Methi Paratha, a whole wheat flatbread with fresh methi leaves and spices served with a pickle and curd is a great breakfast option. And guess what, unlike other stuffed parathas that intimidate you from trying, this one is a mix-all and knead method. Easy right?
Fenugreek leaves flatbread most commonly called methi paratha is one of the best ways you can incorporate greens into your diet. Methi Parathas are good as is but even better with some homemade pickle and curd. You can also serve them along with some chicken tikka or matar paneer for a family dinner.
I had my first methi parathas at my friend's place while in Bangalore. She had a Bihari cook who used to come and prepare a stack of methi parathas for dinner. I have had it so many times with her family. She was kind enough to get me the recipe when I had a little kitchen of my own.
Let me share what you will need to make this easy methi paratha!
Ingredients
- veggies: fresh methi leaves, onion, ginger garlic paste and green chillies
- flour: wheat flour
- ground spices: turmeric, red chilli, cumin and garam masala
- carom seeds
- Kasuri methi
- ghee
How to wash fresh methi leaves?
As methi leaves don't submerge completely in water it gets hard to wash after removing the leaves. So, I first wash them and then later, pick the leaves.
- Take the methi bunch, chop off the root portion and discard it.
- Add the bunch into a colander and wash it under a running tap to remove the dirt and mud.
- Next, fill a large bowl with water and soak the fenugreek leaves in the water for 10-15 minutes. This will allow all the remaining dirt to settle down at the bottom and leaves will float on top.
- Now using your hand remove the bunch gently without disturbing the water and dirt at the bottom.
- Lightly squeeze out the water and let it drain in a colander or run it in a salad spinner to get rid of all excess water.
- Now, you can separate the leaves from the stem and use them in your recipe. Discard the stems.
- You may use them as-is or chop them for more flavour.
How to make it?
It is as easy as adding all ingredients into the bowl and mixing it with very little water to form a dough. Knead the dough to make it less sticky so that you can work with it easily. And the effort is in rolling, folding and rolling again to make a layered paratha.
Tips
Dough: For the perfect methi paratha dough that is not too sticky to work with, make sure you follow this tip. Mix all the items except water and keep it covered for 10 to 15 minutes. The salt in the mixture will help release moisture from the onion and methi leaves. This will help you to determine how much water to add to make the mixture into a less messy dough.
FAQ
Of course yes! It is primarily a winter food and a great source of nutrition for diabetic people. Adding methi leaves to your diet helps improve your overall gut and heart health. Adding fenugreek leaves to whole wheat flour and cooking it with ghee and spices makes you feel fuller along with the added benefits. Also, like in any other case, moderation is the key.
Fenugreek leaves are very mildly bitter that it hardly comes through in the taste. If you have previously skipped them because you found them too bitter for your palette, then you may reduce it by serving it with salted yoghurt or with some lime pickle.
Yes, you can. The dired version of fenugreek leaves is called Kasuri methi. Like any dried herbs, this is far more potent than the fresh leaves. If you want to use the Kasuri methi to make these parathas, then I would suggest using 2 tablespoons of Kasuri methi for every 1 cup of flour. Or ¼ cup of dried for 1 cup of fresh leaves.
No, they are not the same but both have common ingredients. Methi Thepla is a popular Gujrathi flatbread served with a sweet and tangy mango chutney called Chunda. Methi paratha is made with whole wheat flour (atta) and water but the dough for Thepla includes besan or millet flour along with atta and is kneaded with yoghurt. Paratha has layers and is soft, Thepla does not have layers and is cooked to a crisp. Parathas need to be refrigerated after a day but Thepla can be stored for several days which makes them perfect options for long journeys.
You can add rinsed and drained fresh fenugreek leaves to curries and bread to its distinctive flavour. It is best to cook the leaves just enough to wilt and avoid overcooking that would kill the benefits.
You can make flatbreads like Thepla, and paratha or add them to your aloo sabzi, pakoras, chicken korma, pulao, etc. Try adding methi leaves to the classic Aloo Paratha as I did in my aloo methi paratha. If you want to make kulcha? Try my cauliflower stuffed gobi methi kulcha!
If you can get your hands on purslane leaves (kulfa), then do try my Purslane Paratha!
📖 Recipe
Methi Paratha
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of methi leaves washed, drained, picked leaves discarding the stem and stalk (50gms when ready to use) (or use 4 tablespoon Kasuri methi)
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 3 to 5 green chillies chopped finely
- 2 cups whole wheat flour atta
- 2 tablespoons besan gram flour optional
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 2 pinches garam masala
- salt to taste
- ½ cup Water or as required
- ghee to fold and to pan roast
- all-purpose flour to dust and roll
Instructions
Make the dough
- Add the methi leaves, onion, ginger-garlic paste and green chillies to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the flour, spice powders and salt and mix to combine. Let the mixture rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes so that the salt will release the moisture which in turn will help us to control the addition of water to make a smooth dough.
- Add a few tablespoons of water at a time and knead the mixture to a slightly sticky but smooth dough. Cover and rest the dough for 10 minutes. Use a knife to divide the dough into 8 to 9 equal-sized balls. Dredge each ball in flour and keep covered or refrigerate for later use.
Roll and fold the dough balls
- Take a dough ball, dust the work area with flour, dredge the dough ball in flour and start rolling the dough with a rolling pin to palm size. Apply melted ghee or olive oil all over the surface and fold while applying the oil between each fold. Fold twice to make a triangle and keep aside covered. Repeat for all the dough balls. You may use it immediately or refrigerate it in an airtight box for later or up to 3 days.
Cook Methi Parathas
- Heat a tawa on medium to high flame. Take a prepared paratha dough ball and roll it flat. Check if the tawa is hot then place the rolled paratha on it. Wait for a few air bubbles to show up and then flip the paratha. Let it roast for 30 seconds and flip again.
- Spread ghee all over and flip and cook until roasted evenly and crispy. Serve immediately with some pickle, yoghurt or any north Indian curries or dal. Try serving this with my butter chicken or Kosha Mangsho or Aloo Gosht
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