Methi Qeema

 I remember my ami making methi alu, methi chicken and methi gosht during the winter season as it is readily available during winter season. Somehow I have always been reluctant to make fresh methi as it takes lot of time and effort to remove the leaves from the stem, so this was the first time I ever made fresh methi at home, some I added to qeema and the rest I kept in freezer to add in “mixed vegetables”. To my surprise the combination of fenugreek with minced meat turned out great, you have to try it to believe it.

Ingredients:

500g minced meat (you can use lamb or beef) 

250 grams fenugreek leaves/methi (fresh or frozen)
2 medium onions thinly sliced
1 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2  tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
¼ cup oil/ghee 
3 medium tomatoes finely chopped
1-2 green chilies Chopped (or you can use them whole)
4-5 black peppercorn
2-3 cloves
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2-3 tbsp chopped coriander


Method:

 If using fresh fenugreek, remove the leaves from stems. Soak it in water for some time so all the dirt settles down, wash it again. You might need to do it 2-3 times till the water gets clear from dirt.  Blanch the methi leaves for 1 minutes, drain out the water and keep it aside (you can also grind it coarsely if you wish to).  Heat the oil/ghee in a pan, add onions fry till light brown, add cumin seeds and ginger & garlic paste, stir for 2 minutes then add tomatoes, salt, red chili powder, black pepper corn , cloves and fry it well until the tomatoes are almost dissolved (sprinkle some water if you need to in between). Add qeema, fry it for further 5-8 minutes, add 1 cup of water and simmer over medium-low heat until qeema is cooked, and water dries (about 15 minutes). Now add in the fenugreek leaves mix it well add in the chopped green chilies cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on low-medium heat for further 5 minutes or until oil separates.  Sprinkle garam masala, coriander powder, chopped fresh coriander and put it on dum (on low flame) for 2-3 minutes.  Serve with rice, naan, paratha or roti.

Note: To remove the bitterness of the methi leaves, you could toss some salt on the chopped leaves and leave it for about 10-15 minutes before you cook it. Try and see if it helps.