Aloo Methi
Apr 04, 2019
Simple stir fry made with potatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves, this Aloo Methi is lightly spiced and best enjoyed with flatbread like roti or paratha! Vegan.
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Simple Indian stir fry with potatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves.
This Aloo Methi was quite a winter staple in my home and is best enjoyed with flatbread like roti.
I don’t see fresh methi leaves (fenugreek) very often here in the market.
But whenever I spot them, I make sure to buy few bunches and either make paratha with them or a simple stir fry like this Aloo Methi.
Methi was cooked very frequently in our kitchen in India during winters. We didn’t get methi leaves in any other season, so as soon as winter would commence, methi would become a regular feature on our table.
It was added to saag, to methi malai paneer but the most common way mom cooked methi was aloo methi.
Potatoes go well with everything when it comes to Indian recipes and methi is no exception. It’s such a simple stir fry where most of the flavor is from the fresh fenugreek leaves.
I have hardly added any spices to this sabzi.
This Aloo Methi
✓ is vegan and gluten-free
✓ great use of fresh fenugreek leaves
✓ easy to make side dish
✓ tastes great with simple Indian flatbread like roti
Personally, I love using mustard oil to cook aloo methi. It gives it such a unique taste and I highly recommend it. Of course, you may use any oil of choice but if you can, do use mustard oil.
When cooking with mustard oil, always remember to heat it well before adding the tempering. Mustard oil has a strong flavor and taste so if you don’t heat it up well initially, the end dish might be bitter.
I always make sure it’s heated very well, them remove the pan from heat and then add the tadka (cumin seeds in this case) so that the ingredients for the tadka don’t burn in the hot oil.
The best part about this aloo methi recipe is that it’s so basic. This is exactly how it was made in my home. In the name of spices, there’s only turmeric and cumin seeds and nothing else.
You can obviously add ground spices to it like coriander powder, etc. but this is how I like it, super simple. When cooking potato with leafy greens, I tend to go very light on spices, just like in this aloo palak too.
Methi is slightly bitter in taste so I don’t use a lot of it in this recipe since that’s how I like mine.
However if you prefer more of the methi flavor in your aloo methi, feel free to double the quantity of methi leaves.
Enjoy this aloo methi with roti or paratha!
Method
1- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. If using mustard oil, heat it well until its really hot and then lower the heat before adding the cumin seeds.
Add cumin seeds, let them sizzle for few seconds and then add the garlic. Saute for few seconds until the garlic starts to change color.
2- Then add the chopped potato and green chili. Stir. You may also add chopped onion at this point.
Fry the potatoes in oil for 5 to 6 minutes until slightly golden brown. Toss them once or twice in between.
3- Add the chopped methi leaves, turmeric and salt and stir. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes (keep stirring in between) until the leaves are cooked, the moisture dries out and the potatoes are done.
I have not added any water here but you may sprinkle some water and cover the pan with a lid to cook the potatoes faster.
Serve aloo methi with roti or any bread of choice.
If you’ve tried this Aloo Methi Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Aloo Methi
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil use oil of choice, I used mustard oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 large garlic cloves sliced
- 3-4 medium potatoes chopped, around 400 grams
- 1 green chili chopped
- 3 cups packed methi (fenugreek) leaves 75 grams, chopped, may double this quantity of methi for stronger methi flavor
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. If using mustard oil, heat it well until its really hot and then lower the heat before adding the cumin seeds.
- Add cumin seeds, let them sizzle for few seconds and then add the garlic. Saute for few seconds until the garlic starts to change color.
- Then add the chopped potato and green chili. Stir. You may also add chopped onion at this point.
- Fry the potatoes in oil for 5 to 6 minutes until slightly golden brown. Toss them once or twice in between.
- Add the chopped methi leaves, turmeric and salt and stir.
- Cook for 6 to 7 minutes (keep stirring in between) until the leaves are cooked, the moisture dries out and the potatoes are done. I have not added any water here but you may sprinkle some water and cover the pan with a lid to cook the potatoes faster.
- Serve aloo methi with roti or any bread of choice.
Notes
- Double the quantity of methi leaves for stronger methi flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Simple and great! Served it with bhaturas (only because I had leftover dough), went really well with that. Then tried it with a dollop of yogurt on it, that was also really good. Thank you!
I don’t see fresh methi very often, but the Indina grocery near me does have bags of frozen methi. I’m assuming I could just thaw them and use them in place of the fresh here?
yes frozen methi will work
I made this recipe for lunch and it was very delicious 😋
Thanks for the recipe 🙏
I tried it today. It’s simple and yet tasty.
Delicious! I had to use powdered method, and it turned out fine!
thanks for the review!
Very good and simple recipe I like the 4 photos showing the steps very much
Thanks Lalitha!
I love all of your recipes Manali! I especially love how simple this one is. I’ve used other recipes that are too complicated and I like how this aloo methi is to the point. Mine came out good but the methi tasted bitter. I guess I didn’t soak it long enough 🙁 but cannot wait to try this again! Thank you this will be a recipe in my family forever.
it could have just been the methi itself, sometimes a batch is really bitter!
Oh true sense! Thanks Manali 😊
I made with raw mini-potatoes (look like new potatoes) quartered. Used mustard oil. Eventually increased salt by two-thirds more. Used 1 1/2 Thai green chillies.
Took longer to cook (step 6), maybe because of my raw potato-piece sizes … about 25 min. Added a little water (twice) near the end. Maybe if I had added it earlier, everything would have cooked quicker. I used the regular amount of methi. I really like the simple taste !!
Thanks for the feedback Ron!
Hi Manali, you have the best cooking skills. This alloo methi is our family’s favourite.I really love most of your recipes. Living overseas, using your recipes help us too much. I would love to follow your new recipes.
Best wishes
Priyanka
Thanks so much Priyanka!
I cannot get fresh Methi. I use a generous palm-full of good quality dry Methi leaves. I add at the last minute, after the potaoes are light golden brown, cover and let sit 5 minutes. Stir and serve. Just great in omelet!
glad to know
I have made this dish several times and it had come out good every sing time. I use double the methi as I love the flavour. Tastes really good with chapatis.
Thanks fir sharing your recipe!
This recipe turned out great. I grew up
Eating this but did not appreciate the flavor then. My taste buds have matured since 😊Thanks for another great recipe.
haha yes our taste buds evolve with time for sure 🙂
Enjoyed making your Aloo methi recipe! I had prefried air fried small potatoes and added them to this recipe. A touch of kasoori methi at the end. Just superb.
Nice simple recipe,i made a small change and instead of cumin I added Fenugreek seeds, ..Also fresh methi leaves can be chopped. and then cooked,
Thanks for recipe. I have a bag of frozen methi blocks in my freezer that I had purchased last winter to add to dosa batter. Wondering what other ways to use methi and found your wonderful recipe.
Thank you! I look forward to making it.
This is the best Aloo Methi I have ever had. So easy to make and super yummy! Thank you for sharing
welcome!
Thank you for the simple recipe..it came out well:)
glad to know!
This was great!I made a couple modifications, though. I didn’t pluck the leaves- just washed the bunch well and chopped finely until I got most of the leaves. Sure, I got some stems, but once they are fried, they taste and look just fine. I don’t really like cumin, so I added coriander/cilantro to the fenugreek leaves for the flavor. Finally, since this was the first time cooking with fenugreek, I used half the amount as I wasn’t sure I would like it. Would use the full amount next time.
delicious.
I just tried this recipe and the result was awesome. Plucking the leaves was the longest part but other than that it was super quick.
awesome! 🙂
A very creative recipe, thanks for sharing!