6 ingredient Aloo Methi

This minimalist Aloo Methi, along with Gajar Matar is one of my all time favourite sabzis to eat with parathas and rotis. I know I say that about a lot of recipes here on Kitchenpostcards but this one really is special because of the seasonality of fresh methi leaves. The only caveat, as Kanika mentions in her Methi Aloo recipe is that cleaning and picking methi leaves is an arduous task.

It takes me around half an hour to clean 2 bunches of methi while multitasking in the kitchen. Of course this would be faster with an extra set of hands but I don’t have those! And when you have cleaned up heaps of this flavoursome and fragrant herb, I’m sure you are looking forward to using it in a recipe quickly. Luckily for you, I’ve got this 6 ingredient Aloo Methi recipe that uses only a few ingredients.

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Maximise Aloo Methi flavour with Mustard Oil

I have to admit I don’t use mustard oil as often, even though I grew up eating it. My parents make most of their dry sabzis in mustard oil and love the zing and pungency it adds to dishes. Mustard oil is an acquired taste and not everyone enjoys it. Like Kanika mentioned in one of the episodes of the Kitchenpostcards Podcast, it’s an unlikely kinship we Punjabis share with the Bengalis. Now that I don’t use it as often, since I’m the only one (out of two) who actually enjoys it, I don’t always stock it in my pantry. Having said that, it’s totally worth stocking it just for this recipe.

If you are new to mustard oil, I would recommend getting a smaller bottle so that you are not stuck with it if you don’t enjoy the taste. I use it sometimes oil my hair with it before shampooing it, so that’s another use for it. Remember to patch test mustard oil first to check for any irritation or adverse reactions to your skin though.

But coming back to Aloo methi, I’m guessing that if you are willing to cook something with Methi, you do enjoy foods that taste somewhat pungent. Methi or fenugreek leaves taste tangy and bitter and again, like mustard oil, not everyone enjoys it. In this recipe, the methi and sarson ka tel really complement each other. We have some delicious recipes like Makki Methi ki Roti, Kanika’s Methi Aloo, Sarson Da Saag, Thepla and some more that use this delicious winter herb in its fresh form.

The case for 6 ingredient Aloo methi

This recipe comes from my mom. Being a busy working woman in the 90s, my mom had some go-to sookhi sabzis recipes in her arsenal that were quick and easy to make on most mornings. She would often chop and cut vegetables and pick and clean herbs the night before to make a quick stir fry or sabzi steamed in a kadhai that would make our breakfast with parathas. This would often be packed for our school mid day lunch as well with some variation.

Most of her sookhi sabzi recipes start with cooking oil in a hot kadhai, followed by jeera/ cumin seeds, sometimes with ginger/adrak and then the sabzi. A quick sprinkling of namak-mirch-haldi-dhaniya after a saute and the sabzi would be steamed with the lid covered. Once the sabzi was tender, all it needed was a sprinkle of garam masala and hara dhaniya and that’s it.

But this Aloo Methi is even simpler. The only arduous task is picking and cleaning methi which I suggest doing earlier. You will need Aloo or Potatoes, Methi or Fresh Fenugreek leaves and your masaaldan with everyday Indian spices. It’s no fuss and uses just two ingredients to prep to make up for all the time you spent picking methi leaves.

Picking and Storing Methi leaves ahead of time

When you buy fresh methi leaves, make sure they are not wet. Wet herbs decompose and wilt really soon and don’t last long in the fridge. Till the time you are not cooking with methi leaves, store them, wrapped in plastic or beeswax wrap in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

To prepare, take out and create an assembly line with a few large plates or a trays. Remember, this first operation is completely dry and we won’t wash the methi leaves until we are chopping them. I sort methi in three piles in these plates or trays. The first one is the unpicked pile of methi leaves on stems. The second and third are for picked leaves and stems for discarding, respectively.

Pick each stem and pluck off leaves and their tender stems and throw in to the good, ‘to-use’ pile. Discard any wilted leaves. The resultant long stem will go into ‘throw-away’ or ‘compost’ pile. Put on a nice food podcast (ahem!) and repeat with the rest of the pile.

Once you finish picking all the good methi, transfer them into the same plastic wrap or bag and store in the crisper drawer until you are ready to use them. They should stay good for another 2-3 days in the fridge, provided they are dry and have been wrapped properly. I picked methi leaves the day before to make the Aloo methi the following afternoon.

Let’s get to making this minimalist 6 Ingredient Aloo Methi

Serves: 2-3; Yields 2 cups

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes; Active time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15-20 minute; Total time: 40- 50 minutes

Special Equipment: A large sieve or strainer; 2 large vessels for washing the methi; A chopping board; A heavy bottom Kadhai with a lid

Ingredients

• Fresh Methi / Fenugreek Leaves, 2 cups or 100-150 grams, from 2 bunches of Methi leaves
• Potatoes, 2 medium, cleaned and scrubbed or peeled
• Sarson ka tel/ Mustard Oil, 2-3 tbsp
• Salt to taste, (I used 1 1/4 teaspoon)
• Kashmiri Lal Mirch/ Red Chilli Powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Amchur/ Dry Mango Powder, 1 teaspoon
• Garam Masala, 1/4 teaspoon (Optional)

Method

Prep Methi Leaves Ahead of Time

This is the most time consuming part of the recipe so I recommend doing this ahead of time. Place two large trays or plates next to your methi leaves bunches. Take each stem and pick the leaves and tender stems by breaking them off. Place them into one of the plates to make a ‘good to use’ pile. The resultant stem can be placed in the other tray ‘to throw or compost’ pile. Repeat with all the stems.

Wash and Drain Methi Leaves

Fill two large vessels with tap water. Dunk Methi leaves in one water filled vessel. Agitate the leaves gently so that the dust from the stems and leaves settles down at the bottom. Grab fistfuls of leaves from the water and place into the next water bath in the second vessel. Refresh the water in the first vessel as they sit in the second vessel. Repeat the washing process a few more times, ideally twice using the 2 baths, till you see no sand at the bottom of the water bath. Finally transfer all the leaves to drain on a large sieve.

Dice the Aloo and Chop the Methi

As the methi leaves drain, scrub and wash the potatoes in tap water. If you are using new potatoes that have a clean thin peel, you may not need to peel them. If using other kinds, peel the potatoes. Next, dice them into half an inch thick pieces and keep aside. After this, grab fistfuls of drained methi at a time and roughly chop. Methi leaves are easier to chop by bunching them on a cutting board and chopping. Repeat with the rest of the methi leaves.

Smoke the Mustard Oil and Cook the Sabzi

Place a heavy bottom kadhai on medium high heat. Pour in around 2-3 tablespoons of sarson ka tel/ mustard oil and let it heat till you see smoke rising out of it. Once you see the oil smoking, reduce the heat to medium. Take care not to let the mustard oil steam for very long.

Now swiftly slide the chopped methi and potatoes from the chopping board in the hot oil. This will create splatters and steam so be careful. Once all the methi and aloo are in the kadhai, sprinkle in salt to taste, Kashmiri red chilli powder and amchur/ dry mango powder.

Steam the Aloo Methi

Stir the salt and spices to coat the sabzi. Reduce the heat now to medium low and place the lid on the kadhai to steam the sabzi. Let the Methi Aloo steam and cook till the potatoes are tender, around 15-25 minutes depending on the kind of potatoes you use. The potatoes will cook in the liquid seeped from the leaves and the steam generated as a result, so do not cook uncovered. Only open to check the potatoes around the 5-7 minute mark to check for any burning and sticking. If the sabzi is sticking to the bottom, reduce the heat to even lower and let it steam. If it does burn and stick a little (accidents happen!), add 2 tablespoons of water and cover to steam.

Once the potatoes are tender, the sabzi is done. There will be some soggy methi leaves coating the tender aloo pieces. If you prefer a drier sabzi, cook the sabzi for an extra couple of minutes on medium heat till you see some liquid evaporate. Otherwise it’s great to mop up with some parathas.

Sprinkle with the optional Garam Masala, and serve this 6 ingredient Aloo Methi with warm Namak Ajwain parathas and some homemade dahi for a delicious wholesome meal.

Once you make this delicious Aloo methi, we also recommend using it to make crispy Aloo Methi ka paratha! It’s one of the crispiest, most wholesome parathas you could make!