Aloo Methi is a classic indian sabji cooked during winter months. It is a lightly spiced and delicious sabji made with potatoes, mustard oil, garlic and fragrant methi (fresh fenugreek leaves).
Ready in under 30 minutes (if methi & potatoes are prepped), aloo methi sabji is perfect to serve as a side dish with roti, paratha or dal-rice.
My grandmother's aangan (backyard) had a lush vegetable patch and the taste of greens from there was something else. All through winter, methi recipes ruled our dinner table. Mom made a lot of dry curries, and among them, aloo methi is one of my favorites!
What is Methi
Methi is a popular winter green in the indian subcontinent. Methi is extensively use in north indian cooking as a spice (methi dana), a leafy vegetables and also as a dried herb (kasuri methi). It has an addictive tangy bitter sweet flavor.
Here in the States, you can easily find methi fresh in the indian grocery stores starting autumn months. I have seen it being sold up until May at my store. Else the frozen section carries it year round.
Broadly, there are two varieties of methi- the small one, with round, dark green and extremely fragrant & delicate leaves from which kasuri methi is made. Kasuri methi has has a short season and during winters it is available only for a couple of weeks. I have never seen fresh kasuri methi in States. Dried kasuri methi is a flavoring herb.
The other variety, the one with larger leaves is less fragrant in comparison but has a longer season and is easily available. It can be homegrown easily from fenugreek seeds. And used for cooking purposes.
About Aloo Methi
To make this sabji, mustard oil (sarson ka tel) is tempered with spices, garlic and hing and then aloo is sautéed with chopped methi leaves.
In my methi aloo recipe, I use very basic spices so that the flavor of methi shines. It is a very simple recipe and if you keep a few things in mind, you cannot mess it up.
A few notes about my aloo methi recipe:-
- I cook it in mustard oil and recommend that you do the same. The authentic taste of this sabji comes through when cooked in sarson tel. However, I fully understand that mustard oil is a strong flavor for many, so in that case, opt for mild flavored oils like avocado or grapeseed oil.
- I prefer to cook such leafy green vegetables in cast iron pots/skillets or iron kadai.
- I cannot imagine cooking a methi dish without garlic! Methi and garlic are one of the loveliest pairings. So lots of chopped garlic goes in the tempering. I don't use onions.
- No powdered spices go in except a pinch of turmeric (optional) and amchoor (aka dry mango powder) to finish.
- The natural taste of methi is bitter. So we dont add any kind of chili powder or green chilies(that can make the taste too sharp). I just use a few dried chilies in tempering for flavor.
Aloo methi is a great vegan & vegetarian friendly dish that needs few ingredients. You will love it!
Ingredients
How To Clean Methi
Cleaning methi leaves is one of the most tedious task. However, given how delicious this leafy vegetable is and how much I love it, trust me its worth all the effort.
I usually clean a few bunches at a time (at least 4-5) and store it to use in coming weeks. Pluck only the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems because they are fibrous and have no taste. If you use the stems, the texture of the sabji gets spoiled.
Pack unwashed leaves in air tight container or in a ziploc bag for future use. Add a small piece of paper towel while storing.
How Do You Reduce The Bitterness of Methi
Methi is supposed to be slightly bitter naturally and that is the highlight of its pleasant taste. However sometimes its bitterness is unbearable and you could try the following methods. Do keep in mind that these are not sure shot methods but do help considerably.
- Pluck methi leaves from their stems. Wash them thoroughly to remove all dirt. Drain as much water as can. In a bowl, add the leaves and bit of a salt. Massage the leaves lightly and set aside for 20-30 minutes. You will notice that methi juices will collect on the bottom of bowl, discard those.
- You could blanch the methi leaves in hot water and use them. Add methi to boiling water, let soak for 1-2 minutes and immediately transfer to ice cold water.
- My mom tells me to always use an acidic element like amchoor (dry mango powder) or lemon juice when cooking methi dishes. The brightness and tang cuts the bitterness to an extent.
- Also, once you are done cooking, leave the dish to rest for a while (20-30 minutes), that also reduces the bitterness a little bit.
How To Make Aloo Methi Sabji (Step by Step Pictures)
I recommend starting a few hours ahead of lunch/dinner time if you plan to make the sabzi that day. The full process of prepping methi (cleaning and air drying) takes a few hours.
- Set potatoes to boil in a pressure cooker. We want the potatoes to be completely cold (fridge cold is best!) so you can boil them a day ahead as well. To use raw potatoes, refer the instructions in recipe card.
- Clean the methi leaves by plucking leaves from the stems.
- Wash the leaves thoroughly. I let the leaves soak for 5-8 minutes in every wash. Repeat 2-4 times or as needed till you see no dirt in the soaking water.
- Air dry the methi leaves for 30-45 minutes. Dont use wet methi else the sabji will be watery.
- Using a sharp knife, chop the methi leaves. Peel the potato skins and cube them.
- Temper oil with spices, dried chilli and garlic. Dont let the garlic brown.
- Add the potatoes and saute for a minute.
- Then add the chopped methi along with salt. Stir to mix.
- In about 2 minutes, you will see that the methi has wilt down and it will stick to the potatoes. Cover for a 3-4 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.
- Once you see that the methi is dark shade of green and is glistening, add the amchoor powder.
- Let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving for best flavor!
Tips & Notes
- Make sure that the washed methi is dry before you start chopping else the sabji will get watery.
- My grandma often mixed fresh dill (sooaa) leaves whenever cooking methi aloo. I dont like it because dill is a very strong herb and I feel it overpowers the taste of methi, however you may try if you wish. Add 1-2 tablespoons of dill.
- For a good balance of flavors, I like to keep the quantity of methi more than potatoes. Potatoes lend the dish a nice, comforting earthy flavor as well as balance the bitterness of the greens however don't use too many potatoes.
- When you are cleaning methi, just pick up the leaves and discard the stems. Stems are fibrous and don't taste that good.
- Always taste your methi bunch before cooking. Depending on the bitterness, decide whether to use it for cooking or not. Sometimes methi is just too biter and all your hard work will be wasted 🙁
- This sabzi also tastes so awesome with baby potatoes or new potatoes (used to be a winter favorite growing up) Always cook the potatoes until tender first because the methi leaves cook really fast.
- I prefer cooking such leafy green vegetables in an iron kadai /cast iron pan, it tastes very good.
- Don't skip the amchoor (dry mango powder), its super important and reduces the bitterness of methi. You can also use few teaspoons of lemon juice instead.
More Methi Recipe
Methi Aloo - Fenugreek With Potatoes
Methi Aloo - Fenugreek With Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 cup tightly packed methi leaves (from about 4 bunches)~350g
- 2 large potatoes ~200g (I use russet or gold potatoes)
- 3 tablespoon mustard oil mustard oil adds a authentic punjabi flavor but grapeseed/avocado oil can be used
- 6-7 fenugreek seeds methi dana
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅓ teaspoon asafoetida hing powder
- 3 garlic finely chopped
- 2-3 dried whole chilies or use ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- ¼ teaspoon amchoor (dry mango powder)
- ¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
Instructions
Preparation
- Set potatoes to boil in a pressure cooker. We want the potatoes to be completely cold (fridge cold is best!) so you can boil them a day ahead as well.
- Pick leaves from the long, fibrous methi stems. This step takes time. Then, wash and soak the leaves under running water 2-3 times to remove all the dirt. I let the leaves soak for 5-8 minutes in every wash. Repeat 2-4 times or as needed till you see no dirt in the soaking water. Make sure that the leaves have no mud on them.
- On a clean kitchen towel, spread the washed & drained methi to completely air dry for at least 30 to 45 minutes. If you are in a hurry, use paper towel to press down and absorb as much moisture as possible. Ensure that the leaves are totally dry once you are ready to cook else the sabzi will come out watery.
- Once dry, using a sharp knife, chop the methi leaves. Peel the potato skins and cube into 1 to 1.5 inch cubes.
- In an iron karahi or heavy cast iron pan, heat up the mustard oil on medium until slightly smoky and the raw smell goes away. Temper the oil with methi dana and cumin seeds. Wait a few seconds to crackle.
- Turn the heat to low and immediately add the chopped garlic, hing and dried chillies. Wait till the garlic changes color to light brown and the dried chillies swell, about 8-10 seconds in hot oil. Take utmost care that the garlic does not burn. You can take the pot/kadai off the stove for few minutes if needed.
- Reduce the stove to low and next add the potato and sprinkle the turmeric(if using). Stir around for a minute or so and get the potatoes started in oil. Note- If you are using raw potatoes, add a splash of water, cover the kadai and cook potatoes to fork tender before adding methi leaves.
- Add the chopped methi leaves. Stir to combine. The methi leaves will wilt down in 1-2 minutes and you will see bit water of the methi separating. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on medium low heat.
- Sprinkle the salt next. Stir to combined. Now, cover the kadai for 3 -4 minutes or so and let cook until the potatoes are fully done.
- Once done, methi will be a darker shade of green and will stick to potatoes and potatoes will be fully soft.
- Put off the heat, sprinkle amchoor, mix gently (so that potatoes dont break) and let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
- Reheat on low and serve.
Notes
- Make sure that the washed methi is dry before you start chopping else the sabji will get watery.
- My grandma often mixed fresh dill (sooaa) leaves whenever cooking methi aloo. I dont like it because dill is a very strong herb and I feel it overpowers the taste of methi, however you may try if you wish. Add 1-2 tablespoons of dill.
- For a good balance of flavors, I like to keep the quantity of methi more than potatoes. Potatoes lend the dish a nice, comforting earthy flavor as well as balance the bitterness of the greens however don't use too many potatoes.
- When you are cleaning methi, just pick up the leaves and discard the stems. Stems are fibrous and don't taste that good.
- Always taste your methi bunch before cooking. Depending on the bitterness, decide whether to use red chili powder or not
- This sabzi also tastes so awesome with baby potatoes or new potatoes (used to be a winter favorite growing up) Always cook the potatoes until tender first because the methi leaves cook really fast.
- I prefer cooking such leafy green vegetables in an iron kadai /cast iron pan, it tastes very good.
- Don't skip the amchoor (dry mango powder), its super important and reduces the bitterness of methi. You can also use few teaspoons of lemon juice instead.
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