Methi Chaman is a delicious Indian dish of fresh methi or fenugreek greens pureed with spinach and cooked with a few spices. Eat it with roti for a memorable and nutritious meal.
In our home, methi or fenugreek leaves are one of those vegetables that neither Desi nor I can have enough of. This is a rather pretty vegetable with small leaves and thick stems and a pleasantly bitter taste that mellows when cooked into a nutty deliciousness.
But the flavor, as addictive as it is, is not methi's greatest or only asset: this is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat, prized in Indian homes for its ability to improve digestion, fight cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels, among other benefits.
I love methi in almost anything: I add it to rice, dals, curries, pakoras, and subzis, and when I don't have fresh methi on hand I add dry, or kasoori methi, which is available at any Indian grocery store, to effortlessly add a healthy and delicious punch to whatever's cooking.
Today's recipe, Methi Chaman, has got to be one of my favorite ways of preparing this veggie. For one, it also incorporates spinach, another green powerhouse, that not only adds more flavor and health to the dish but also mellows out the bitterness of the methi, making it an ideal introduction to this veggie for someone new to it.
This is an easy enough dish to put together, and one ideal for weeknights when you don't have a whole lot of time to get dinner ready. You don't have to do any chopping, except to get the toughest part of the stems out, because the veggies get pureed. And it goes beautifully with almost any Indian bread-- chapatis, naans, rotis or parathas-- or with some dal and rice.
Traditionally a little paneer, an Indian cheese, is added to the recipe at the end, but I just leave it out, or sometimes I add some pan-fried firm tofu (like this vegan palak paneer. ) Potatoes would also be great in here.
Enjoy, all!
More vegan recipes with methi or fenugreek leaves
Methi Chaman
Ingredients
- 1 bunch methi leaves (or fenugreek leaves)
- 1 bunch spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1-inch stick cinnamon
- 1 onion (minced)
- 3 green chili peppers (like serrano, minced. Use less if you prefer less heat, and deseed the peppers)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional but recommended for great flavor)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil a big pot of water and add the spinach and methi leaves to the boiling water. Leave them in there for about three minutes, then fish out the leaves and, using a little water, grind them into a coarse paste. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and add the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they sputter, add the onions.
- Saute until the onion starts to brown. Now add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute.
- Add the green chillies and saute another couple of minutes.
- Add the coriander powder, stir to coat with oil and toast lightly, about 30 seconds, and then add the spinach-methi puree.
- Cook the puree, stirring frequently to keep it from sticking to the bottom, until all the water has evaporated and the greens start to express the oil. You do have to be a little patient and get to this step because that's a good sign your greens are cooked and ready.
- Now add the powdered garam masala and about 1 cup of water to the skillet. If you want a looser curry, add more water.
- Add the vegan butter, if using, and salt to taste. Add cilantro, stir in, and turn off the heat.
- Serve hot with parathas or rotis.
sukanya
Hi Vaishali, last week I have tried your methi chaman recipe, it turns out too good, though I tweaked it a bit,
thanx for sharing it
you can check mine at
see you soon
Get Skinny, Go Vegan.
Our Indian store said that the "fresh" methi was only carried certain times of the year. Do you have a place you buy it year round or are you able to grow it yourself??
Sensible Vegetarian
Love the color and all the hidden health ingredients in that super delicious bowl.
Vaishali
Chitra, T, Thanks.
AMA, yes this would go perfectly with rotis and just about any Indian flatbread.
AMA's AnythingVegetarian
This is new to me.Does it go well with roti?.Looks like a dish packed with nutrients.
T
Oooh what a vibrant color! That looks great.
Chitra
Bookmarked !! was searching for this kind 🙂 thnx.
Vaishali
Priya, Thanks!
Vegansolo, You have to use fresh for this one, or the flavor won't be quite the same. It is worth waiting for until summer 🙂
Kurinji, Cham: Thanks!
Cham
I made methi with dhal for dinner, this one is highly green and very attractive recipe!
Kurinji
Healthy and colorful chamman...
kurinjikathambam
Event: Healthy Recipe Hunt
VeganSolo
I love fenugreek/methi too. Especially love the smell. Are you using fresh in someting like this? I have dried in my pantry, but fresh is not widely available...I was thinking of growing some this summer tho.
Priya
Wow wat a healthy and comforting methi chamman, soooo delicious..
Vaishali
Divya, Thanks.
Manasi, bhakri with methi bhaji sounds fantastic. I have to make some bhakri soon! Thanks for the inspiration.
Anonymous, No you are not crazy. 🙂 The avocado rolls are in my last post--scroll down to the bottom of the Crepes Stuffed with Orange Cream Cheese recipe and you'll find the picture of the rolls with a link.
Manasi
I am a huge fan of Methi too. This is a must try on my list now.
I usually make Palak- methi mudds bhaji & Bhakri that is a family fav.
divya
You're really making me drool so badly. It looks very tempting...
Anonymous
Vaishali,
I could have sworn you had a post and picture of dinner rolls or buns you made using your avocado brioche recipe. I remember a photo of greenish dinner rolls looking buns. Now I can't find it. I found the Avocado Brioche recipe, but not the buns/rolls. Am I crazy? If you indeed had such a page, please direct me to it.
Thanks!!