Kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves, is bitter-sweet, savoury and maple-scented. Crushed and stirred in at the end, it finishes butter chicken, dal makhani and creamy North Indian curries.
Dried or fresh?¶
Fresh methi is cooked as a leafy vegetable: whole handfuls in aloo methi, thepla dough or methi malai matar, where it adds bulk, colour and bitterness. Kasuri methi is used differently, as a seasoning. Drying concentrates the leaf's bitter-sweet, savoury, maple-like aroma, and a small amount goes a long way.
So they are not really interchangeable. Kasuri methi cannot stand in for the vegetable in aloo methi, and a handful of fresh leaves will not give butter chicken its characteristic finish. See fenugreek-leaves for the fresh herb, and fenugreek for the seeds, which are another ingredient again.
In the kitchen¶
- Finishing curries. Crush 1–2 teaspoons between your palms and stir into butter chicken, dal makhani, paneer dishes and other creamy curries in the last few minutes of cooking. See indian-cuisine.
- Toasting. A few seconds in a dry pan first intensifies the aroma. It burns quickly, so keep it moving.
- Breads. A teaspoon kneaded into naan, paratha or puri dough, or sprinkled on before baking.
- Ghormeh sabzi. The Persian herb stew uses about 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek among its fried herbs; too much makes it bitter. See persian-cuisine.
- Vegetables. A pinch with potatoes, cauliflower or spinach.
Always rub it between your palms as you add it, and pick out any woody stems.
How much to use¶
As a finishing herb, 1–2 teaspoons of kasuri methi is enough for a curry serving four. For a Persian stew, about 2 tablespoons dried where a recipe says a small handful of fresh. Where a recipe wants fresh methi as a vegetable, dried is not a substitute; use spinach with a pinch of kasuri methi for flavour instead.
Buying and storing¶
Indian and Pakistani grocers sell it in boxes and bags, cheaply. Keep it airtight, away from light, and use it within six months to a year; it stays aromatic longer than most dried herbs. Good kasuri methi is green and smells strongly of maple and hay when crushed.
To dry your own, spread fresh leaves on a tray somewhere warm and airy, out of the sun, until crisp. See drying-herbs.
Health and safety¶
Fenugreek is a legume, and allergic reactions have been reported, including in people allergic to peanuts or chickpeas. Large amounts can give sweat a harmless maple-syrup smell. See fenugreek-leaves.