Methi Pulao / Rice with Fenugreek Leaves

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

Prep Time:10 mins   Cooking Time:20 mins   Cuisine:Indian

Methi/Fenugreek is used as a traditional remedy for diabetes and loss of appetite, dandruff problems, to stimulate milk production in breastfeeding women and reduces inflammation inside the body. Moreover it adds flavor and spice to food.

Methi is a very commonly used leafy vegetable / herb mostly by Indians. We use it in curries, dals/lentils, make many rice varieties, many starters too. This recipe a very famous pulao/pilaf/rice dish. Its completely Vegan+Glutenfree. 

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips which I mentioned at the end.

Ingredients:

• Indian Basmati Rice Grains – 2 cups
• Methi / Menthaku / Fenugreek Leaves – 1 cup (pressed)
• Onions – 2 (large size)
• Potato – 1 (large size)
• Green Chillies – 5
• Ginger – 1 small piece
• Cloves – 8
• Salt – 3 teaspoons
• Cooking Oil/Butter – 3 table spoons
• Bay Leaves / Biryani Leaves – 3
• Cinnamon Sticks / Dalchini – 3 (small)
• Cardamom – 3  (powdered)
• Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon
• Black Pepper Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Jeera / Whole Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander – 3 to 4 twigs (optional)
• Water – 3 cups

Special Ingredients:

• Indian Basmati Rice Grains
• Methi / Menthaku / Fenugreek Leaves

Procedure:

• Firstly, take the rice (grains) into the rice cooker or pressure cooker, wash twice.
• Fill it with water (as mentioned in the ‘Ingredients’) and put aside. See the pics below.
  

  Basmati Rice taken into cooker

  

  Basmati Rice washed and soaked
• Get all the vegetables onto the counter for chopping/cutting.
• Now, chop the onions and ginger. Cut the green chillies length wise.
• Peel the potato skin and cut into cubes.
• Pluck the leaves of methi/fenugreek and trash the stem.
• Take a frying pan put it on stove top under medium flame.
• Pour the oil and let it heat, then add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks. Sautee them.

  

• Next add the chopped ginger, onion pieces and slit green chillies to the pan.
• Let the onions become transparent, and then add the methi / fenugreek leaves. See pics below.
  

  GreenChillies,Onions and Ginger added to frying pan

  

  Methi/Fenugreek leaves added to the pan
• Fry the leaves upto 3-4 mins , that’s till they change the colour, as shown in the pic below.
• At this stage, add the potato cubes, garam masala, powdered elaichi, black pepper powder and salt.
• Mix them thoroughly and let them blend with the rest of the items.
• After 2-3 mins switch the flame off. Transfer all the contents of the pan onto the rice which we kept earlier in the rice cooker/pressure cooker/vessel.
• See pics below.
  

  Potato cubes,elachi powder and garam masala powder added to the pan

  

  All of the content of the pan transferred onto the rice
• Mix everything gently, so that the basmati rice do not break/crack.
• Set the rice cooker or pressure cooker or slow cooker or instant pot or cooking vessel for the rice to cook.
• If you are using pressure cooker let it give 3 whistles. I used my rice cooker.
• Once the rice is cooked, agian mix up everything gently and then garnish it with chopped coriander(optional). Done!!

Tips:

• Soaking of rice is very important, as this makes the pulao rice to cook perfectly without sticking. So, try to soak the rice before you cut and fry the veggies and spices.
• Basmati Rice is the best for any Pulao/Pilaf. In case you do not have right away, you can even try this with long grain rice as well.
• Along with ginger, you can add garlic too which I avoided.
• Bear in mind, not to fry/sautee the methi/fenugreek leaves too much. It might change to bitter taste.
• You can adjust the salt and spice as per your taste.
• You can have this Pulao with any curry or any raita or with any sauce of your choice too. It tastes good even with plain tomato sauce.
• You need to be careful while adding water to the rice grains in the rice cooker / slow cooker / pressure cooker. The measurement needs to be perfect for the cooked rice to have perfect texture.

Result :

• This pulao / pilaf is very mild in flavour that can be served with any gravy curry / sabzi / raita. We had it with Tomato-Green Peas Masala.
• It’s a perfect main course recipe that fills the tummy with right nutrients.

  

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