Menthiya Keerai sambhar has only the methi leaves as the vegetable in it. So the flavor and aroma of Fenugreek dominate this Methi Sambar.
I am part of an exciting series hosted by my dear friend Viji of Virunthu Unna Vaanga and her partner Gathampari of Gat’s Samayal. Every month we are given a choice or 2 of a secret ingredient and we have to make a dish with the given ingredient.
This month we were given Methi /Fenugreek (leaves and/or seeds) and/or Bottle gourd as our choice of ingredients. I wanted to make something that had both the methi leaves and seeds in it and that is when I remembered my mother’s recipe of Menthiya keerai sambhar that is loaded with the flavor of methi.
I grow my own methi and I can’t wait for my plants to start growing. Meanwhile, the other day my friend bought me some awesome looking fresh methi leaves and I was very excited to make this sambhar.
This fenugreek sambar has only the methi leaves as the vegetable in it and hence the flavor and aroma of methi dominate this dish. The sambhar tastes great with some hot rice and a dollop of ghee or also with Idli and dosai. This sambhar would also make a great side dish for Adai’s.
Preparation time – 10 mins
Cooking time – 45 mins
Difficulty level – easy
Ingredients to make Menthiya Keerai Sambhar – (serve 4-6)
- Methi leaves – 1 bunch (large)
- Tamarind – the size of a lemon or 1 teaspoon of tamarind pulp
- Thuvaram paruppu/red gram dal – ½ cup (uncooked)
- Sambhar powder – 2 ½ tbsps
- Asafetida – ¼ tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 1 tsp
To season –
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
- Ullutha paruppu/urad dal – 1 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Procedure to make Menthiya Keerai Sambhar –
- Cook the thuvaram paruppu in pressure cooker with sufficient water until soft and mushy.
- Soak the tamarind in hot water for few minutes and extract the juice. You need about 2 cups of diluted tamarind water. Keep it aside.
- Cut the roots from the methi bunch using a sharp knife and soak the leaves in water in a large bowl. Using your hands shake the leaves well in the water to get all the dirt and the sand off the leaves.
- Leave the bowl undisturbed for 5 – 10 mins to allow all the sand and dirt to settle in the bottom. Then slowly lift off all the leaves from the top and you will notice that all the dirt would have settled down in the bottom of the bowl.
- Now coarsely chop the leaves and the stem. In a wide pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and add the chopped methi leaves/stem to it and sauté it for 5 mins.
- Add the tamarind extract to this and mix well. Add the sambhar powder, asafetida and salt and let the sambhar boil well. Let the sambhar reduce to about ½ its quantity (about 15 -20 mins).
- Meanwhile, mash the cooked dal and add this to the boiling sambhar. Also, add about 2 more cups of water and let it come to a boil once again. Simmer the Fenugreek sambhar for about 10 mins.
- Fry the seasonings in about a teaspoon of oil and add it to the simmering Methi sambhar.
- Serve the methi sambar hot with some rice or with Idli/dosai!
Notes –
- I did not add any curry leaves or cilantro to the fenugreek sambar mainly to ensure that the smell of methi dominate the dish.
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Recipe
Menthiya Keerai Sambhar
Equipment
- pan
- bowl
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Methi leaves Large
- 1 teaspoon Tamarind
- ½ cup Thuvaram paruppu/red gram dal Uncooked
- 2 ½ tbsps Sambhar powder
- ¼ teaspoon Asafetida
- to taste Salt
- 1 teaspoon Oil
TO SEASON –
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Ullutha paruppu/urad dal
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
Instructions
- Cook the thuvaram paruppu in pressure cooker with sufficient water until soft and mushy.
- Soak the tamarind in hot water for few minutes and extract the juice. You need about 2 cups of diluted tamarind water. Keep it aside.
- Cut the roots from the methi bunch using a sharp knife and soak the leaves in the water in a large bowl. Using your hands shake the leaves well in the water to get all the dirt and the sand off the leaves.
- Leave the bowl undisturbed for 5 – 10 mins to allow all the sand and dirt to settle in the bottom. Then slowly lift off all the leaves from the top and you will notice that all the dirt would have settled down in the bottom of the bowl.
- Now coarsely chop the leaves and the stem. In a wide pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and add the chopped methi leaves/stem to it and sauté it for 5 mins.
- Add the tamarind extract to this and mix well. Add the sambhar powder, asafetida and salt and let the sambhar boil well. Let the sambhar reduce to about ½ its quantity (about 15 -20 mins).
- Meanwhile, mash the cooked dal and add this to the boiling sambhar. Also add about 2 more cups of water and let it come to boil once again. Simmer the sambhar for about 10 mins.
- Fry the seasonings in about a teaspoon of oil and add it to the simmering sambhar.
- Serve hot with some rice or with Idli/dosai!
Gajalakshmi Prakash says
I am trying this sambaar today with the Brussels sprouts curry.. Hope the lunch would be great..
Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj says
Very healthy sambhar akka... looks so delicious... thanks for participating on our SYS-W series...
Navaneetham Krishnan says
My kind of dish, love the flavors. Either as it is or with a plate of rice.
Priya Suresh says
Super comforting and health sambhar.
Ruxana Gafoor says
healthy and a comforting recipe..
DivyaGCP says
Healthy and comforting dish.. Can imagine the combo of rice, methi sambar with ghee.must taste awesome.... 🙂
Neela says
Healthy methi sambar.