Herbs & Spices

Fenugreek / Methi

Fenugreek is native to Western Asia and Southeastern Europe and is extensively used both as a flavouring and a medicinal herb. It is now grown in Argentina, India, Morocco, the Mediterranean, and in Pakistan. Both the leaves and seeds are used in Indian cuisine - the leaves resemble shaped clover leaves and the seeds grow in pods, which contain 15 to 20 seeds each.

Fresh leaves are grassy and mildly pungent and as translated by the Slovaks, 'green hay', fennel leaves contain an aromatic note of hay. The seeds are hard, are brownish-yellow in colour and are of rhombic shape (about 3 mm). The seeds tend to taste uniquely bitter and astringent. They have an overwhelming smell of curry powder.

Fenugreek seeds are tempered in hot oil or are dry roasted. The powdered version is ground finely and split seeds are used with a combination of split mustard seeds in pickles. Fenugreek is essential to sambhar powders and the Bengali panch phoron masala. Indian cooks also tend to make great use of fresh fenugreek leaves as a vegetable, which is often combined with potatoes, spinach or rice. The leaves are also chopped and added to the dough for naan breads and chappatis. Their dried counterparts are used to flavour sauces and gravies with a bitter taste.

Did you know? Fenugreek has been believed to cure baldness in men as well as reducing a fever when made into a paste and applied over the body.