Barik Methi Moog Dal

Clicked on 27th May 2012, when I harvested my homegrown Barik Methi and made this dal for MJ Kaka

Barik Methi or Baby Fenugreek is available in plently in coastal areas as they have sandy soil. My Aaji grows it in her patio and sells it too if she grows in plenty on certain days. Lots of people in the village ask for it when they abstain from eating fish.

This is how she grows it:

Day 1: Soak seeds to be planted overnight in water.
Day 2: Prepare a basket in which she will grow it. It consists of lowest layer of pebbles, next red mud and the topmost with sand from the seashore. Wets the earth at night with water.
Day 3: Sows the seeds with brisk hand movement in a ramdom fashion on the earth. Covers the basket with a wet cloth.
Day 4: Allows to germinate for a day.
Day 5: The methi starts showing baby leaves.
Day 6: By Now they would grow to a height of 4-5 inches. This is when Barik Methi is picked for this Bhaaji.

This cycle works well in the hot summer months very well in coastal Maharashtra. If you are trying it elsewhere it is a good idea to first get the seeds germinated and then transfer to any soil which holds water scantily.

Once you have the baby methi ready and plucked clean clarefully with plenty of water. Since the entire plant is to be used it tends to retain some dirt. Save the well washed Barik Methi and drain on a mesh.

Here is Aaji's recipe for Barik Methi cooked with deskinned Moog Dal.

Ingredients

10 to 12 bunches Barik methi (bought out)
1/2 cup split deskinned green lentils

1 Tbsp oil
2 cups long chopped onions
1/2 tsp turmeric

1 Tbsp chopped green chillies

Split deskinned green lentils should be soaked in water separately for 1/2 hr before starting to cook. Drain the water.

All the Barik methi thats in the bowl shown in the above picture. Chop finely else it gets stuck in your teeth when eating. Keep aside.

In a pan heat the oil once starts smoking add in the chopped onions, chillies, turmeric and fry till translucent. Then add the Barik methi and then the soaked dal. Do not add water cook uncovered to retain the green color. The methi leaves enough water for the dal to cook in the juices. Once the dal is cooked ie. it feels soft when pressed by the ladel in the pan remove from heat. This Bhaaji goes well with rice roti but thats the Koli in me. You will love it anyways. Below you see the greens in the Koli Non Veg Taat obviously thats Barik Methi Bhaaji ;)