Aloo Methi | Potato Fenugreek Leaves Fry
Updated: March 7, 2023, By Swasthi
Aloo Methi is a delicious Indian side dish made with potatoes, fenugreek leaves and spices. This simple everyday dish is a staple in many Indian homes especially during winters, when fenugreek leaves are in season. Aloo Methi requires only pantry staples and basic cooking skills. Serve it with plain rice, flavored rice, puri, roti or paratha. It also goes well in the office and school boxes.
About Aloo Methi
Aloo Methi is a North Indian dish of stir fried potatoes with fenugreek leaves, whole and ground spices. Aloo is the Hindi word for “potatoes” and methi is the word for “Fenugreek leaves”. These faintly bitter tasting leafy greens have a unique aroma and tons of health benefits.
This dish of starchy potatoes together with the immune boosting and health-giving leafy greens is simply delicious, aromatic and is sure to please even the picky eaters. You will commonly see this being served in an Indian meal with rice, puri or roti.
My kids love Aloo Methi wrapped up in their rotis/ chapatis for their school lunch. These kathi rolls also keep well in the school/ office lunch boxes without becoming soggy. I mash up the aloo a bit and roll them.
This dish also goes well as a side with flavored rice like lemon rice, jeera rice, ghee rice or bagara rice. A well-made Aloo Methi is so delicious and flavorful. No matter how you serve this it will taste so good with anything.
Find more Methi recipes,
Methi Paratha
Methi Pulao
Easy Methi Rice
Methi Thepla
Methi Dal
Photo Guide
How To Make Aloo Methi (Stepwise photos)
1. Pluck methi leaves from the stalks and add them to a large pot of water. Rinse them thoroughly in enough water a few times. I always sprinkle some salt and spray vinegar to get rid of the pesticide residue. Drain completely to a colander. Chop them roughly when you are ready to cook. For this recipe you will need 1½ cups (tightly packed) chopped methi leaves.
Meanwhile peel and chop 250 grams potatoes to 1 inch pieces. Add them to a bowl of water. This helps the aloo to cook/ fry faster. Set aside.
2. Heat a pan and pour 2 tablespoons of oil. If you have mustard oil you can use it. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
3. Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic or ¾ inch ginger.
4. Add slit or fine chopped green chili. My recipe does not use red chilli powder so use more green chilies as needed for heat. Sprinkle hing if using.
5. Then remove the cubed potatoes from the water and add them here. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric. Mix well and stir fry on a medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and cook until the potatoes are almost fork tender. If the potatoes are too dry, sprinkle some water so they cook faster.
6. Then add ½ teaspoon garam masala and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix them well.
7. Add chopped methi leaves. I have not used red chili powder. The heat comes only from green chilies.
8. Lastly fry until the leaves wilt off well and you begin to get a nice aroma.
Serve aloo methi with rice or roti.
More potato dishes
Aloo tikki
Aloo chaat
Jeera aloo
Aloo palak
Aloo matar
Pro Tips
- Use only the leaves and not the stalks as they taste bitter. Avoid chopping methi leaves very fine. Chop them roughly.
- A lot of people rinse and squeeze the leaves so some of the bitter juices drain away from the leaves. I do not do it as the leaves we use don’t taste so bitter.
- You can add more or less amount of leaves to suit your taste. I usually do not add a lot as aloo methi can taste bitter.
- Many people use mustard oil for stir frying as it gives a nice aroma. You can use any oil or even ghee for flavour. If using mustard oil, heat it until smoky hot, reduce the heat and then begin to cook.
- Generally aloo is stir fried until tender and then methi leaves are added. However if your potatoes are too old and take a lot of time to fry, then you can par boil or grill them in the oven for some time and then stir fry here with tempering & methi leaves.
- Soak cubed potatoes in water while you prepare the methi leaves. Potato will soak up some moisture and stir fry faster in the pan.
- If you do not have fresh methi leaves, you can use kasuri methi but the flavour will be different. You can use 3 to 4 tbsps for this recipe.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Aloo Methi Recipe | Potato Fenugreek Leaves Fry
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 250 grams (2 cups) potatoes (chopped to 1 inch pieces)
- 1½ cups methi leaves fenugreek leaves (tightly packed, roughly chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped or ¾inch ginger chopped)
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee (or mustard oil)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 green chilies slit or chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 1 pinch hing (asafoetida, optional)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
Instructions
Preparation
- Pluck methi leaves (only the leaves and not stalks). Add them to a large bowl.
- Sprinkle one tsp salt and vinegar over the leaves and set aside for 10 minutes. This helps to get rid of the mud and pesticide residue from the leaves.
- Pour water and rinse the leaves well a few times. Drain the leaves to a colander and set aside.
- Wash and peel potatoes. Cube them to 1 inch pieces. Keep them immersed in a bowl of water to prevent potatoes from getting discolored. This also helps the potatoes to stir fry or cook faster.
How to make Aloo Methi
- Add oil to a pan and heat it. Add cumin seeds. When they begin to crackle, add garlic and green chilli. Fry till garlic begins to smell good. Sprinkle hing.
- Drain water from the potatoes.
- Transfer potatoes to the pan and sprinkle turmeric. Fry for one to 2 minutes.
- Cover and cook on a low flame until they turn soft. Keep stirring in between. If there is no moisture in the pan sprinkle little water and continue to cook or saute them.
- While the aloo cooks, chop the methi leaves roughly.
- When the potatoes become fork tender, add garam masala and salt. Stir and fry for a minute.
- Add chopped methi leaves. Fry until the leaves wilt completely and a nice aroma comes out. Adjust salt if needed.
- Serve aloo methi with rice or roti.
Notes
- You can use any other leafy greens and make the recipe the same way. Spinach, amaranth and drumstick leaves work well.
- You can also boil the potatoes whole until just cooked without making mushy and dice them. Follow the same recipe. You just have to stir fry the potatoes only for a few minutes.
- You can also use mustard oil if you like the pungent flavor. Heat the oil until smoky hot before cooking.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
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About Swasthi
Iโm Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโs Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Thanks, it was easy and delicious!
Can I try with frozen methi?
Yes you can use
Nice recipe. Easy to understand / make
Turned out delish! I boiled large potatoes under pressure for 8 mins. They were a little undone so cooked them further in the pan after the tadka. Followed the rest exactly and it was perfect with garam masala and chili powder.
That’s nice to know Sona. Thank you for sharing how you made it.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. Will frozen methi work in this recipe? Thanks so much!!
Yes Jehan, you can use frozen or even dried methi
Thank you for the amazing recipes. I made this aloo methi with half cup dried fenugreek and it was delicious. Also used a bit of tomato paste and it was lovely. I’m growing fresh methi this summer so going to make this again.
Glad it turned out delicious. Yes you can use a bit of tomato puree or paste. Thank you!
Found fresh methi in the market this week. We turned it to this delicious Aloo methi. I had to double the garam masala and methi leaves – a personal preference. Turned out fantastic! Thank you for sharing your Indian culture & food.
Jamie thank you so much for sharing back. Good to know it turned out delicious.
I use a lot of fenugreek leaves to manage my hormonal imbalance. I love this aloo methi and your methi chutney. I’m unable to find the chutney recipe now. It takes me to this page. Can you please direct me to the right page? Thank you!
Hi, Thanks for trying the recipe. Glad you like them. I unpublished the methi chutney recipe. I can mail you if you want.
I use a lot more methi leaves than mentioned here & never add garam masala to aloo methi. First time used it and it made a huge difference. My potatoes were perfectly flavored. Thank you.
Thank you so much Ruchi. So glad you like it. Yes I use lesser methi leaves & it’s a personal preference so the dish does not taste bitter.
Hi Swasthi,
I grow methi in my backyard so have plenty to use up but I am short of ideas. Your recipes have helped me a lot. This aloo methi and methi rice are on repeat and everyone at home loves them. Thank you for the healthy recipes.
Hi Ranjani,
Glad the recipes are helping. Thank you so much.
So easy to make & healthy. Mustard oil is too pungent for our taste so I use peanut oil. Delicious.
Thank you! Yes you can always make it with regular cooking oil.
Thank you! My kids loved this aloo methi.
Glad to know Ragani. Thank you
This came out amazing
Thanks Jisha
Tried this today and it tasted so good. Used Kasuri methi instead of fresh methi leaves. Avoided garam masala.
Simple recipe and delicious. Thank you for posting it.
Welcome Subathra
Glad to know!
I always like your receipes as it resemble the way my mother makes food. This one as well is yet another great receipe.
Glad to know Swati
Thank you!
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Love your recipes. Tried alloo methi..thanks!!
Welcome Deep
Thank you!
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Made Jeera Aloo today but with Kasuri methi. Turned out delicious. It is very be closed f my favourite dishes. Thanks.
Do u have recipe for Junglee mutton?
You are welcome!
Thank you! I don’t have the recipe
Delicious and my favorite. I also used a handful of kasuri methi for a deeper flavor. Turns out fab
Prepared today. Was absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipie.
Welcome Priya
Thanks for trying
Prepared it today, everybody loved it. Perfect aaloo methi, even my 1 1/2 yr old kid also loved it, thanks
Welcome Neeta bhat
Glad to know you all liked it. Thanks for trying
This aloo methi recipe is too Gud …My kids loved it …Tastes too Gud …Instead of boiling d potatoes directly I prefer to pressure cooker d same …
Thanks for trying Jayashree.
Yes I too do it sometimes