Fenugreek, wonder if I can find it in my supermarket.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:45 am
How wonderful. I really like the combination of flavors, and of course that you could use your homegrown tomatoes. Thanks for sharing again with Grow Your Own!
August 24th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
It’s lovely that you can pick tomatoes and fenugreek from your own yard! I’ve never used fenugreek in my cooking; I guess I just haven’t seen it around much. The lentil soup looks amazing.
August 25th, 2009 at 3:02 am
Very interesting use of the fenugreek ,never used it before .
will have to try that!
The lentil soup looks yummy!
August 25th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I want to try growing fenugreek. Sounds perfect for our hot summer weather. Your soup looks fantastic too!
August 26th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Oh, your methi plant looks so lush and happy. There’s nothing like harvesting from your own garden. Lovely soup – drooling over it, actually. ; )
Thanks, Soma, for your MLLA recipe!
August 31st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
[...] Lentil Soup with Fenugreek (Methi Dal) from Soma of eCurry (Texas, United States) [...]
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Hi Soma,
Gorgeous methi and tomatoes! Methi dal was one of the first I ever made, and still a fav. I was so caught up in growing tomatoes this year, I didn’t plant any fenugreek. Shame on me
Thanks for sharing your recipe. Next time I will try cooking the methi separately.
Best wishes from Massachusetts!
September 5th, 2009 at 7:29 am
[...] Methi Dal (Lentil Soup with Fenugreek) | eCurry – The Recipe Blog [...]
September 13th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Ooo, I needed an excuse to buy fenugreek. Sadly, I’m not growing my own …
September 30th, 2009 at 3:20 am
I have never tried dal with methi but will definitely going to try it thanks for recipe.