Fenugreek/ Methi leaves pulav

Fenugreek, a bitter ingredient in cooking when used in right proportion imparts immense taste in savories we cook..  Not just the taste, the health benefits of fenugreek, its fresh leaves and also dried leaves are much-liked ingredients in Indian cooking..  Daily a small dose of methi seeds in the morning tends to keep your tummy full and lowers appetite for the rest of the day. Obviously good for diabetics as the fiber tends to lower the glycemic index by not letting the sugar into blood stream of any food you digest. Being a part of natural healer, it has always been used in diets of lactating mothers, and to suppress PMS in women. Good herb not just for ladies, but to all to combat digestion related problems, brings down acidity and cholesterol and know the benefits yourself :)

Let us intake the natural healer in the very Indian way. Lets feast on the methi pulav, as a healthy dietary dish.

 

Ingredients:

 

Rice : 2 cups

Methi/fenugreek Leaves : 3 cups (separated from stem)

Onion : 2 medium chopped

Tomatoes : 4 medium chopped

Green chillies : 6-8

Ginger-Garlic paste : 1 tbsp.

Cloves : 12 nos.

Cinnamon : a small piece

Cardamom: 4-5

Bay leaf (tej pattha) : 2 nos.

Coriander leaves : half cup measure

Lemon Juice : 1 tbsp

Salt and oil

 

Procedure:

1. Heat cooker, add some oil and a tbsp. of desi ghee if desired. To this drop a piece of cinnamon, 2 cardamom, bay leaf, chopped onion and stir fry till onion turns golden brown.

2. Grinding time : make paste of green chillies, cloves, coriander leaves, cardamom, ginger-garlic adding 2 tbsp. of water.

 

3. Add this on to browning onion and fry till the raw odor of ingredients goes. Now add tomatoes and fry till no prominent piece of tomato is seen.

4. Add 3 cups of methi leaves and fry till it shrinks in size and the color changes from fresh green to bottle green.

 5. At this point, add rice (washed and soaked for 5 min), double the volume of water, salt and bring it to boil.

 6. After it boils, add a tbsp. of lemon juice, close the pressure cooker and consider the whistles as much you cook for plain rice.

7. I usually cook with 3 whistles, and leave it aside till all the pressure releases. Serve hot with cucumber, onion, curd raitha, salad.

Incorporating the health benefits of fenugreek leaves,
Feast-o-Meal,

Divya