By now you would’ve figured that I’m in love with methi leaves (fenugreek leaves ).Cooking Methi with split moong dhal( payatham paruppu ) or Toor dhal ( Tuvaram paruppu) is so delicious . Eating it with rice and a dollop of ghee takes you right into food heaven . It can also be had as a side to Rotis .

Ingredients

Methi leaves -2 cups ( washed and drained and roughly chopped )

Split moon dhal /toor dhal – I -11/2 cup cooked and mashed

Onions -1/2 cut finely

Tomatoes -1 big (chopped )

Garlic -4-5 pods (chopped )

Ginger -1tsp grated

Jeera powder -2tsp

Salt as per taste

To season

Oil -1tsp

Mustard seeds -1tsp

Jeera -2tsps

Urad dhal-1tsp

Dry Red chillies -3-4

Asafoetida-2pinches

Method

Wash and Cook the dhal with turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida until soft . If using moong dhal you can cook directly in a pan with about 2-3 cups of water for a cup of dhal on a medium flame . Add a tsp of oil to prevent it from over flowing and cook partially closed . You can alternatively cook in the pressure cooker for upto 3-4 whistles .

Add oil in pan , temper with the mustard seeds , once they splutter,add in the jeera , asafoetida , urad dhal and the red chillies and sauté until the urad dhal is browned . Then add in the onions , garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent . Add in the methi leaves and sauté well to coat in oil . Add salt as desired and cook closed for about 5-6 mins . Then add in the cooked and mashed dhal and the tomatoes and cook closed until well combined .

Garnish with a tsp or two of jeera powder and mix . Keep closed for 10 mins and then serve .

Tips

*add salt judiciously when cooking geeen vegetables as well as cabbage . They reduce in quantity as they cook , so it’s better to add in a little at first and then add later if required .