TWFM #6 : Secret Ingredient for Non-Bitter Methi/Fenugreek : CURD

HOW  TO  REMOVE  BITTERNESS  OF  FENUGREEK (METHI) 

aka 

TRICK  KIDS  INTO  EATING  MORE  OF  THESE  GREENS !

Kids won't eat fenugreek?

Methi leaves are too bitter?

Looking for a tastier option?

As a child, we were forced to eat methi ki sabzi despite our pronounced dislike of the bitter taste, all in the name of "This is good for you"! *  . This dislike carried on well into my adulthood. Well, not any longer ! I now look forward to winters, when I can buy & devour fresh fenugreek greens with relish.

For me, the easiest way to eat a dose of the good-for-you greens Daily, without tiring of it, is to knead it in dough & make chapatis, etc. And to get rid of the bitterness, my secret sure-shot ingredient is CURD ! 

Curd / Yogurt adds flavor, enhances nutrient value, And most importantly, masks the bitterness of methi / fenugreek.
Simply grind with curd & add to flour Or make it even tastier & more interesting by including a few spices, etc. a la Thepla, except with More greens than in the latter !

1. Bunch of Methi Leaves

2. Some Methi leaves de-stemmed,
washed & drained

De-stem the leaves; wash, & drain excess water; put the leaves in a mixer-grinder jar or food processor Without Any Chopping ! Add some thick curd or unflavored yogurt and grind to fine paste. 
Usually, no extra water is required.

 3. Add Curd / Yogurt to Methi Leaves & grind.

TIP : If so desired, one can pulse & grind to a coarse mixture. A coarser mixture will have bits of leaves showing in the dough, which also looks & tastes good, adding a bit of texture & crunch.

This fenugreek-curd mixture is now ready to be added to flour & kneaded. 

Grinding to a paste/mixture & Then adding to flour, ensures that More Quantity of greens gets used than if we were to coarsely chop leaves & add to flour.

However, to make it tastier, more appealing & Versatile, I add some spices to create a Thepla  style dough but with much much larger quantity of greens !

4. Combine Ingredients & Knead

TIP : Besides spices, I often add some extras such as gram flour (besan), moong dal flour, soya flour, oatmeal, etc. to make a multi-flour mix & a complete Meal. 

5. Non-bitter Methi Dough is Ready !

   Once all the ingredients are collected together, combine & knead into dough of soft consistency. Add water Only if required. The dough is ready ! Let it rest for a while before rolling out into bread that remains soft & fluffy !





This dough can be used to make rotis & chapatis, paranthas, theplas, pooris (stiffer dough for pooris), etc. 
Serve with thick curd/yogurt, chutney, pickle, curry (especially potato-tomato curry), sweet pickle, papads, dals, etc.  Simply Substitute usual whole wheat rotis/breads with this Healthier version. Keep it versatile & interesting ;-)
These are yummy, when served hot, but remain soft even when served cold, due to addition of curd.
Serve for breakfast, as a normal bread substitute for main meals, or send it packing in a lunch-box!

Refrigerate the leftover dough for later. It keeps well for upto a week !
TIP : Add or brush with some oil, if required. I usually knead a larger quantity of flour & brush a tiny amount or olive oil over the remaining dough when refrigerating. This helps the dough to retain it green color for longer.    

Instant Methi Mix :

Since I had a huge bunch of methi, not all of it        

6. Freeze leftover methi-curd mixture for future use.

could be consumed in the near future. 

Hence, I processed some more of the leaves with curd, transferred the mixture into a stainless steel container with lid & pushed it into the freezer. Whoa! It stayed good for the next 3 weeks at least. And I got myself an instant mix to use as desired.

All I needed to do was take it out the freezer, let it thaw & use the desired amount. One can freeze in batches separately as well. Simply remove one batch, thaw & use. 
Saves the time & trouble of de-stemming, cleaning, processing, etc. every time.
Photo#6 shows the methi-curd mixture that I had frozen in a stainless steel container, partially thawed.

TIP : For quicker thawing, one can place the steel container in a bowl of warm water. One can use the microwave, but then wither transfer contents to a glass bowl or freeze in microwave-proof containers. [I  Never store & microwave in plastic containers].

Go Green !                                                                   

Methi Breads served with salad
All bitterness leaves the leaves when curd is added to dough !

And here's how it looks when rolled & cooked to make chapatis & paranthas. Since I had frozen the mixture without any spices, etc., this time I added a couple of Tablespoons of besan flour along with spices to the wheat flour. Chapatis came out 'Martian' green while the paranthas (stuffed with homemade paneer / cottage cheese ) looked a bit paler (due to the white stuffing inside) ! 

Here's to a warm green nutrient-filled, tasty snack / bread for kids & adults alike, 

to keep us healthy & bright in the cold winters :-)

  

*  Nutritional Profile of Methi / Fenugreek Leaves