Topic: More info on the Kushi Balti book.

[George]

...the book "100 Best Balti Curries" talks about fresh "Methi" and also how easy it is to grow...

I must try growing it again inside (soon) or outside (in the Spring). Fenugreek is quite well known as a 'green manure' i.e, grow it, then dig in the plant for a nitrogen fix before growing other crops. So I expected I'd have an area with a strong smell and a useful resource for making curries, as well as some nitrogen, after scattering loads of seeds about 6 months ago. Something went wrong! I'm not sure how to identify a fenugreek plant but nothing came up which smelled of fenugreek, when I rubbed various leaves between my fingers. I assume they weren't fenugreek plants. If I try again, indoors, in a heated seed tray, it will be a more tightly controlled experiment.

Regards
George

[traveller]

The little plants dont have a "fenugreek" smell at all!!  they dont have much of a smell if i remember correctly - even when crushed.

[George]

The little plants dont have a "fenugreek" smell at all!!  they dont have much of a smell if i remember correctly - even when crushed.

Then perhaps my fenugreek plants did come up, but I didn't realise it! But how can an inert fresh leaf turn into something with so strong a smell when dried? Or are there different varieties of plant - some which smell and some which don't?

Regards
George

[Ashes]

I read somewhere that in Pakistan they eat fresh fenugreek like
a vegetable

Did you know that fenugreek is actually european,
think i read it means "greek hay" cause the
Romans used to feed their horses that.
Coriander is orginally from europe too
as improbable as it maybe sound.

Learn something new everyday, apart from the secret ingedient tho :0

[pete]

About five years ago my wife grew a few interesting "sprouts"
She did mung bean, alfalfa and fenugreek

You only let them grow about an inch long
Approximately 4 days growth
Get some boiling water, drop in the sprouts and as soon as it comes to the boil again, it's ready.
We did the fenugreek sprouts and the next day we stunk of a festy curry smell
Not from our breath, but our arm pits and bodies
I have never known anything like it
You weren't quite sure, if it was you giving off the smell (but it was)
I vowed never again

I've been looking at the extract, for the new book's curry base
I must admit when you squint enough to read it, it seems like it might be very good
It's got the "browning garlic ginger" at the start
but the spices follow that, and it mentions the wonderful spice aroma

Most of the recipes, I have been told, put the spices in at the boiling stage
Maybe this will make the difference
And maybe this aroma is the one we all can't figure out!

[Yellow Fingers]

I went to Tesco today and they have started to stock fresh methi, palak, and other veg. The methi leaves are about the size of a new penny. I tried some and it tasted like grass. I'm amazed that it can become such a useful herb/spice when dried. I can't imagine it being very nice when used fresh though, even in a curry!
There was an asian lady next to me casting her eye over the methi, she gave it a brief look, squashed a bit in her fingers and sniffed it, then walked away. I don't know if that's just because it wasn't fresh or what?

[Robert]

Browsing my curry books last night I came across this pre-treatment for dried methi in Cyrus Todiwala's Cafe Spice Namaste book:

Heat oven to 200C, spread a packet of dried methi on a baking tray, then put in the oven, turn off the heat and leave for 4-5 hours(!). Pick out the bits of stem, crush between your fingers and store in an airtight jar.

This is supposed to intensify/improve the flavour. It seems an interesting alternative to the often quoted advice to soak the leaves in water and drain before adding. If it does change the flavour it might be worth a try but if it just strengthens it then I'm not so sure - I think it's been mentioned here before, and I've certainly found that it's all too easy to ruin a dish by overdoing the methi.

Was the dried methi used in restaurant demo's straight from the packet?
Robert

[Yellow Fingers]

spread a packet of dried methi on a baking tray, then put in the oven

So they take methi which has been dried to within an inch of its life, and then dry it a bit more! Makes no sense to me, but I haven't tried it, so who knows? I would think that leaving it for 5 hours is because they use catering ovens and they would stay warm for much longer than a domestic oven. Either way, I have my doubts.

[George]

I went to Tesco today and they have started to stock fresh methi, palak, and other veg. The methi leaves are about the size of a new penny. I tried some and it tasted like grass. I'm amazed that it can become such a useful herb/spice when dried. I can't imagine it being very nice when used fresh though, even in a curry!
There was an asian lady next to me casting her eye over the methi, she gave it a brief look, squashed a bit in her fingers and sniffed it, then walked away. I don't know if that's just because it wasn't fresh or what?

This fits with my own non-observation. As mentioned, I scattered fenugreek seeds across open ground last summer and waited until something appeared which smelled like fenugreek. But nothing did smell like fenugreek, or anything much, and I didn't know which leaf shape I was looking for. I'm amazed that fresh fenugreek could smell of nothing, whilst dried fenugreek is so pungent.

Also, where has the  Kushi Balti book got to?

Regards
George

[traveller]

I bought fresh methi last week to use with a vegetable dish - we cook it with potatoes and it gives an amazing flavor when cooked.  it is used kind of like spinach is used.  The leaves were kind of oval or round shaped i think.  Fresh, it didnt give much flavor when crushed.
Payal