Wednesday 23 March 2016

CARROTS AND DRY FENUGREEK SIDE DISH AND A POST ON A SPICE/HERB -FENUGREEK (METHI)



CARROTS AND DRY FENUGREEK SIDE DISH AND A POST ON A SPICE/HERB -FENUGREEK (METHI)

GAJAR AUR KASOORI METHI SUBZI

EDITED: This post was featured as one of the best recipes on 29th March 2016 at the round-up of Cook Blog share



Fenugreek is a very important herb and a spice, which is used a lot in Indian cuisine. All four forms of this herb - seeds, seed powder, dry leaves and green leaves, are used in different recipes. This is a versatile herb, and its numerable uses are there in Indian cuisine because its enormous health benefits were recognized long ago in Ayurveda. Check this website-15-health-benefits-of-methi.


Green methi leaves are cooked with many vegetables as a side dish, and with many lentil curries, it is also added in different types of roties (Indian flat bread). The seeds and their dry powder are also used in many curries and dry side dishes. Dry green leaves which are called kasoori methi in Hindi is also used, in many savoury snacks, and tandoori and rich curries to give awesome taste and aroma.


This herb has a lot of medicinal values. As I have already mentioned in another post, fenugreek leaves and seeds are considered a very good home remedy for many health issues. Traditionally in our homes, we make fenugreek fudge or laddoos (balls) for pregnant women and give them in the ninth month to induce labour. They also help to reduce menstrual pain, pain in legs and waist after delivery and for milk production in lactating women.


According to this website- breast feeding online, fenugreek seeds have been used for milk production since biblical times. Fenugreek capsules are also available at many health shops and at pharmacies, which many women buy and use during lactation time.


In Ayurveda (traditional Indian healing system with natural things), it is considered as the most beneficial medicinal herb, and there are endless health benefits of eating this herb. It is particularly good for diabetic patients as well, check here -Ayurvedic talk.


Whenever I find fresh green methi leaves available in Indian grocery shop, I always buy and use them in different dishes and make sure everybody in the family is eating and getting the benefit of its nutrients.


India is the largest producer of this herb. In my long stay in Africa, I was always growing this herb in my kitchen garden and was using it straight from the garden. Their seeds can germinate in seven days, if the area is hot and humid, it can grow very fast. Fresh green leaves can be stored easily in the freezer, which can last for months. Green leaves can also be dried in the sun and can be used as a herb for a very long period of time.



In Indian cuisine many herbs and spices are used, some of them for daily consumption, fenugreek is one of them. We keep some spices in a spice box for our essential daily use. As you know my blog's name is also “Herbs, spices and Tradition”. When I started this blog, my son-in-law, who is also a professional photographer, took a lot of pictures of spices. He took my spice box photo which, till today, I am using as the profile picture on my blog's Facebook page. You can see fenugreek as the small yellow seeds on the front left side of this box. This is my son-in-law's webpage.


Coming to the recipe, this is a very simple recipe, which can be made with both green methi leaves and dried methi as a herb. I made this one with dried methi leaves, which imparts a very nice aroma and taste in this dish. If the same dish is cooked with green methi leaves, the taste and flavor are the same, and the dish looks more greener because of the green colour of the leaves.



RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
  • 400 grams carrots, peeled, washed and sliced into small pieces.
  • 3 tbs dry fenugreek leaves/kasoori methi.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp mango powder (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tbs oil



METHOD
  • Heat oil in a fry pan, when hot add cumin seeds.
  • When seeds will change colour add carrots, methi and all spices except mango powder.
  • Mix well and cover the lid, leave it on medium heat for 8-10 minutes till carrots are cooked well.
  • If you see some extra water when carrots are done, open the lid and let it evaporate for 5-7 more minutes.
  • When carrots are done, add mango powder.
This can be served as a side dish with roti, dinner bun or naan. It goes well with any raita or any lentil curry.

I am sharing this recipe as my blog post entry for Hearth and soul blog hop, and with Cook blog share, with Full plate Thursday, and Yum yum link party,, with welcome Home Wednesday party, and with My two fav things on Thursday,, with Funtastic Friday, and with Real Food Friday, and with and with Fiesta Friday, with Food year link up for March 2016, with Sunday fitness and food party and with what'd you do this weekend, and Meatless Monday,, and with happy healthy and green blog hop, and  Tasty Tuesday, with way wow link, and with Welcome home Wednesday  and with sweet Inspiration link party


































71 comments:

  1. very healthy and flavorful one!

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  2. Im not a huge carrot fan but it actually looks pretty yummy! #yumtum

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  3. Hi Sadhna,
    Sounds very tasty and healthy. Love all those herbs you have added. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!

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  4. These flavors must be incredible together. I have tried fenugreek one before, in cookies made for breastfeeding, but I think this recipe would much tastier!

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    1. Wow, I am glad you have used feenugreek before, Thanks for your comment dear.

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  5. This is so different and looks very tasty!

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  6. Really interesting to read about the health benefits of fenugreek, I think I commented on one of your posts before that we had read it was good for reducing mucus in colds and try and include it in our diet. The recipe looks fab. I wanted to ask you if you knew a recipe for a potato dish where the spices had been inserted into cuts in the potatoes (if that makes sense). It was cooked as a dry dish (no sauce) and I was once given it for breakfast when I stayed with a Hindu family - it was amazing, but I have never come across it since. I would love to know the recipe x

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    1. Hi Sarah, I am glad you liked my another post as well. There are many recipes of dry potato dish which you had mentioned, I do not know which one you tasted. Even in this recipe you can replace carrots with boiled potatoes, rest follow the same recipe, it is very tasty. Give it a try. Thanks for your visit and the comment.

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    2. Thanks Sadhna, I will try it with potatoes :)

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  7. Hi Sadhna, I am really not familiar with Fenugreek, so thanks so much for the primer and for the recipe. I surely need to add this to my recipe box.
    Wishing you a lovely spring weekend.

    Hugs, Lynn

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    1. Hi Lynn, thanks very much for your lovely comment dear, wishing you the same.

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  8. You and your family must be so healthy with the use of all these incredible herbs! Great recipe and history, as usual!

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  9. Although, I know what Fenugreek is, I didn't know it had so many health benefits and uses, too. Thank you for the little lesson and for sharing this yummy recipe at Fiesta Friday. Have a great weekend, Sadhna!

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    1. Thanks very much Natalie for your lovely comment and the visit.

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  10. This looks delicious! I haven't cooked with fenugreek before so I had no idea of the benefits either! a very yummy side dish indeed!

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  11. Thank you for the lesson on Fenugreek! I have some in my spice rack, but did not know much about it until reading this :-) Thanks for joining the link-up, Have a Great Week!!

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  12. I love how herbs and spices are so good for us and how they can help with so many health issues! I was interested to read about Fenugreek and how useful it is. I'm not sure if I have ever tasted it but your recipe looks delicious and I'm looking forward to giving it a try! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop, Sadhna.

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    1. Thanks very much dear for such a nice comment. I am very sure you are going to really enjoy it.

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  13. This dish looks DELICIOUS !! I've never tried cooking with fenugreek, although it's known here to help controlling your blood sugar (the Yemens use it a lot)

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    1. Thanks Winnie for your comment. Ya, i know in lots of cuisines this spice is used.

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  14. This dish looks and sounds delicious and full of flavour. I used to take fenugreek capsules to help me to produce breastmilk for the twins when I was breastfeeding. It really did help. x #CookBlogShare

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  15. This sounds delicious as always :-) Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Hope you've had a lovely Easter weekend :-)

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    1. Thanks very much Hayley for your visit and the comment.

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  16. This dish looks and sounds delicious and full of flavour. I used to take fenugreek capsules to help me to produce breastmilk for the twins when I was breastfeeding. It really did help. x #CookBlogShare

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    1. Hi Kirsty, it seems this is a duplicate comment, but how come i got it after 4 hours, no idea.

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  17. Delicious subji with carrots and kasturi methi thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning and tweeting.

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    1. Thanks Swathi for your comment and for pinning and tweeting.

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  18. I need to explore more with Fenugreek and see what I can do with it. Thanks for joining the linkup

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    1. Ya you can find out more about this spice, so that you can use. Thanks for your comment.

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  19. Love the flavor of fenugreek leaves, carrots and fenugreek leaves go well together..

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  20. Wonderful combination...Totally delicious and nutritious..I love the use of fenugreek leaves in many of my curries..Nice share Sadhna :)

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    1. Thanks Padma for your visit and the lovely comment dear.

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  21. Oh these sound delicious! I can't say I ever remember having fenugreek, definitely never cooked with it so I'm intrigued. Also very curious about mango powder, I've never seen that before. If I can't find that would it be similar to grinding dried mango?
    Thank you for linking up with us for Meatless Monday!

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    1. Hi Sarah, yes you can give a try, it is very healthy spice and makes curries really delicious. Yes mango powder is similar to grinding dry mangoes. You can easily get both the spices in an Indian grocery shop.

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  22. Wonderful blog post about fenugreek, chock full of information and a tasty recipe too. Saw you at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop #104. The side panel of your blog says to ask you before sharing, so I'm asking is it okay to pin it? Warm regards, Nancy Andres @ www.colors4health.com and nancyandreswriter@gmail.com

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    1. Awww, so nice of you Nancy. Thanks very much for your lovely comment. Yes sure, you can pin it dear.

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  23. I am very happy to see that you are also "methi " fans like me...:) i will give indian name to this recipe as "Gajar Methi Subji"..uhhh i actually did not think about this combination yet... thank you for sharing with us...

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    1. Nice to know that you also love methi. Thanks dear for your lovely comment.

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  24. We still have pakoras and paranthas of methi. The benefits are indeed numerous 😊

    Always love your posts, such simplicity in them.

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  25. Love dishes like this! The spicing in this looks wonderful. And the recipe is pretty easy to make, beautiful share !

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  26. I haven't used fenugreek at home before, after reading all of the benefits, I will need to start incorporating it soon. And, this carrot dish sounds wonderful, yum! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend?!

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    1. Yes Joy, you can try and use it,thanks very much for your comment dear.

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  27. Interesting dish with great flavors and spices....Lovely color as well.

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  28. Sadhna, I look forward to reading from your site, I always learn something new. And the way you cook, with herbs etc. that help our health as well as taste fantastic is so cool. I checked out the article you sited about fenugreek and I can't believe that we in the states don't use it more. I had never heard about it until you started posting about recipes including it. It's an amazing herb. I love that it can help women before, during and after childbirth. For me I love the anti-acid/heartburn aspect and that it can help make your hair fuller and more healthy. And for men, it lowers the risk of colon cancer. WOW! Just a few things that caught my eye. I am going to look for fenugreek seeds to plant so I can harvest my own. As always, thanks for the great recipe, story and incredible information!

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    1. Awwww, Nikki, I am really lucky to found a friend like you in the journey of blogging. Thanks for all the appreciation dear.Yes I think it is a good idea to grow this herb in your garden. You can get these seeds in any Indian grocery shop.

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  29. Thanks for the lesson on Fenugreek! And thanks for linking up at Welcome Home Wednesdays! So good to see you there!

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  30. Best herbal medications for anxiety & stress ?
    natural herbal medicines

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  31. Sadhna, I've never tried Fenugreek before, but it must be really good and your recipe is so healthy and just looks and sounds delicious! I wish I could just come by your house and try all of your amazing dishes! Have a wonderful Sunday!

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    1. Hello Katrine, Thanks very much for your lovely comment.You are most welcome, you can come any time, I will get chance to learn lots of creative things from you.

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  32. I'd love to try this sometime Sadhna, it looks absolutely delicious. All your recipes always do though. Hope you have a wonderful week

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    1. Thanks very much dear for your comment,I am glad you like my recipes.

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  33. Fenugreek seeds maintain the estrogens levels in the body and keep a woman healthy. It helps in monitoring a range of other hormones as well.

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