Sarson Methi Kadhi: Dahi Curry with Mustard Fenugreek Tadka

A super flavorful kadhi spiced with mustard (sarson) and fenugreek (methi). This recipe’s highlight is its use of methi in as many as three forms: methi seeds roasted and ground, methi seeds soaked overnight, and fresh methi leaves fried.

You Need:

• Fresh fenugreek leaves – 50 grams
• Plain yogurt / curd / dahi* – 3 cups
• Besan – 1 tablespoon
• Red chili powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard-fenugreek powder** – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Green chili – 1, finely chopped
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Dry chilies – 1 or 2
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil – 2 teaspoons

*The best curd for kadhi is the naturally set, homemade variety, preferably made with full cream milk.

**To make mustard-fenugreek powder, see step 1 of this recipe: green eggplant in mustard-fenugreek masala.

How To Make Sarson Methi Kadhi:

1. Prep the kadhi components…

(a) Soak fenugreek and cumin seeds

Soak fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds together in 1/4 cup of water, overnight or for ~7-8 hours. [After soaking for this time, the seeds would swell up and shed their sharp taste.]

(b) Fry the fenugreek leaves

Pluck the fresh fenugreek leaves off their stems. Discard the stems.

Wash the leaves very well and pat dry.

Chop the leaves roughly. Fry in a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan on medium flame, with a pinch of salt, till the leaves wilt and dry up.

Keep all the ingredients ready for the next step.

(c) Roast the besan

Heat a thick-bottomed kadhai or skillet. With heat set to low, dry roast the besan till it turns a shade darker and begins to give off a toasted aroma.

(d) Prep the yogurt

A while before you plan to make the kadhi, un-refrigerate the yogurt. Let it stand till it comes to room temperature. [This is done so that the yogurt does not curdle when it is heated.]

To the yogurt, add salt, red chili powder and roasted besan.

Whisk well. To whisk, I recommend a whisk tool such as a buttermilk churner or a molinillo.

2. On to the cooking…

(a) Do the tadka

Heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add to it dry chilies, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder. Set the heat to low.

Give the oil a quick mix to infuse it with turmeric and coriander. Without waiting any longer, add roasted mustard-fenugreek powder and chopped green chilies. Give it another stir and immediately tip in the soaked fenugreek-cumin seeds along with the water they were soaked in.

[Note: Pour in the water gently from the side of the pan, don’t dunk it into the center of the pan. You don’t want a messy splatter!]

(b) Put it all together

Pour the whisked yogurt and continue stirring as it warms up. Let the kadhi come to a gentle boil.

Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring all the while.

Add the fried fenugreek leaves to the simmering kadhi and continue to stir and cook for another minute, then take the pan off the heat.

Sarson methi kadhi is ready.

Serve the kadhi hot as an accompaniment to a bigger Indian meal. I took a tip from the Gujarati style of pairing this kadhi with khichdi – how beautifully that worked!

Meal below: sarson methi kadhi with chapatis, carrot pickle, tilwale shimla mirch, fresh pomegranate.

Notes:

Try other kadhi or kadhi-like recipes:

Check out more ways of using mustard-fenugreek masala: