Methi Suki bhaji

Methi Bhaji in Marathi

Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 big bunches of Methi (fenugreek leaves) (Tip 1)
1 bunch of spring onions
4-6 big garlic cloves, roughly sliced
For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1 pinch cumin seeds, 2 pinches hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 green chilies, finely chopped OR 1/2 tsp red chili powder
2-3 tbsp besan (chickpea flour) (tip 2)
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Pick methi leaves. Wash and finely chop them. Wash spring onions and chop them finely.
2) Heat oil into a kadai. Add garlic cloves. Saute until edges become brown. Then add mustard seed, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric powder and green chilies. Saute for few seconds.
3) Add chopped Methi leaves and green onions. Add little salt.  Saute over medium-high heat then cover. If you notice that methi is getting dry, sprinkle some water.
4) Cook until methi is well done. It will take about 7 to 10 minutes. then sprinkle besan and stir well. Turn heat to low. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Tips:
1) To reduce the bitterness, wash and chop the methi leaves. Immerse them into cold salt water. Wait for 5 minutes. Squeeze out all the water. However, doing this will cause loss of nutrition.
2) Dry roast besan before adding it to sabzi. Roasted besan will get cooked faster and won't taste sticky after cooking.

Methi Gota Bhajji

Gota Bhaji in Marathi

Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Makes: 15 to 18 medium Bhajji

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Besan (tip 1)
1/2 cup mung dal flour (tip 1)
3 tbsp coarse rava
1/4 cup Kasoori Methi
1 tsp garlic paste
1/2 cup yogurt or as much as needed
Spices: 2 cloves, 2 pinches of cinnamon powder, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 7-8 black pepper corns - Crush together and make a coarse powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp hing
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Take a mixing bowl. Add besan, mung dal flour, kasoori methi, garlic paste, coarse spice powder, red chili powder, hing, turmeric, sugar and salt. Mix well. Add yogurt, a spoon at a time. Mix and make a semi-thick, sticky batter. Batter should not form a dough, but it should not be runny. Add Baking soda and mix.
2) Heat oil in a kadai. Once oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium to medium-high. Grease your palms. Take a tbsp of mixture and make a smooth round ball without any cracks on the surface. Drop carefully into hot oil. Deep fry until golden brown.
Serve hot with green chutney or Tamarind chutney.

Tips:
1) Use coarse flour to get more nice textured goda bhajji.
2) Pakoda made from doughy batter will remain uncooked from the inside. Opposite to that, you won't be able to form perfect rounds if the batter is loose in consistency. Therefore, make sticky and gooey batter. Use some oil while handling this batter, otherwise the batter will stick to your hand.
3) Kasoori methi gives nice flavor. However, you may add fresh methi leaves instead of kasoori methi.

Soya Methi Malai

Soya Methi Malai in Marathi

Serves: 3 persons
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1.5 cups Methi leaves, finely chopped (plz see imp tip no. 1)
3/4 cup Soya Chunks
1/2 cup Green Peas (Frozen)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
For tempering: 1 tbsp Oil, 2 pinches cumin seeds, 1/ 8 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp ginger-green chili paste, 1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp Kitchen king masala
1/4 to 1/2 cup Heavy cream
Salt to taste
For Garnishing - 2 tbsp Chopped tomato

Method:
1) Wash and finely chop methi leaves. Soak soya chunks in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain the hot water and add cold water. Leave it for 2 minutes and then squeeze soya chunks to remove all the water. Roughly chop them.
2) Heat oil in Kadai. Add cumin seeds, saute for 5 seconds and then add ginger-green chili paste. saute for 10 seconds. Now add onion, turmeric, red chili powder and 2 pinches of salt. Suate until onion becomes translucent.
3) Add green peas and cook for couple of minutes. Now, add soya chunks and methi leaves. Stir for 2 minutes. Add kitchen king masala. Cook till moisture in methi leaves evaporates. Do not cover while cooking. Check the salt and adjust the spices.
4) Turn the heat to low. Add heavy cream as much as required. Stir continuously to prevent curdling. Keep the flame low.
After adding cream, do not boil too much. There are chances of curry getting spoiled.
Serve hot with Chapati, or any other Indian bread.

Tips:
1) To reduce bitterness of fenugreek, soak the chopped fenugreek into cold salt water for 10 minutes. Then squeeze and use. But, soaking in water, methi loses its nutritional value to some extent. Hence, use this method only if you can't bare the bitterness. (the bitterness reduces a little after adding cream)
2) Soya granules can be used instead of soya chunks.
3) green peas give a sweetness to the curry. However, its an optional ingredient. The curry can be prepared with fenugreek and soya chunks.
4) Incase, if kitchen king masala is not available, use garam masala.

Paneer Methi

Paneer Methi in Marathi

Serves: 2 to 3 persons
Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 big bunch of Methi, washed and picked
150 gram paneer, small cubes (Tip)
1 small onion, sliced lengthwise
1 medium tomato, medium cubes
1/2 inch ginger
3 to 4 big garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2-3 Black pepper
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 cup cream (Tip)
Tempering: 1 + 1 tbsp Oil, pinch of turmeric
1 tsp Coriander powder
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Heat 1 tbsp oil into a pan. Add black pepper, ginger, garlic and onion. Saute till onion turns translucent. Add tomato and cook till tomato becomes mushy. Let this mixture cool down. Puree without adding water.
2) Finely chop methi leaves. Heat oil into a pan. Add turmeric and methi leaves. Also add 2-3 pinches of salt. Cook uncovered until water content of methi leaves evaporate.
3) Now add tomato- onion puree and yogurt. Stir well and cook for few minutes. Add little more salt and coriander powder.
4) Turn the heat to low (Tip). Add paneer and cream. Also add some water to get the desired consistency. Cook for few minutes.
Serve hot with Chapati, Naan or any Indian bread.

Tips:
1) When using store bought paneer, cut them into cubes and immerse into hot water. Drain the water after 2 minutes. This way, paneer becomes soft.
2) Incase, the cream is unavailable, mix 1/2 cup milk powder to 1/4 cup water without any lumps.
3) Do not add cream when flame is high. High flame will curdle the cream (when mixed with salt).

Aloo Methi

Aloo Methi in Marathi

Time: 30 to 40 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
3 cups finely chopped Methi leaves
1 medium Potato, (peel and cut into medium cubes)
1 small onion, finely chopped (around 1/2 cup after chopping)
1 small tomato, pureed
For tempering:- 1.5 tbsp oil, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1 pinch cumin seeds, 1 pinch hing, 1/4 tsp turmeric
2-3 green chilies, slitted lengthwise
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Tomato Puree - Immerse the tomato into a water-filled glass bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Then drain, puree and strain.
2) Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, turmeric and green chilies. Saute for few seconds. Add onion and cook 50 %. Then add potato cubes (Tip 1). Mix well, cover the pan and let the potato cook. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.
3) Add tomato Puree and cook over high heat. Stir until tomato puree reduces and becomes very thick.
4) Now add chopped methi and 2-3 pinches of salt. Do not add too much salt as methi will shrink after sauteing. Stir over high heat.
5) Once methi reduces in size and water content in methi almost evaporates, reduce the heat and cook for couple of minutes. Add salt at this moment (only if required).
Serve hot with chapati.

Tips:
1) Boiled potato can be used to save time. In that case, follow the same steps except add boiled potato cubes at the end.
( tempering + Add onion and cook completely + Add tomato puree and cook until thickens + Add methi leaves and wait till the it shrinks + add potatoes cook for few minutes)
2) This sabzi tastes good without any spices. However, spices may be added as per your choice (garam masala, coriander - cumin powder).
3) Onion can be substituted by Garlic paste. Use 1 tsp garlic paste.

Fenugreek Laddu Methi Laddu

Fenugreek Laddu in Marathi

Time: approximately 2 hours
Yield: 25 medium laddus

Ingredients:
1 cup Wheat flour
2 cups Soybean flour
1 cup Cashew powder
1 cup Dry dates powder
1/2 cup Almond powder
1/2 cup Pistachio powder
2 cups Dry coconut, grated and roasted
50 gram Dink Powder (Edible Gum)
50 gram Fenugreek seeds
2 to 2 and 1/2 cup Jaggery, grated
Approximately 1/2 kg Ghee

Method:
1) Heat a pan nicely. Then turn off the gas. Roast the fenugreek seeds for few minutes. Ground the roasted fenugreek to fine powder.
2) In a deep bowl, take around 2 cups of warm ghee. Add fenugreek powder and Dink powder. Mix and beat the mixture for around 15 minutes. Do it alternate days for about 8 days. Beating fenugreek along with the ghee helps to reduce bitterness of the fenugreek.
3) Roast the powder of Cashew, Almonds, Pistachio, Dry dates separately by adding a tablespoon ghee for each roasting.
4) Roast the soybean flour and wheat flour. Add few tablespoon of ghee while roasting.
5) Mix all the ingredients. (Roasted powder of Cashew, Almonds, Pistachio, Dry dates, Roasted Coconut, beaten Dink and Fenugreek powder, Roasted flours)
6) Take the jaggery into a pan. Add 2 to 3 tbsp water. Heat the pan and melt the jaggery. Once jaggery is melted, turn off the heat. Add the above mixture immediately. Mix nicely and make the laddus while mixture is still hot.