Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Fresh herbs · Leafy greens

Fresh fenugreek leaves

Fresh methi leaves: small, slightly bitter, aromatic greens kneaded into parathas and theplas or cooked with potatoes.

Also called: methi leaves, fresh methi, hara methi, fenugreek greens

Around the world: methi, मेथी (hi)

A kind of fresh herbs

1 recipe with it

What it is

The leaves of the fenugreek plant, sold in bunches with thin stems. They taste of the same maple-like aroma as fenugreek seeds and dried kasuri methi but are greener and more bitter. Only the leaves and the tenderest stems are used.

How it’s used

  • Kneaded into methi parathas and Gujarati theplas
  • Cooked with potatoes in aloo methi
  • Added to dals, muthia and pakoras

Characteristics

Taste
Pleasantly bitter and herbal.
Aroma
Warm and maple-like, stronger when cooked.
When cooked
Wilts and releases water when salted; a pinch of salt and a squeeze tames the bitterness.
Sold as
fresh, dried, frozen
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked

Storage

Refrigerated. Wrap unwashed in a paper towel and keep in a bag in the fridge for 2–3 days.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
23 kcal
Protein
2.86 g
Carbohydrate
3.63 g
Fat
0.39 g
Fibre
2.2 g
Sugars
0.42 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spinach, raw (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Dried fenugreek leaves — Use about 1 tbsp crushed dried leaves for every 50 g fresh; the flavour is more aromatic and less green.

Related ingredients

Recipes with fresh fenugreek leaves