Methi daal / Menthi koora pappu / Lentils with Fenugreek leaves

Methi daal / Menthi koora pappu / Lentils with Fenugreek leaves

Methi or Menthi koora or Fenugreek leaves are used as a herb or in whole for curries or the seeds as a spice. The leaves are used all over India in many different dishes. They even taste good with combination of other veggies. Dried leaves are also used as a herb to flavor dishes and its called 'Kasuri Methi'.
I use Menthi koora whenever available to make curries or daal too.
Almost all the daals are made in a similar fashion. There are two ways that I make daal at home. One when I have time and other when I don't have time. Though making it the longer way always tastes more better. I call it long but its easy, not difficult at all. You can make it this way too when you have extra plain daal leftover too. Extra daal, ya I keep some extra plain daal in the fridge so that I can use it couple of days later for making quick daal or pappu kattu or sambar.
So to make daal when you don't have time is to put everything including the toor daal and methi leaves (any other veggie for that matter), along with chilli powder, turmeric, onion and green chillies into the pressure cooker and cook till done. Then add the tamarind juice and add tempering. Thats the easy way.
The other way is as follows:

Ingredients:

1 cup toor daal
1 cup methi leaves
1 small chopped onion
3-4 green chillies
1-2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 lemon size ball of tamarind (squeezed out of its juices)

For tempering:

3-4 garlic pods, chopped or crushed
1 tsp urad daal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
2 dry red chillies
5-6 curry leaves
1 tbsp oil
some water

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

The second way or the one I do when I have time is like this.
Cook the daal in a pressure cooker till cooked.
In a different pot, add some water and add the methi leaves, chopped onions and green chillies. Saute until cooked and then add the tamarind juice. Cook for couple of minutes. Now add the cooked daal into the same pot after lowering the heat or it will splutter. If you think its too thick, add some water. Don't worry you can cook away the water later. After mixing properly prepare for tempering. In a tempering pot or small pan, heat oil and add the crushed garlic. When they start to brown add the urad daal. When that starts to brown, add the mustard seeds and jeera. Let them splutter before adding the broken red chillies and curry leaves. Now add this tempering to the daal and mix. Let cook for 5 minutes till it bubbles away. Then you can stop the heat. Serve with steaming rice, with ghee, or with roti or chapathi. Enjoy!!!