Fun with Fenugreek

Aug 23, 2006 11:32

I have about a quarter pound of fenugreek in my pantry (bought for only $3.99 at the import store - score!). This fragrant spice is a key ingredient to Indian cuisine. In fact, I added it to my tried-and-true makhani recipe last night and it added a delightful aroma that was sorely missing in prior renditions. Yet even if I were to incorporate ( Read more... )

fenugreek, indian

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Comments 19

tisiphone August 23 2006, 18:47:46 UTC
I use it as part of the spices that go in dal. Boil about 2 cups of dal til they're soft (how long this takes depends on what kind of dal you pick; typically masoor dal take about half an hour, but I've boiled channa dal for hours and they still don't soften); heat 2 T or so of oil in your heavy skillet (mustard oil would be traditional but I just grab whatever's to hand); add a goodly pinch of fenugreek, some coriander seed, a bit of black cumin (kala jeera) and whatever else you like, and wait til the seeds start to "pop" before adding a diced onion. Saute the onion until it's brown and then add the drained dal, along with a quantity of turmeric and some garam masala. Add a diced tomato and some cilantro. (I say "some", but what I mean is "a bunch, chopped; this is highly variable) Cook until it's a pleasing texture.

That has to be the least specific recipe ever, sorry! I don't tend to measure when I'm cooking Indian food, I go by the taste and texture instead since spices are so variable.

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tisiphone August 23 2006, 18:48:13 UTC
Oh! Add some salt. I always forget that part....

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aleph_zahir August 23 2006, 18:53:02 UTC
That's okay, measuring is for suckers. :-) My husband actually hates dal, but you've reminded me that I should make a big batch of it for my lunches because I love it. I'll definitely be saving this recipe for the future!

P.S. - I use canned chickpeas in chana masala, and it always turns out fine. Super quick, cheap, and healthy - what more could one ask?

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tisiphone August 23 2006, 18:54:35 UTC
Yup, me too - after a few attempts at using the dried ones I ceded the point to modern food preservation techniques!

I was actually pretty surprised by this... er, algorithm, sorta, for dal; I fully expected my mother to detest it but she really likes it. Strange.

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aleph_zahir August 23 2006, 19:25:01 UTC
Oh, that sounds so good. I wonder if I could make it w/o the dried limes, though?

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impdujour August 23 2006, 19:45:07 UTC
yes you can I use lemon juice to taste

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autumnmist August 23 2006, 19:18:27 UTC
Ethiopian food!!!!!!!!

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aleph_zahir August 23 2006, 19:23:27 UTC
Any particular recipes?

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autumnmist August 23 2006, 19:30:37 UTC
Well, fenugreek is one of the staples of Ethiopian cooking (along with dry-cooking onions), so most recipes will use it.

Berberé is the basic spice mix used quite often and contains fenugreek.

Doro wat is your classic chicken dish and all sorts of vegetables can be cooked in a wat style.

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gushgush August 23 2006, 20:19:28 UTC
I like to take whole peices of dried fenugreek and soak it in water for at least a day so that it becomes fenugreek sprouts!
These sprouts are very healthful as they are a good liver flush, and they taste great in salads as well as just a snack.

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gushgush August 23 2006, 20:20:21 UTC
Make that "whole pIEces"... duh!

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kightp August 23 2006, 20:31:05 UTC
You ought to be able to keep it almost indefinitely in the freezer, if it's well-wrapped.

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aleph_zahir August 23 2006, 20:34:36 UTC
Good point. I was thinking of that myself.

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