Methi Pulao | Methi Rice
A convenient, nutritious, and flavorful one-pot methi pulao, also known as methi rice, prepared using fenugreek leaves, basmati rice, an assortment of vegetables, and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice or 200 grams basmati rice
- 2 cups methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) or 80 grams methi leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped mix vegetables – I added ½ cup chopped carrots and ½ cup green peas
- 1 medium to large onion, sliced or ½ cup thinly sliced onions
- 1 inch ginger + 3 to 4 garlic + 2 to 3 green chilies – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (cayenne pepper or paprika)
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- 2 cups water
- 2 to 3 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
Whole Spices
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 or 2 single strand of mace – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse basmati rice in fresh water for 2 to 3 times.
- Then soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain all the water and set the soaked rice aside.
- When the rice is soaking, rinse and chop the methi leaves and other veggies.
- Crush ginger, garlic and green chilies in a mortar-pestle. You can also grind them in a small chutney grinder.
Sautéing Onions And Fenugreek Leaves
- Heat in a 2 or 3 litre pressure cooker and fry the following spices until they splutter and are fragrant – cumin seeds, cardamom, green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and single strand of mace (optional).
- Then add thinly sliced onions. Stir often and sauté the onions until they start turning golden.
- Then add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste. Stir and saute for a few seconds until the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
- Now add the finely chopped methi leaves. Stir and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium heat.
- Then add chopped mix vegetables and mix well. You can add veggies of your choice.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix very well again.
Making Methi Rice
- Add the soaked basmati rice. Stir and saute for a minute.
- Pour water. Season with salt as required and mix. You can also make the methi rice in a pan or pot. Add 2 to 2.5 cups of water if making in a pan.
- Pressure cook on medium to high flame for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 9 minutes. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. Gently fluff the rice.
- Serve methi pulao hot with plain curd or raita. I served with aloo raita.
Serving Suggestions
- With raita: Serve methi rice with plain curd or raita. Methi pulao will pair nicely with most raita varieties like onion raita, cucumber raita, boondi raita or onion tomato raita.
- With Dal: Even with a simple dal fry or dal tadka, methi pulao tastes delicious.
- In a lunch box: Methi rice also stays good in the lunch box for some hours. When packing it in a lunch box, add a side of veggie salad or a mango or lemon pickle. You can also pack it for short travels.
Storing
- I do not recommend to freeze or make a large batch for freezing. Cooked rice is better had fresh on the same day. If you have any leftovers than store in the fridge for a day only and not more than a day. Before serving, steam in a pan or Instant pot for 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 322mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1807IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 500mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!