Indian · Dinner · Side dish

Aloo Methi

Potatoes cooked with fresh fenugreek leaves, cumin, turmeric and green chilli in a dry North Indian style.

30 min total Serves 4 servings Easy
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Aloo Methi

Photograph credit: Aloo methi? by Charles Haynes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr · this resized copy is shared under the same licence

Don't Make These Mistakes

Salt and squeeze the fenugreek to reduce bitterness.

Cut the potatoes small and even.

Cook uncovered at the end so the dish dries out.

Use spinach with a pinch of dried fenugreek if fresh is unavailable.

Making Aloo Methi

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  1. Toss the fenugreek with the first measure of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze gently and set aside.

  2. Heat the oil in a wide pan and fry the cumin seeds for 20 seconds. Add the chilli and potatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

  3. Add the turmeric, coriander and water, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are nearly tender.

  4. Add the fenugreek and the second measure of salt, uncover and cook for 5 minutes until dry and the potatoes are soft.

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Why It Works

The first sign it is ready is the smell: a bitter, almost maple scent from the fenugreek leaves as they wilt in the hot oil. That aroma is distinctive, a little like celery and curry combined, and it is what the whole dish is built around.

Fresh fenugreek can be bitter. Wash the leaves well, pick them from the stems and chop them roughly. A sprinkle of salt on the chopped leaves, left for 10 minutes, draws out some bitterness. Squeeze them gently before using. The liquid that comes out carries a lot of the sharpest flavour.

Potatoes go in cut small, about 2 cm, so they cook quickly in the spiced oil. Cover the pan for the first part, to steam them soft, then uncover to dry the dish out. Aloo methi should be dry, not saucy.

If you cannot find fresh fenugreek, use a handful of spinach with a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves instead.

Storage and Reheating

Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water.

Swaps and Variations

  • Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.

Good With

  • Chapati
  • Dal
  • Plain yoghurt
  • Steamed rice

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.

323Calories
8gProtein
48gCarbs
11gFat
18gFibre
3gSugar
460mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .