Methi chutney

Methi chutney – Menthi kura pachadi is a Andhra style chutney made with methi leaves aka fenugreek leaves, red chilies, tamarind, jaggery, garlic & spices. Methi leaves chutney is my mom’s signature dish that not only tastes delicious but is also healthy, spicy and very flavorful.

Fenugreek leaves are known as methi in Indian language and are widely used in a variety of dishes like paratha, dal, curry and pulao.

If you have never made this methi leaves chutney before then do try it. It doesn’t taste bitter at all. The bitterness in the leaves is well balanced with the sweet, sour & hot ingredients used in the recipe.

Methi chutney tastes amazingly delicious, spicy, hot, sweet & sour.

This menthi kura pachadi or chutney is best served with hot rice and ghee. It also goes well with paratha, roti or dosa.

We consider this to be a healthy chutney and try to make it as often as possible. It is kids’ friendly recipe, just reduce the chilies and garlic.

How is methi leaves chutney made?

Firstly red chilies are fried until crisp. Do not substitute red chilies with green chilies. It doesn’t go well.

Then onion is fried until golden. Onion can be skipped but it lends a sweet aroma and helps to balance the bitterness in the leaves.

Next methi leaves are sautéed well in little oil until they wilt off completely. There should not be any moisture left in them. This frying of methi leaves is what makes the chutney so very flavorful.

All the ingredients are cooled and blended with tamarind, salt and jaggery which are the key to balance the bitterness.

Methi chutney does not need any tempering. It can be stored for about a week in the refrigerator and used.

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry red chilies on a medium flame until crisp. Remove to a plate.

2. To the same pan, add onions and fry until golden. Towards the end add garlic and cumin. Fry just for 30 seconds and remove all of these to a plate.

3. Add another spoon of oil and add the drained leaves. Do not add the leaves with water dripping. The leaves must be fried in oil well stirring often.

4. With in 5 to 7 mins the leaves will wilt completely and turn dry. Turn off the stove and cool them completely.

5. Add red chilies and salt to a chutney jar.

6. Blend them as much as possible to a fine powder.

7. Add onions, cumin and tamarind. I added 1 extra garlic clove here.

8. Add the methi leaves and jaggery.

9. Make a coarse paste. Onion must be crushed well.

Methi chutney does not need any tempering. Remove it to a bowl and serve with plain rice and ghee or with roti, paratha or dosa.

More Methi Recipes
Methi Paratha
Methi rice
Peas Methi pulao
Methi thepla
Aloo methi

More Chutney Recipes
Tomato chutney
Coconut Chutney
Onion chutney
Peanut chutney

Recipe card

Methi Chutney Recipe originally published in May 2014, Republished in July 2019.