Methi dal recipe – Lentils cooked with fenugreek leaves, spices and herbs. Dal or lentil curry is a staple in most Indian households. We make lentils atleast 3 to 4 times a week. No one get bored eating it as there are numerous ways to make dal. Methi refers to fenugreek leaves & dal is lentils. Methi dal is prepared in almost all regions of India and there are not many ways to make it.
Most Indian restaurants also serve this in a thali. In South India or in Andhra restaurants it is served as menthi kura pappu. The south Indian version has curry leaves in the seasoning.
To make methi dal, usually all the ingredients are just dumped in the cooker and pressure cooked till soft. Then a seasoning or tadka is made separately and poured over it.
This seasoning brings out the flavors of the whole spices, garlic, red chilies and curry leaves. To make this methi dal we don’t use a lot of spice powders like the other dishes.
This simple dal can be served with plain rice, roti, ragi sankati or mudde, cooked millets or with phulka.
To make methi dal, lentils and methi leaves can be cooked together. But I have added the methi leaves after cooking dal just not to overcook them. The leaves can are sauteed in oil or ghee along with the temper and added to the cooked dal.
To make andhra style menthi kura pappu, most people use tamarind to give a sour taste to the dal. I don’t prefer to use tamarind most times so I try with other ingredients like amchur powder,dry mango slices, a piece of fresh raw mango or lemon juice.
If you don’t like your dal to be sour, you can skip the sour ingredient.
For more Dal recipes,
Dal fry
Dal palak
Moong dal recipe
Chana dal recipe
Tomato pappu
Gongura pappu
Methi dal (Menthi kura pappu)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- ¾ cup dal (tur dal or moong dal or a combination)
- 1 to 1 ¼ cup methi leaves (menthi kura) roughly chopped
- 2 medium tomato chopped
- 1 to 2 green chili (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon Salt or as needed
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
Seasoning
- 1½ tablespoon Ghee or oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin / jeera
- ¼ teaspoon mustard
- 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
- 1 Pinch hing or asafoetida (optional)
- 1 red chili broken
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or a small piece of raw mango or tamarind or amchur powder
Instructions
Stovetop methi dal
- Add dal to a pot or pressure cooker. Rinse it very well.
- Pour 1¾ cups water, tomato and chili. If using dried or fresh unripe mango, add few pieces.
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles. If cooking in a separate bowl, place it in the cooker and pressure cook for 4 whistles. If cooking in Instant pot, Press the pressure cook button & set the timer for 10 minutes.
- While the dal cooks, pluck methi leaves and add them to a large pot filled with water. Rinse them and discard the water. Repeat rinsing and drain.
- When the dal is cooked, mash it with the back of a ladle, if you like smooth dal.
- Pour ghee or oil to a small hot pan.
- Add cumin, mustard, red chili. When they begin to splutter add hing, curry leaves and garlic.
- When the curry leaves turn crisp, add the methi leaves & fry until they wilt off completely.
- Add turmeric & salt. Next add cooked dal to this and simmer for a minute. If the methi dal is too thick pour some water and cook for a little longer.
- Serve methi dal with rice, phulka or mudde. Squeeze off some lemon juice.
Instant pot methi dal
- Press saute button on the Instant pot and pour ghee or oil to the inner pot / steel insert.
- Then add mustard, cumin, red chilli & garlic. When the spices pop, add curry leaves and hing.
- Add methi leaves and green chillies. Saute for a minute.
- Press cancel button & then add tomatoes, dal, turmeric and salt.
- Pour 2 cups water and deglaze the pot by scrubbing the bottom of the pot with a spatula.
- You can also keep a trivet in the pot and place your rice bowl over it.
- Secure the Instant pot with the lid & position the steam release handle to sealing.
- Press the pressure cook button (high pressure) and set the timer to 10 minutes.
- When the IP is done wait for the natural pressure release.
- If the dal is too thick stir in some hot water. Check the salt and add more if needed and squeeze some lemon juice.
- Serve methi dal with rice or roti.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Love your recipes! Can I use frozen fenugreek leaves/methi leaves, if I’m unable to find fresh ones? If yes, will it be the same amount? Thanks.
Hi Meghna
Thank you! Yes you can use. Here we get frozen methi in cubes that are pressed – small or large. You won’t need so much like fresh leaves. Try with a smaller quantity as I am not sure how your’s is. Probably for this recipe half cup pressed (tightly packed) is enough.
I tried it today… And it’s ?????
I am a big fan of your cooking and I blindly go to your recipe whenever I want to make anything.
Appreciate all the effort you put in, being the pics,video and the details you provide for each recipe.
I am getting acidity for this methi dal fry..I am using deseeded chillies, still it’s hard for me to digest.I am in my early 30’s.Did you experience the same or is there anything that we can avoid?
Hello Vasumathy,
Thank you! Some people cannot digest dal with too many spices, chilies, tomatoes and tamarind. This recipe has minimum spices. Try reducing the chilies, skip tomatoes and sprinkle lemon juice(not lime). If you still have a problem then use red chili powder. This should help.
Thank you Swasthi..We love this recipe as we get fresh methi leaves every week.Even my 4 yr old kid had acidity when I tempered spices in ghee..Now i am using butter after switching off the stove n tempering spices in oil separately..I will try with lemon n see as you suggested.Thank you very much!
Vasumathy,
This time if you still feel the same then pressure cook the leaves with dal. I am sure that will work out
Yes Swasthi..Cooking the methi leaves in pressure cooker did not cause any problem to me.Thank you very much!
What is the pan you are using in pics? Is it from TFal? I am bit health conscious,using only stainless steel and iron pans.But I want to use nonstick for few recipes and sweets.i tried ceramic pans as well..those too have cons.
Very flavourful dal.. Enjoyed it thouroughly
Thank you!
Hi Swathi,
I am in the US and only have access to dried kasuri methi/fenugreek leaves. It looks like this recipe uses fresh. Will this work with dried, and would I use the same amount? Thank you!
Mary
Hi Mary,
You are welcome! The fresh and dried methi leaves have very different flavors.The dried leaves have a very strong flavor. For half cup dal you can try adding 3 to 4 tbsps of kasuri methi. But it doesn’t need cooking. So just add it to the tempering towards the end and then pour all of this to the dal. Just simmer for 1 to mins. Hope this helps
I frequently checks you website when ever i have a question in cooking.
Thanks and regards
You are welcome!
Hi Swathi. Your recipes are really tasty.. I enjoy cooking your recipes.. Kindly upload new and different variety dishes…
Thank you
Hi Priyanka
You are welcome. Thank you so much. Yes sure I will keep uploading new recipes.
🙂
Hii, today I’m going to try one more recipe from ur garden of recipes and I know as always it will turn out delicious
Hi Archana
Thank you so much
🙂
I really love ur recipes they r simple and tasty thank u
Welcome Vyshnavi,
Thank you so much
🙂
Really yummy and healthy and very easy receipe . I want a Guttu Vankaya receipe.
Thanks Keerti,
You can check the recipe of gutti vankaya here.
Hi Sis
How are you all
Thank for the wonderful recipe and clear explanation
You told tamarind is acidic so want to try with amchur powder
Please tell me When to add it
? you are super perfect
With my baby I’m skipping 1 or the other line. I need to read twice or thrice before I come to u ?
Hi Rehma
Fine sis. Hope you all are good too. Hehe it happens with kids. Thank you
Can v use dried methi leaves?
Yes Anju,
you can use dried methi leaves but a handful is enough for this recipe.
Very tasty and healthy dish.
So true about how, no matter if we follow another’s recipe to the ‘t’,
the food we cook always tastes like our cooking!
This is a great recipe. SOOOOO delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing it! Simple and fresh tasting.
Looks good. Hope its delicious although never tasted it before. Anyway,
thanks for the post and good luck.