Methi-Dal tadka | Yellow lentil curry with fresh fenugreek

Dal tadka is a simple yellow lentil preparation common in every Indian household. In this recipe, fresh fenugreek leaves add a delicious and aromatic touch to the everyday lentil curry.

I am visiting my parents in Panchkula. 7 months ago they moved from city center to the outskirts in a closed community and in the last 7 months they have converted a little patch of land behind their home into a thriving kitchen garden. Except for a few vegetables that they need to buy, for the two of them they are pretty self-sufficient from their organic garden. There is spinach, fenugreek, mint, coriander, onion, garlic, beetroot, potato, eggplant, tomato, beans, gourds, and lot more. 

Every day we go into the garden, pick up fresh produce for the day and then decide the meals for the day. For last 5 days, I’ve been kneading fresh fenugreek in dough to make jowar roti and bajra methi poori. Few days back, in our food bloggers group, Vidya shared the recipe for methi dal. A quintessential Maharashtrian dish made with toor dal (yellow pigeon pea lentils) and fresh fenugreek leaves. It is very similar to spinach dal but what sets it apart is the addition of little jaggery. Just a small amount of jaggery brings a hint of sweetness to the dal. 

This methi dal tadka is inspired by her recipe of  Methi che ambat goad Varan (Maharashtrian Fenugreek leaves dal). The original recipe is without onions or garlic. I have adapted my classic dal-fry recipe to add fresh fenugreek and jaggery. The deliciousness of the simple dal recipe lies in the use of fresh ingredients and in this one, I went as fresh as I could! I was proudly telling my sister that all the vegetables in this curry were on a tree this morning! In urban spaces, we hardly ever get an opportunity to cook such fresh ingredients.

Ingredients (and substitutes) for making methi dal fry (yellow lentil curry with fresh fenugreek)

• Yellow pigeon pea lentils (arhar or toor dal): Dal fry is usually made with fast cooking yellow arhar dal. You can also use yellow moong lentils or red lentils (lal masoor). 
• Fresh Fenugreek leaves are the key to the recipe but you can also use dried fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi when fresh fenugreek is not in season.
• Spices & Seasoning: Asafoetida (hing), cumin, salt, pepper, and turmeric. A little jaggery and a dash of lime juice.
• Other vegetables/ aromatics: Green chili, ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato. Some fresh coriander for garnish.
• I’ve cooked this methi dal in mustard oil. You can also use ghee (clarified butter) or any other cooking oil of your choice.

Dals or lentils constitute an important source of protein and healthy calories in a vegan and vegetarian diet. This is a simple recipe to include leafy green vegetables in your diet by adding them to curries. If you like this recipe, please take a moment to rate it below and/or leave your feedback in the comments. It will really encourage me!

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Methi Dal Tadka | Yellow lentil curry with fresh fenugreek

Methi dal tadka is a simple Indian lentil curry made with yellow lentils and fresh fenugreek leaves. Fenugreek adds a beautiful freshness & aroma to the simple curry. You can add any fresh greens to the recipe.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Lentil curry, Lentil recipe, Maharashtrian

Servings: 4

Calories: 113kcal

Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)

• 1 cup toor dal split pigeon peas lentil*, washed and soaked for at least 15 mins
• 2 cups fresh fenugreek leaves washed and chopped
• 2 tbsp mustard oil or use ghee or any other cooking oil
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cloves garlic or use 3-4 stalks of garlic greens
• 1 inch fresh ginger root chopped
• 1 green chili chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 tomatoes puréed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red pepper powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp jaggery powder
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Put a pressure cooker on heat. Drain the soaked dal and add to the cooker with 2½ cups water, 1 tsp oil, salt and turmeric. Close and pressure cook the dal for 2 whistles. Remove from heat but open only after all the steam has escaped on its own. Toor dal cooks very quickly.**
• Heat the remaining oil in a kadhai or wok. When the oil starts to smoke, reduce heat and add asafoetida, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Mix and sauté for a minute.
• Add the chopped onions. Mix and sauté for 4-5 minutes till the onions start to turn soft.
• Add tomato purée and all the spices. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add fresh fenugreek leaves and cook for another 2 minutes.***
• Add the cooked dal and jaggery. Give everything a good mix and cook covered for another 2 mins.
• Remove from heat, add lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt, pepper, and lime.
• Serve hot with flat Indian bread or plain rice.

Notes

• *I have used split pigeon peas lentil in this recipe but methi dal can also be made with yellow moong dal (split green gram) or chana dal (Bengal gram/ split chickpeas).
• **We normally cook our dals in pressure cooker but you can also cook them covered in a stock pot till soft and mushy.
• ***If you are using dried fenugreek leaves, add them in the end after the cooked dal and cook for just a minute. Nutritional Information is approximate information for 1 of 4 servings.

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More Lentil Recipes

Lentils are a versatile ingredient in an Indian kitchen. From breakfast pancakes to dessert puddings, lentils are used to make all kinds of dishes. Click on my lentil recipe collection for more inspiration like:

• Vegan Lentil Pancakes a.k.a. Dal Chilla
• Steamed Lentil and Rice Cake a.k.a. Idli
• Lentil Salad
• Lentil Curry
• Lentil Pudding / Moong Dal Halwa

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