methi dal recipe with step by step photos – delicious, healthy and simple dal fry made with methi or fresh fenugreek leaves.
here is one more way of combining methi with dal. since dal is a staple at home so i make variety of dal/lentils, so that we don’t get bored with them. sometimes i also add greens like spinach, fenugreek and amaranth to the yellow dal. in the recipe i have used tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils), but you can also make this dal with moong lentils and chana dal (bengal gram). you can also use a combination of two to three lentils.
the slight bitterness of the fenugreek leaves gets balanced with the subtle sweetness of the pigeon pea lentils (arhar dal). if the fenugreek you get is too bitter, then just sprinkle some salt and keep aside for 15-20 minutes. squeeze the leaves and then rinse them in water. then add these leaves to the tempering.
i feel this is a good way to include greens in your diet and make your simple dal or curry more nutritious and healthy.
you can serve methi dal with rice, roti or chappati along with raita, salad, masala papad and some pickle.
how to make methi dal or dal methi recipe
cooking dal
1. pick, rinse 1 cup arhar dal (tuvar dal) a couple of times.
2. add the rinsed dal + ½ tsp turmeric powder + 2.5 cups water in the pressure cooker.
3. pressure cook the lentils for 8 to 10 whistles or more till the lentils are cooked thoroughly and softened. when the pressure settles down naturally in the cooker, open the lid. mash the lentils lightly and keep aside.
making methi dal
4. heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. you can also use ghee instead of oil. add 1 tsp cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.
5. then add 1 small to medium sized onion (finely chopped), ½ inch ginger (finely chopped), 5 to 6 garlic (finely chopped or crushed) and 2 to 3 green chilies (slit or sliced).
6. next add 1 to 2 dry red chilies. saute everything till the onions become translucent.
7. then add 1 small to medium sized tomato (finely chopped).
8. stir very well.
9. add ½ tsp red chili powder (lal mirch powder) and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). stir and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
10. then add 1 cup tightly packed fresh fenugreek or methi leaves (chopped).
11. mix very well.
12. saute the whole mixture, till the methi leaves wilt and you see oil releasing from the sides of the pan.
13. then add the cooked arhar dal.
14. add 1 to 1.25 cups water. you can add less or more water as per the consistency you want in the methi dal. if you want a thick dal, then skip adding water and just mix the dal with the rest of the tempering mixture.
15. then add salt as required.
16. stir very well and simmer methi dal for 7 to 8 minutes.
17. lastly add ½ tsp garam masala powder and mix well again.
18. serve methi dal with some steamed rice or soft chapatis.
more tasty dal recipes for you:
methi dal
INGREDIENTS FOR methi dal
for pressure cooking dal
- 1 cup arhar dal (tuhar dal or pigeon pea lentils) or 200 grams arhar dal
- 2.5 cups water for pressure cooking the lentils
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
for tempering methi dal
- 3 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 small to medium onion, finely chopped
- ½ inch ginger (adrak) - finely chopped
- 5 to 6 garlic (lahsun) - finely chopped or crushed
- 2 to 3 green chilies (hari mirch) - slit
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies (sookhi lal mirch) - deseeded and broken
- 1 small to medium tomato, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh fenugreek or methi leaves - chopped
- 1 to 1.25 cups water to be added later
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- salt as required
HOW TO MAKE methi dal
pressure cooking dal
- pick, rinse 1 cup arhar dal (tuvar dal) a couple of times.
- add the rinsed dal + ½ tsp turmeric powder + 2.5 cups water in the pressure cooker.
- pressure cook the lentils for 8 to 10 whistles or more till the lentils are cooked thoroughly and softened.
- when the pressure settles down naturally in the cooker, open the lid. mash the lentils lightly and keep aside.
making methi dal
- in a small frying pan, heat oil. saute the cumin seeds, till they crackle.
- then add onions, garlic, ginger, red chilies and green chilies.
- saute for a couple of minutes till the onions turn translucent.
- add the tomatoes, asafoetida, red chili powder and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
- add the chopped methi leaves. saute till the methi leaves wilt and oil leaves the sides of the mixture,
- pour this mixture in the dal or add the cooked dal to this tempering mixture.
- add water and salt as required.
- stir very well and simmer the methi dal for 7 to 8 minutes more.
- lastly add garam masala powder and stir well.
- serve the methi dal steaming hot with steamed rice.
Very tasty recipe
thank you.
I have been making dal fry using kasturi methi since ages and it tastes like heaven. Once you taste dal fry having kasturi methi in it, you won’t ever like to have a simple dal fry. At my home, dal fry is something that is always made with kasturi methi.. otherwise it’s not eaten by anyone.
It looks tasty am gonna try it….
Thanks Nj
Hello mam,
I am a regular visitor to your blog and you have saved the day for me many a times.Thanks again.
Only 1 question can we cook the same recipe with Chana dal?
Thanks in advance.
thanks ruchi. you can use chana dal.
Awesome recipe… Thank you so much dear…
welcome eisha.
Finding fresh methi here is very rare. I bought too much of it in excitement and didn’t know what else to make other than paratha. It was then I saw this recipe and tried it for lunch today. It was a super hit. My daughter loved it.
pleased to know this thanks bhuvana for positive views 🙂 glad your daughter liked the methi dal fry recipe.
It’s a fantastic methi daal recipe! You feel the flavor of methi and enjoy the goodness of daal along.
pleased to know this preeti thankyou for your kind and positive words. glad you liked the methi dal 🙂
Very tasty and simple
Awesome recipe ! Thank you 🙂
welcome maya 🙂
Turned out great, though I had to really search to find methi and asafetida. Added mustard seed to the cumin. Will be making again
thanks bruce for sharing positive review on methi dal.
Good one .. Loved it
thanks sujitha
We love it…. It much easy to make as well
Tried this recipe today and it was so yummy…i love the simplicity in ur recipes….thanks once again & keep up the good work!
welcome jyoti.
This is exactly the methi dal my Mom made when we were little. I am definitely going to make it soon:)
Had this with rice for lunch. Lovely. Might not get to try often unless I can source the herb or grow my own. I love that dal can have so many flavours and character. The instructions said add garlic – how much do you use? I just added a small clove. Thanks for sharing these recipes.
thanks ray for the feedback. you can grow fenugreek by planting some fenugreek seeds in pots. they grow pretty fast and you will have a nice harvest. 1 garlic clove is fine. i have added the number of garlic in the recipe details.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. I have only just found your website and I hope to try your recipes over the next few months. I live in the north of England. I have always enjoyed Indian food but it is not as easy to get good vegetarian food in restaurants. There are exceptions – prashad’s in Bradford has won awards and there cookbook is amazing. I started cooking recipes from it this year and now have half a dozen indian vegetarian books. I like the simple home- style cooking, so different from the rich restaurant food we have in the uk.
A local shop was selling methi today. Coriander is easily available but I usually have to use dried methi. I shall be cooking this dal this afternoon – Thank you!
thanks ray. i know from friends in england that its not easy to get good vegetarian food in restaurants. you can try the various veg recipes from the blog.
Nearly 4 years since you posted this recipe and it is still one of my favourites when I can get hold of fresh methi. Making it again tonight. One of my favourite blogs. Thank you.
welcome ray. glad to know that you liked this methi dal recipe so much.
I love methi but I find it quite hard to get them here in Kerala. You have a lot of amazing recipes that use fresh methi leaves which leaves me craving for them all the more. Love your website!
hi safa. you can grow them in pots or in the ground. just plant them some methi seeds below the soil. water and then they will sprout and start growing. you can also sprout the methi seeds first and then plant in the soil.