Aloo Methi Recipe, Fenugreek and Potato
Just look at this aloo methi — garlicky potatoes gently spiced with cumin seeds, green chillis, and golden turmeric, stir-fried with fresh fenugreek leaves, then cooked until they’re soft and buttery. Doesn’t that sound tempting? Aloo methi is so underrated, but it’s the perfect Indian side dish, and I’m going to teach you how to make it.
Fenugreek (in Hindi, methi) is one of my go-to ingredients for Indian side dishes. Yes, you have to head to an Indian grocery store to grab a bunch — but it’s worth it. From methi parathas to sweet and smoky methi malai paneer, and even a fresh salad called methi gholana, fenugreek is so versitile.
We all need to add more greens to our diets (even me!), and what better way to do it than pairing methi with potato?! 😜
The best part about this recipe of methi aloo is it only takes 20 minutes to cook. Plus, most of that time is hands-off cooking — meaning you can make all the other dishes needed for your feast while the potatoes are asborbing all those gorgeous flavours.
❓What is Aloo Methi?
Aloo methi — also sometimes called methi aloo — is a North Indian side dish with two primary ingredients: potatoes (aloo) and fresh fenugreek (methi). The potatoes are stir-fried with warming spices and then tossed with fresh fenugreek, which gently wilts down and coats the potatoes with a smoky, herby flavour.
Although methi aloo is enjoyed all over North India, it’s most popular in Punjab. Fenugreek is a winter vegetable, so it’s a cold-season staple of most households — but I enjoy eating it year round.
🥔 Ingredients for Aloo Methi
Unlike many other Indian dishes, aloo methi has a short and sweet ingredient list, even compared to other comforting potato dishes, like my most reader-loved recipe, Maharashtrian batata rassa!
However, that doesn’t mean aloo methi lacks flavour. In fact, fresh fenugreek has everything this dish needs. The spices are playing back up to that subtly sweet, slightly better, intensely smoky flavour.
While you may need to take a trip to your local Asian market to grab the fresh methi (although you can also buy it online!), all the other ingredients should be storecupboard staples available at any large grocery store.
- Potatoes are the bulk of this dish and affect the flavour massively. Use waxy potatoes for a firmer finish and “sharper” flavour, or floury potatoes for a softer, buttier taste. Personally, I prefer floury potatoes (like Maris Piper).
- Fresh fenugreek known as methi in Hindi brings all the heart to this recipe of methi aloo. It’s bitter, with a sweet flavour reminiscent of caramel and a smoky undertone.
- Butter to fry the spices adds an extra touch of comfort to the recipe, but you can substitute it for neutral oil to make the dish vegan.
- Cumin seeds are sweet and warm, complementing the methi.
- Garlic pairs so well with the methi aloo as it melts down into a buttery sweetness that helps coat our potatoes.
- Green chilli provides heat. I use Indian jwala chillis which are small, thin, and fruity.
- Asafoetida lends a uniquely pungent onion-like flavour.
- Turmeric turns the dish a gorgeous golden yellow and imparts a peppery earthiness.
- Salt is vital to bring out the best of our seasonings.
You’ll also need a little water to finish cooking the potatoes.
🔄 Subsitutions and Allergies
Another reason I love aloo methi? It’s the perfect side dish for dinner parties, Indian feasts, potlucks, lunch boxes, and much more — because it’s suitable for so many dietary requirements and preferences.
To start with, aloo methi is nut free, gluten free, and soy free.
Although my recipe isn’t vegan as written, don’t let that put you off. It’s incredibly easy to make aloo methi vegan — just substitute butter for neutral oil or a non-dairy butter (I like Miyoko’s or Flora).
Plus, this aloo methi doesn’t have any onion or tomato. I’m often asked about posting recipes without these ingredients — so here you are!
Making Kasuri Methi Aloo
Can’t find fresh fenugreek anywhere? You might have more luck seeking out kasuri methi, or dried fenugreek leaves. Often sold in cardboard packets, it has a more potent flavour that’s often used as a finishing spice in Indian curry recipes.
I often have people ask: Can you make aloo methi with kasuri methi?
The answer is yes, you can make aloo methi with kasuri methi. But, don’t expect it to be exactly the same. Kasuri methi has a different texture, and it won’t wilt into the potatoes. The result will be a less robust and wholesome dish, although it will taste almost as good!
You can substitute the fresh fenugreek in this recipe for around 6 tbsp of dried fenugreek (kasuri methi). No need to wash or prep the kasuri methi as we do with the fresh stuff — just add it near the end of cooking.
If you have green fingers, why not try growing your own fenugreek? All you need is a small plant pot, some soil, and ordinary fenugreek seeds — the same ones we cook with, that you can buy at any Indian grocery store.
🧑🍳 How to Make Aloo Methi
Comforting. Simplistic, Homely. Easy. All these words describe aloo methi perfectly, but especially easy. Because it has shockingly few ingredients and no sauce, aloo methi is one of the easiest Indian dishes you can cook.
Just look at the instructions below. There are only five steps — and that includes prep work! It really couldn’t be easier.
- Prepare the fresh fenugreek by picking off the leaves, soaking in salted water for 10 minutes, draining, and roughly chopping
- Stir-fry the spices in a large kadai or non-stick frying pan. Add butter to the pan over medium heat and crackle the cumin seeds, then saute the garlic, green chilli, and hing.
- Add the potatoes and cook until the edges are golden.
- Add the fresh fenugreek, turmeric powder, and salt. Toss to coat and cook until the fenugreek wilts.
- Next, add the water and cover the pan. Let it cook for 5 minutes until the potatoes are knife-soft and buttery.
As always, this is just a brief overview. You’ll find the proper recipe card, complete with more detailed instructions and ingredient quantities further below.
Cookware You Need
🍆 What to Serve with Aloo Methi
Serve methi aloo with bread — I usually match the homely vibes with a simple chapati/roti — and rice. I like jeera fried rice, takeaway-style pilau (pulao), or plain steamed rice here.
Because this delicious recipe is dry (no sauce/curry), I also like to serve it alongside a hearty, protein-packed lentil dish. My go-to’s are simple Maharashtrian varan bhaat, spicy dal tadka, or earthy dal bukhara.
For main dishes, I’m thinking aubergine/eggplant — specifically, bharli vangi, or smoky vangi bharit — to match the natural smokiness of methi. Paneer is a more luxurious choice (but not vegan).
Finally, I always nibble on red onions and serve all my Indian meals with a simple kachumber salad or refreshing gholana.
😍 This Recipe of Methi Aloo Is:
Aloo Methi
Aloo Methi is a North Indian dish of buttery potatoes cooked with garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric, and smoky fresh fenugreek.
Ingredients
- 360g Potatoes (2 Large), chopped into small pieces
- Fresh methi, 1 bunch
- 20g Butter*
- 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Green Chilis, finely chopped
- Pinch of Hing
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Sea Salt, to taste
- 150ml Water
Instructions
- Prepare the fresh fenugreek. First, pick off the leaves. We don't use the stalks. Once you've separated the leaves, wash them. If they are especially bitter, soak them in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, then roughly chop.
- Stir-fry the spices. Heat a large kadai or non-stick deep-sided frying pan over medium flame. Add the butter, and once it melts, add the cumin seeds. Once they crackle, saute the garlic, green chillis, and hing for around 30 seconds.
- Add the potatoes. Add the chopped potatoes to the pan. Saute the potatoes in the butter for around 5 minutes, tossing regularly, until the edges turn golden.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. To the pan, add the roughly chopped methi, turmeric powder, and salt. Toss and stir well to coat the potatoes in the spices.
- Add water and let it cook. Add the water, cover the pan, and turn the flame low. Let it cook for around 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are knife-tender.
Notes
* To make this recipe vegan, switch this out for neutral oil.
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