Alu methi or Aloo methi is a simple and tasty vegan Indian dish made with fenugreek leaves & potatoes. This easy gluten-free recipe is a must-try this winter.
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One of my many reasons for loving winters is the options of vegetables available in the Indian market during this season. Though now every vegetable is available in every season like most of the Indians, I have been taught by my parents to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables. They are not only good for your health but also taste better in the season they grow.
I love all the vegetables of the winter season but my favorites are leafy greens especially mustard and fenugreek leaves. I am crazy about mustard leaves and can have it 3 times a day, 7 times a week. Fenugreek leaves are my second favorite.
What is Aloo methi?
The recipe which I am sharing today – Alu methi or Aloo methi (Potato and Fenugreek leaves) is a winter specialty of India. It’s a very simple and super quick recipe in which fresh fenugreek leaves are used.
Methi is the Hindi word for fenugreek and it’s used in every form in Indian cooking – fresh leaves, dry leaves(kasoori methi), and seeds. Fenugreek leaves are slightly bitter to taste but are very fragrant.
My mother always preserves a lot of fresh fenugreek leaves during winters and uses them as Kasuri methi throughout the year. Kasuri methi i.e. dry fenugreek leaves are used to season a lot of Indian dishes, it gives a smoky flavor to the food. If you also want to know how to use kasoori methi in your cooking, do check out my recipes Paneer do pyaza, matar mushroom, and Urad Chana dal.
Right now there are two 2 large bottles of Kasuri methi in my kitchen, given to me by my mother. I never use it without missing her and thinking about the emotions with which she preserves it for her daughters every year.
I like to keep the flavors of my greens intact so keep my recipe for Aloo methi very simple without adding many spices.
If you are cooking the Indian recipe of a green vegetable, always try to use mustard oil, it tastes a lot better than if cooked in any other medium. However, if you couldn’t find mustard oil, use any other oil of your choice.
Also, when we cook leaves they release water which later gets evaporated leading the quantity of dish to get reduced so always add salt at a later stage.
How to serve?
Generally, this potato methi dish is served with hot chapatis/parathas. You can also enjoy it with steamed rice and any dal like chana dal, or moong dal.
Substitute for methi
Last time when I shared the recipe of Gobhi matar methi, a lot of my readers who don’t live in India, asked me to suggest a substitute for methi(fenugreek leaves) as they were not able to find fresh fenugreek leaves. I am sure, I will be asked this question this time too.
Methi is the most important ingredient in this recipe so you cannot replace it. However, if you want to enjoy a similar recipe use spinach or any other leafy green and add a teaspoon of crushed dry kasoori methi to it. Though it won’t taste exactly the same you will get something similar to enjoy.
More vegan Indian recipes
- Aloo Baingan
- Aloo Gobhi
- Kerala style pepper mushroom
- Matar mushroom
- Aloo bhindi
- Bhindi masala
- Lobia
- Cabbage poriyal
- Aloo matar
- Vrat wale Aloo
- Vrat wali Arbi
- Lemon rice
- Aloo beans
If you try any of my recipes then please don’t miss to rate it in the comments section below.
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Step by step photo instructions
Aloo methi
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh fenugreek leaves roughly chopped
- 2 medium-sized potatoes washed, peeled, and cut into medium size cubes
- 1 small piece of ginger finely chopped
- 1 green chili, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice optional
- 1-2 dried red chilies
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil or any other oil of your choice
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Break the red chilies into 2-3 pieces each and add to the oil along with cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds or until they become fragrant .
- Add potato cubes and green chili. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Saute for about a minute.
- Next, add around ¼ cup of water and let the potatoes cook completely.
- When the potatoes are cooked, add chopped fenugreek leaves and ginger. Cook until the leaves get wilted. It will take around 5-7 minutes.
- Switch off the stove. Add lime juice and mix.
- Serve hot with roti or any other Indian bread.
Notes
- If your fenugreek leaves are fresh, the stem will be soft so you can use both leaves and stem. However, if the stems are not very soft, discard them and use only the leaves.
- As the leaves get wilted after getting cooked, the quantity of aloo methi will reduce when the dish gets ready. So, add the salt carefully.
- You don't want pieces of ginger in your food, use minced ginger.
- More recipe tips and tricks are given within the post above. Please follow them to make this recipe.
Love aloo methi..... very nice collection of recipes you have Vandana.
Thank you so much, Madhavi.