Garlic Methi

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh methi leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric powder)

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp dahi (curd)

1 1/2 tsp besan

1 tsp rice flour

pinch of hing (asafoetida)

3/4 cup water

salt to taste

Tempering:

8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 tsp haldi powder (turmeric powder)

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

2 green chillies, chopped

Method:

• Heat a kadai on a medium high flame.
• Add 1 tsp of oil and mustard seeds, when they crackle add haldi and hing, mix well. Add chopped methi. Stir well. Cover the kadai with the lid. Let the methi cook for 4-5 mins.
• Open the lid and stir. Once the methi is cooked, add besan and rice flour and stir well for a minute.
• Add dahi and mix well. Add water and salt and mix well. Cover the kadai with the lid for another 5 mins.
• In the meantime, heat a pan for tempering. Once the pan is hot add 1 tsp of oil, add the mustard seeds and let them crackle, add hing and garlic. Once the garlic starts to change colour add 1/4 tsp of haldi and mix well. Add green chillies and let it cook for 1 minute. Turn the gas off.
• uncover the kadai, mix well, add sugar, mix well, pour the tempering and cook uncovered for 2 mins. Serve

Tips:

• this is one methi recipe where the bitterness of methi is neutralized tremendously. You could increase the amount of besan and/or rice flour if you feel the bitterness of methi needs to be toned further.
• curd gives a very distinct flavour in this recipe, you can increase the quantity of curd.
• water in this recipe can be substituted with buttermilk.
• you could add tamarind/lemon instead of curd. However, if you use lemon add it after the tempering is mixed.
• jaggery can be used instead of sugar.
• instead of rice flour, coarsely ground rice gives this recipe a better texture and taste too.
• the quantity of hing can be adjusted to suite one's taste.
• this preparation tastes good with bhakri or rotis.

Methi Matar Malai

Ingredients:

1 cup methi leaves, chopped

1 "ginger, crushed to paste

4 cloves of garlic, crushed to paste

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup green peas

1 /2 tsp shahi jeera

1 tsp fresh cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp white pepper powder

1/2 tsp kasoori methi

1 1/2 tsp oil

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1/2 tsp amchoor powder

pinch of cardamom

salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai on a medium high flame, add the shahi jeera, when it crackles add onion, cook till the onion turns translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and stir well.
• Add the methi leaves, green chilli and matar. Stir fry till the methi leaves and the green peas are cooked.
• Add the amchoor powder, white pepper powder and salt, mix well.
• Add fresh cream, milk and water and let the liquid reduce.
• Once the cream and milk reduces switch off the gas and sprinkle cardamom powder and kasoori methi.
• serve hot!

Tips:

• To give a rich texture increase the amount of oil and the cream. Add atleast 1 cup of cream and skip the milk however if the mixture is too thick add water.
• You can add sweet corn, baby corn instead of green peas.
• Methi should be cooked uncovered, it would normally take around 10-12 mins to cook.
• You can add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavours.
• Serve methi matar malai hot with roti or paratha!!