Methi dal is an incredibly delicious North Indian dal recipe made with a mixture of 3 lentils (toor dal, moong dal, masoor dal), basic Punjabi onion tomato masala and fresh fenugreek leaves.
It makes a healthy, comforting, everyday style meal when served with plain rice or roti with a side of salad, papad and pickle.
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❤️About This Recipe
Taste & Flavor:
- A slight, unique bitterness from fresh methi leaves is actually pleasing to the palate when combined with lentils.
- Medium spicy (adjustable spice level)
- Lentils flavor is at its peak as no spice powders (except turmeric and chili powder) are used.
Pack this methi dal into kid's or adult’s lunch boxes with rice in a separate container. This makes a filling a meal.
Meal prep friendly: Make a large batch of this methi dal and store some for later in the refrigerator or freeze some for busy/lazy day meals.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Lentils: Here I have used the mixture of 3 lentils (moong dal, masoor dal and toor dal). You can use the combination of any two or use just one. Try different variations so you don’t get tired of eating the same dal.
- Methi leaves: Whenever possible I try to use fresh methi in my cooking. But sometimes fresh fenugreek leaves are not easily available in Indian grocery stores. In that case, I would go for frozen methi.
- When it comes to frozen methi, I prefer to buy a pack of Vadilal brand that has a minimal amount of stems. Other brands like Deep and Surti have a good amount of tough stems that are not edible.
- NO garam masala: Yes, this methi dal tastes super flavorful even without garam masala. Trust me!!
- Ginger Garlic: When I made this recipe, I had freshly grated ginger and garlic instead of using paste. Nowadays I crush them along with green chili in a wet jar of my spice grinder.
- Lemon juice or Lime juice: A must add. It perks up the flavor of the whole dish. Always add lemon or lime juice at the end of the cooking process meaning no more simmering or boiling dal after adding it.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Mix all three dal and rinse under running cold water until water runs clear. Or rinse into a bowl 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore. Take washed dal with fresh water in a pressure cooker.
2) Cover it with a lid, put the weight on and cook on medium heat for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure go down by itself and then open the lid.
3) While dal is pressure cooking, start cooking masala on another stove. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
4) Add ginger, garlic paste and green chili. Saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
5) Add chopped onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the process.
6) Cook until the onion turns light brown in color.
7) Add tomatoes and chopped methi.
8) Mix and cook until tomatoes are soft and almost mushy. Plus, methi leaves have wilted and cooked as well.
9) Add cooked dal, remaining salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder.
10) Mix well.
11) Add water to get the dal consistency. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
12) Lastly, squeeze the fresh lemon juice and stir. Methi dal is ready to serve.
💭Expert Tips
Adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the green chili and red chili powder amount.
How to get rid of the bitterness of methi leaves?
- Wash the methi leaves and keep them in a colander. Sprinkle a big pinch of salt. Toss the methi around so salt is mixed well.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. During this resting time, salt will draw the moisture from the leaves.
- Squeeze the handful of leaves at a time and discard the collected water. Most of the bitterness is removed through that water.
- Repeat the squeezing process for the rest.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Serve methi dal with plain basmati rice or jeera rice.
- It can be served with roti or paratha.
- A side of salad, papad, pickle and a glass of chaas make a complete meal.
Check Out Other Dal Recipes With Greens
Did you try this methi dal recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.
📋 Recipe Card
Methi Dal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Arhar dal (toor dal or split pigeon peas)
- 2 tablespoons Yellow moong dal (split and skinless)
- 2 tablespoons Masoor dal
- 1 ½ cups Water For pressure cooking
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 small Green chilies chopped finely
- ½ cup Red onion finely chopped
- 1 small or ½ cup Tomato chopped
- 1 cup Fenugreek leaves (methi leaves) measured, washed and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- ¾ to 1 cup Water To make dal consistency
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix all three dal and rinse under running cold water until water runs clear. Or rinse into a bowl 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore. Take washed dal with fresh water in a pressure cooker.
- Cover it with a lid, put the weight on and cook on medium heat for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure go down by itself and then open the lid.
- While dal is pressure cooking, start cooking masala on another stove. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
- Add ginger, garlic paste and green chili. Saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
- Add chopped onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the process. Cook until the onion turns light brown in color.
- Add tomatoes and chopped methi. Mix and cook until tomatoes are soft and almost mushy. Plus, methi leaves have wilted and cooked as well.
- Add cooked dal, remaining salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Mix well.
- Add water to get the dal consistency. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Lastly, squeeze the fresh lemon juice and stir. Methi dal is ready to serve.
Notes
- Wash the methi and keep them in a colander. Sprinkle a big pinch of salt. Toss the methi around so salt is mixed well.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. During this resting time, salt will draw the moisture from the leaves.
- Squeeze the handful of leaves at a time and discard the collected water. Most of the bitterness is removed through that water.
- Repeat the squeezing process for the rest.
rajalakshmi
i really liked the flavour and the taste. thamks for the recipe. It was really emmie. My children like d it.
Itried it because my sons were bored of my same taste .
Kanan
Happy to hear that dal came out good and your kids liked it. Thanks for the feedback
kani.A
thaks mam.i learn it
Kanan
You're welcome
Min
I'd like to try this but is there a substitute for Fenugreek leave. Tks
Kanan
You can use any other green leafy vegetable of your choice instead.
Trupti
Hi Kanan,
Nice venture .All the recipes look yummy and easy to prepare.
I hv a question regarding the bitterness of methi. The place where ee r residing currently, we dont get methi frequently. So whenever I visit India, i buy methi and dry its leaves in house and then get here with me. The problem is, along with this drying process, the bitterness multiplies as well. Its so bitter that u cant hold it in ur mouth at all. I tried salting it n squeezing out water but doesnt help much. I can make only theplas wid this methi.
Do u have any solution to this?
Thanks.
Kanan
To get rid of bitterness of Methi: Wash fresh methi leaves, sprinkle some salt on it and leave it aside for 10 minutes. Then squeeze out all the water. This way salt will reduce the bitterness. Same as you mentioned. But this procedure is for Fresh methi leaves. Do not know how to remove from dry methi. I would say use this procedure for fresh methi leaves then dry them out to make kasoori methi.