vendayakeerai sambar (METHI/ fenugreek LEAVES lentil gravy)

Vendayakeerai (fenugreek leaves/fenugreek greens) were stacked up neatly in the market. I was very much tempted to make a dish out of the fresh leaves. Today I made 'sambar'. with the greens (recipe Source: my mother-in-law) More recipes with fenugreek leaves are in the pipeline ;).

VENDAYAKEERAI SAMBAR:

          (Tamil to English: Vendayakeerai - fenugreek greens/leaves, Sambar - Lentil gravy)

INGREDIENTS:

Toor Dal – 1 ½ cum (75 gm) Soak in water for 15 mins with a pinch of turmeric powder, cook until mashy*.

Tamarind – ¾ lemon size (15 gm) Soak in water and extract the juice.

Fresh Vendayakeerai/fenugreek leaves/fenugreek greens – 4 small bunches – cleaned, washed and chopped.

Tomato – 2 Medium size cut into pcs.

Red chilly – 8 to 10 nos cut into pcs.

Oil to fry (I always use sesame oil for making sambar varieties. The aroma will be good, and also sesame oil is more healthy and tasty compared to refined oil)
Mustard seed-1tsp, 

Asafoetida - as per taste

Curry leaves and salt.

METHOD:
1. Heat the pan with 4 tsp sesame oil.
2. Add mustard seed, red chillies, vendayakeerai/fenugreek greens, pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida & sauté for few minutes.
3. Add tomato, salt and sauté until the tomatoes are cooked.
4. Add tamarind juice and cover the pan. Cook until the raw smell goes off.
5. Now add the cooked* and mashed toor dal and cook for few min.
6. Crackle mustard seed, curry leaves and if you like you may add 1/2 red chillies.**
7. Serve with steamed rice mixed with 1 tsp sesame oil.

What other recipes do you make with the fenugreek greens?

Let us know!

happy cooking!

-Jay

*I will soon write up about how to cook different varieties of dal
**Also a post of the crackling/seasoning method of South Indian cooking follows soon :)

recipe tries:

Lata Raja from the cheerful Indian cooking blog "flavors and tastes" told in FB that she tried this recipe and it was a "breeze". In her words, "True to my comment, i have cooked your venthaya keerai sambhar...that was a breeze...yet to have lunch."

Thank you Lata, I hope to try many recipes from your blog too! I am so glad to make friends here through common hobby interest. Happy cooking :)