My methi dal is an aromatic Indian dal made with fresh fenugreek leaves, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts and lots of garlic. Serve it with rice or roti.
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Methi dal is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy the incredible health benefits of methi or fresh fenugreek leaves, an aromatic leafy green that's eaten all around India.
You might be familiar with kasoori methi, or dried fenugreek leaves, used in recipes like vegan butter chicken or vegan dal makhani, or with fenugreek seeds, small, hard seeds that have a bitter, maple-syrup-like flavor and that are used in recipes like dosa and idli. In India, fresh fenugreek leaves are a popular leafy green that's cooked into sabzis and curries like this creamy methi matar malai.
Outside India, fresh or frozen methi can easily be sourced at any Indian store and some Asian stores. The fresh vegetable looks a bit like watercress, with small, oval, vibrant green leaves and long, slender roots. If you aren't already familiar with it, it is a vegetable well worth adding to your diet in tasty recipes like this methi dal. Frozen methi works just as well in this recipe.
I've shared with you so many Indian dal recipes over the years, including this simple and absolutely fantastic easy, everyday dal recipe, which I call the "best dal" because it really is that. This methi dal is also a family favorite, and one that my darling son, Jay, loved. I hope you will love it too.
Why you will love this recipe
- Nourishing. Methi leaves are among the healthiest greens you can eat. They are heart-healthy, they lower blood sugar, and they are great for the respiratory and digestive systems. This is a super healthy dal recipe to serve to your family.
- Delicious. Methi leaves have a distinct aroma and flavor and they add so much yummy flavor to this simple dal.
- Easy recipe. Once you have the lentils cooked the methi dal comes together in minutes. The recipe is very beginner friendly.
- Allergy-friendly. This methi dal is soy-free and gluten-free and it can easily be made nut-free by skipping the peanuts.
Ingredients
- Lentils or dals. I use a mix of ½ cup toor dal (arhar dal or split pigeon peas) and ½ cup moong dal (green gram dal) for the perfect texture and flavor. You can substitute masoor dal or use just one kind of dal in this recipe.
- Methi leaves or fenugreek leaves. Use fresh or frozen methi leaves in this recipe.
- Spices: black mustard seeds, turmeric and any fresh green chili pepper, including jalapeno or serrano.
- Herbs: garlic and cilantro. The garlic pods are peeled and left whole. They become butter-soft in the pressure cooker and taste amazing.
- Vegetables: onion and tomatoes.
Variations
- Use cumin seeds (jeera) instead of mustard seeds.
- Use a mix of leafies-- half spinach and half fenugreek leaves. Jay loved it when I used a mix of greens.
- Squeeze in some lemon juice at the end of cooking. I would use the juice of ½ a lemon.
How to make methi dal (step-by-step)
Place the lentils in a pressure cooker, Instant Pot liner or saucepan. Cover with two inches of water. Stir in turmeric powder.
Add the chopped fenugreek leaves or methi, peanuts and garlic to the pressure cooker. Pressure-cook for three whistles or for 10 minutes in the Instant Pot. Release naturally or manually after 10 minutes.
In a pot or saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds sputter, add onions. Add a pinch of salt and saute until the onions soften.
Add tomatoes and mix. Saute for a couple of minutes. Then add the cooked lentils and methi.
Stir in tamarind, add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Add more water as needed to thin out the methi dal. Check salt. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
More delicious dals with leafy greens
- Dal palak (restaurant-style)
- Amaranth dal
- Dal with collard greens
- Sindhi sai bhaji
- Parsi vegetable dhansak
Recipe card
Methi Dal
Ingredients
- ½ cup toor dal (split pigeon peas, also called toor dal or arhar dal)
- ½ cup moong dal (yellow split mung beans)
- 1 bunch methi greens (or 3 cups frozen methi leaves. See prep instructions for fresh methi in recipe FAQs. Chop the methi leaves fine.)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 green chili pepper (like jalapeno or serrano, slit down the middle)
- 1 bulb garlic (about 12 cloves, peeled and left whole)
- ½ cup raw peanuts
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida or hing (hing)
- 2 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 2 medium tomatoes (finely diced)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a pressure cooker, Instant Pot liner or saucepan. Cover with two inches of water. Stir in turmeric.
- Add the chopped fenugreek leaves or methi, peanuts and garlic to the pressure cooker. Stir, then pressure-cook for three whistles or for 10 minutes in the Instant Pot. Release naturally or manually after 10 minutes.
- In a pot or saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add asafetida and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds sputter, add onions. Add a pinch of salt and saute until the onions soften.
- Add tomatoes and mix. Saute for a couple of minutes. Then add the cooked lentils and methi.
- Stir in tamarind, add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
- Add more water as needed to thin out the methi dal. Check salt. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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Recipe FAQs
Buy methi that looks fresh and bright green. The leaves should not be wilting or brown. Trim out the root ends of the methi and wash the leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt clinging to the roots -- the easiest and most effective way to do this is to dunk the leaves in a large bowl of cold water. Shake the leaves out, then repeat a couple more times. You can use tender methi stems but trim out any tough stems.
Yes! The choice of lentils -- moong dal and tuvar dal -- adds lots of flavor and great texture. But you can use pink lentils, if that's what you have, or whole brown lentils (masoor).
To remove all oil from the recipe, skip the teaspoon of oil and add the mustard seeds and asafetida to a dry, heated pan. When the mustard sputters, add onions, salt and ¼ cup water or vegetable broth to saute the onions in. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Serve the methi dal with basmati rice or jeera rice, or with roti or paratha along with a sabzi like Bombay potatoes or sauteed okra.
Refrigerate: Store the dal in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.
Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for three months.
Reheat: Thaw and reheat in saucepan or microwave. Thin out with water if needed and check salt before serving.
Karyn says
Can I use dried kasoori methi? What would be the amount to substitute? I’d probably use more spinach or add in kale.
Vaishali says
Hi, use 2 tbs of kasoori methi in addition to the spinach and/or kale.
Aish says
Tried this a while ago for dinner and it was yummy!
Oishivegan says
I have been looking for a recipe using lentils and here we are, I found my inspiration 🙂 I know what I will have for dinner !!!
oishivegan.wordpress.com
Minakshi Krishnan says
I tried this recipe on Sunday, absolutely loved it! Thank you for a great recipe.
theveganjunction says
This recipe looks and sounds super satisfying. I'll just have to visit the local Indian grocery and stock up on some ingredients!
Sharmila says
I have been trying to be able to get a good click to make a post on the methi dal for the past so many times and here is your perfect looking methi dal. Looks lovely.
And congrats on being a mom Vaishali! Haven't been here for a while and came across this great news today. Wishing you loads of fun and happiness ahead. 🙂
Vaishali Honawar says
Thanks, Sharmila. It's definitely an adventure.:)
Amanda Erickson says
This looks WONDERFUL. I will try it, as I recently found an Indian grocery about an hour away. Thank you! p.s. Vegan dal Makhani is my favorite but have never tried it with methi, so this will be a good introduction.
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Amanda, hope you try it! How wonderful you found a grocery store that sells Indian stuff. Mine is not that far, but I'd give anything to have one even nearer! 🙂