Methi pulao or methi rice is an easy, healthy and tasty pilaf made with fresh fenugreek leaves, basmati rice, mix vegetables, herbs and spices. Gluten-free and vegan recipe.
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More on this Methi Pulao
This Methi pulao or pilaf is a one-pot nutritious meal with the goodness of fenugreek leaves (known as Methi in Hindi) and mix vegetables.
I add carrot and peas in my methi pulao to balance the slight bitterness of methi and make it mild. The methi rice has a lovely aroma of the whole spices and the bitter-fragrant methi leaves.
My favorite vegetables that I add at various times are potatoes, cauliflower, capsicum (bell pepper), eggplant, baby corn, broccoli and zucchini. You can always add veggies you like or simply omit them.
Nevertheless, fresh, vibrant, seasonal vegetables makes the methi pulao not only more healthy, nutritious, flavorful but also more filling and wholesome.
While the recipe is for methi rice, but if you do not like methi, then replace it with other greens like spinach or amaranth leaves.
How to remove bitterness from Fenugreek Leaves?
Sometimes the fenugreek leaves have a very intense bitter taste. Try these simple methods to remove the bitterness from methi leaves:
- Sprinkle some salt on the methi leaves and thoroughly mix. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Salt extracts the bitter juice from the leaves. Then rinse them in fresh water.
- You can even blanch the leaves in hot salted water for one to two minutes. Drain, rinse and then use.
How to make Methi Pulao
Preparation
1. Rinse 1 cup basmati rice (200 grams) in water first very well. Then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes drain the rice and set it aside.
3. When the rice is soaking, rinse and chop the methi leaves and other veggies.
You will need about 2 cups of chopped fenugreek leaves and 1 cup of chopped vegetables.
Crush 1 inch ginger, 3 to 4 small to medium-sized garlic and 2 to 3 green chilies in a mortar pestle. You can also grind them in a small chutney grinder.
Sautéing onions, fenugreek leaves
4. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a pressure cooker and fry the following spices until they crackle and are fragrant –
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 or 2 single strands of mace, optional
5. Then add ½ cup thinly sliced onions.
6. Stir often and sauté the onions until they start turning golden.
7. Then add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chili paste. Stir and sauté for a few seconds until the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
8. Now add the finely chopped methi leaves.
9. Stir and saute for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame.
10. Then add ¾ cup chopped mix vegetables and stir well. You can add veggies of your choice like potatoes, cauliflower, capsicum, corn kernels, baby corn, broccoli, french beans, carrots, zucchini, brinjal etc.
11. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder. Mix very well again.
Making Methi Rice
12. Add the soaked basmati rice.
13. Stir and sauté for a minute.
14. Pour 2 cups of water. You can also prepare the methi pulao in a pan or pot. Simply add 2 to 2.5 cups of water if making in a pan.
15. Season with salt as required. Stir again.
16. Pressure cook the rice on medium to high flame for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 9 minutes. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. Gently fluff the pulao.
If you want to add paneer or tofu to the dish – then lightly pan fry them and add to the prepared methi rice. Or you can garnish with them when serving.
17. Serve methi pulao hot or warm.
Love fenugreek leaves? Check this collection of 18 Methi Recipes.
Serving suggestions
- Raita: Serve methi rice with plain curd or raita. In the photos, I have served it with potato raita. Methi pulao will pair nicely with most raita varieties like onion raita, cucumber raita, boondi raita or onion tomato raita.
- Dal: Even with a simple Dal Fry or Dal Tadka, methi pulao tastes delicious.
- Lunch box: Methi rice also stays good in the lunch box for some hours. When packing it in a lunch box, add a side of veggie salad or a Mango Pickle or Lemon Pickle.
Storing
I would not suggest to freeze or make a large batch for freezing. Cooked rice is better had fresh on the same day. If you have any leftovers than store in the fridge for a day only and not more than a day. Before serving, steam in a pan or Instant pot for 5 minutes.
Variations
- Veggies: Mix vegetables not only make the taste more flavorful but also boost the nutrition. The veggies that make a perfect combination with fenugreek leaves in this pulao are – cauliflower, capsicum (bell pepper), corn, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, button mushrooms, carrots and green peas.
- Spices: You can make a non-spicy pulao, by simply skipping the ground spices and green chillies.
- Protein: For a flavorful protein rich pulao, add some tofu or paneer. Lightly pan fry them and mix with the prepared methi rice before serving. Cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas also make a great addition.
- Whole spices: You may not have all the whole spices in your pantry. My recipe is highly adaptable and you can add whichever spices you have.
- Rice: A short grained rice or even brown rice works well in the recipe. Simply add water as required with the type of rice you use.
Instant Pot Methi Pulao
- Press the sauté button on normal mode of your IP. Add oil in the steel insert. When the oil becomes mildly hot, fry the whole spices for a few seconds until they crackle. Do not burn them.
- Tip in the thinly sliced onions. Stirring often, sauté the onions until they start turning golden.
- Add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste. Mix and saute for a few seconds until the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
- Now add the finely chopped methi leaves. Mix and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in chopped mix vegetables, turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix well.
- Add the soaked basmati rice. Mix gently and sauté for a minute.
- Pour 1 cup of water and deglaze the pan. Season with salt as required and mix.
- Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Do a quick pressure release after 5 minutes. Open the lid carefully and fluff methi rice. Serve hot.
Rice Recipes
Paneer Recipes
Rice Recipes
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Methi Pulao | Methi Rice
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice or 200 grams basmati rice
- 2 cups methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) or 80 grams methi leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped mix vegetables – I added ½ cup chopped carrots and ½ cup green peas
- 1 medium to large onion, sliced or ½ cup thinly sliced onions
- 1 inch ginger + 3 to 4 garlic + 2 to 3 green chilies – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (cayenne pepper or paprika)
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- 2 cups water
- 2 to 3 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
Whole spices
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 or 2 single strand of mace – optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse basmati rice in fresh water for 2 to 3 times.
- Then soak rice in enough water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain all the water and set the soaked rice aside.
- When the rice is soaking, rinse and chop the methi leaves and other veggies.
- Crush ginger, garlic and green chilies in a mortar-pestle. You can also grind them in a small chutney grinder.
Sautéing onions and fenugreek leaves
- Heat in a 2 or 3 litre pressure cooker and fry the following spices until they splutter and are fragrant – cumin seeds, cardamom, green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and single strand of mace (optional).
- Then add thinly sliced onions. Stir often and sauté the onions until they start turning golden.
- Then add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste. Stir and saute for a few seconds until the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
- Now add the finely chopped methi leaves. Stir and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium heat.
- Then add chopped mix vegetables and mix well. You can add veggies of your choice.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix very well again.
Making methi rice
- Add the soaked basmati rice. Stir and saute for a minute.
- Pour water. Season with salt as required and mix. You can also make the methi rice in a pan or pot. Add 2 to 2.5 cups of water if making in a pan.
- Pressure cook on medium to high flame for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 9 minutes. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. Gently fluff the rice.
- Serve methi pulao hot with plain curd or raita. I served with aloo raita.
Serving suggestions
- With raita: Serve methi rice with plain curd or raita. Methi pulao will pair nicely with most raita varieties like onion raita, cucumber raita, boondi raita or onion tomato raita.
- With Dal: Even with a simple dal fry or dal tadka, methi pulao tastes delicious.
- In a lunch box: Methi rice also stays good in the lunch box for some hours. When packing it in a lunch box, add a side of veggie salad or a mango or lemon pickle. You can also pack it for short travels.
Storing
- I do not recommend to freeze or make a large batch for freezing. Cooked rice is better had fresh on the same day. If you have any leftovers than store in the fridge for a day only and not more than a day. Before serving, steam in a pan or Instant pot for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Scaling: The recipe can be doubled or tripled to feed a large crowd.
- Veggies: You can add vegetables of your choice or can make it without veggies. The veggies that make a perfect combination with fenugreek leaves in this pulao are – cauliflower, capsicum (bell pepper), corn, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, button mushrooms, carrots and green peas.
- Spices: Make a non-spicy methi pulao, by simply skipping the ground spices and green chillies.
- Protein: Adding some tofu or paneer makes for a flavorful protein rich pulao. Lightly pan fry them and mix with the prepared methi rice before serving. Cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas also make a nice addition.
- Whole spices: If you do not have all the whole spices as listed in the recipe, then add whatever spices you have.
- Rice: A short grained rice or even brown rice works well in the recipe. Simply add water as required with the kind of rice you have used.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This methi pulao recipe from the archives (March 2015) has been republished and updated on 22 December 2020.
Can we use kasuri methi instead of fresh methi leaves ?Please guide me…
yes, you can use kasuri methi. add 2 to 3 tablespoons of kasuri methi.
I tried it today. Awesome it did turn out.
I added lil bit of coconut grated.
I always visit your site .
It’s just so lovely and welcoming recipes.
I truly appreciate your work.
Your recipes are just perfect!! They always work for me whenever I want to have anything apart from the usual daily food. Please keep up the good work… The photos with the recipe make it so easy to try them.. ????
Thanks Nidhi for your positive feedback on recipes and also for your encouraging words.
Dear madam! Your recipe menthi bath came out so well that it was mind-blowing, thanks madam. I am mesmerized by The tips you give. Tomato rasam was awesome,, I followed the steps you gave, ???? no words to explain. thanks with whole heart
Welcome Nirmala. Glad to know that you like the recipe and the tips. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback and kind words.
Thanks a lot Dasannaji. I have tried many of your recipes. They come out with authentic taste. The step by step pictures are truly very clear and helping. Myself and my daughter admire the simplicity of words used and the way you explain things – even a person who enters the kitchen first time in life can prepare delicious food following you. Thanks. Keep sharing. God bless you.
thanks a lot aarthy for this lovely comment. glad to know that you and your daughter like the website as well as the recipes. thanks again and happy cooking to both of you.
Hello Dassana,
After moving to Germany to study and having to cook for myself to survive, and till then having only lived in hostels and on mom’s food, it was a true treasure to find your website. I have tried several recipes so far and they have always turned out amazing. It is now my go to website. The picture description is unmatched. I do wish there was also a non veg counter part to this website. Perhaps it is based on a matter of principle that there isn’t one from you?
In any case, thanks for this great website!
Warm Regards,
Manasa
Thanks Manasa for your positive feedback. Glad to know that you like the recipes and their presentation. We do get request for non-veg recipes. But since we only make veg food at home. so thats what we share on blog. All recipes on blog are tried and tested. P.S. matter of principle is law of karma.
Hi Dasani a
I would like to make this pulao for tomorrow’s trip. Just wanted to know if this can taste good in the evening if prepared in the morning. Because I have a little girl I just want to make sure she can have homemade food instead of food at restaurants. If you any other suggestions I would be happy to follow them.
Regards
pavani, pulaos are best had hot. when pulao cools down, they can become dry and lumpy. i would suggest to make something like masala rice or veggie rice for trips. first cook the rice. then heat oil and then add your choice of spices, onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, spice powders. mix well and then add the cooked rice. if using veggies, you can steam veggies first and then add or cook the veggies with some water, before adding cooked rice. mix well. add some coriander leaves. this type of rice stays better for trips and do not become lumpy or dry if you pack well.
you can even take curd rice or lemon rice or peanut rice. usually i take aloo sabzi-poori, masala rice, buttered bread, veggie rolls (with chapatis or whole wheat buns), jam bread, methi thepla or methi paratha with some mango pickle, aloo parathas while on trips. its best to have homemade food rather than eating outside.
Dear will u pl post method seeds pulav….this is nice
shubha, do you mean methi seeds pulao ?
Thanks so much for your awesome recipes. I have started cooking after marriage and your blog has been a big help for me. 🙂 Also, I wanted to ask about the brand of the rice you have used in this particular recipe, it looks really beautiful.
thanks arti. this is dehradun rice. no particular brand.
Thank you for this recipe! Quick and so delicious! I paired it with aloo raita that you have published and the combination was yum 🙂 Me and my husband loved it!
pleased to know this thankyou so much nirupama glad your husband loved the recipes 🙂
very healthy and delicious! Made it for dinner and the D loved it….thank you!
welcome monisha
Hi Dassana n Amit,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I tried it n we loved it. In fact my three year old asked to prepare the same dish the next day.
I added soya chunks n reduced amount of chilli.
welcome shweta. glad to know this.
Like to try all kinds recipes veg and non veg
Tempting and inviting.
thanks vandana
wow give me more veg recipes.
Thanks
welcome pooja
Its very tasty thank u very much
welcome sneha
Hi Dassana,
Nice recipe, simple and delicious. I follow your recipes and love them.
Pics are too beautiful. Would you please share where you learnt the art of food photography. You actually inspired me to start presenting and clicking my own dishes.
Love,
Preeti
thanks preeti for your kind words. its just spontaneous clicking of photographs. no course but just keeping it simple and nice. learnt everything on my own by observing and hit and trial.
Hi Dassana,
this looks very healthy- I make something like this with spinach. Can we use frozen methi leaves?
thanks laxmi. yes you can use.
Thanks for sharing healthy one pot meal with methi leaves and veggies. I do make methi leaves pulao. Surely will try your recipe. Clear beautiful pictures. Thanks step by step pictures.
welcome celine.
this is nice recipe
You never fail to make me drool ha ha….. Pulaos are my all time favorite…filling, tasty and nutritious….have to try this soon….and BTW what’s the difference between biryani and pulao ??
thanks priya. biryani is layered and cooked on dum (tightly sealed cooking). whereas pulaos are not layered and not cooked on dum. both have world of difference as far as taste is concerned.
Delicious and easy to made recipe.
I like such a quick and easy one pot meal recipes! Comfort meal for me…. 🙂
thanks dipti
Thanks… it’s was very tasty
welcome sushma.