Methi Kadhi - Fenugreek & Yogurt Soup
- bhavnashivalkar
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Winter mornings have their own quiet rhythm. The fog lifting off the earth, the air heavy with that soft, silvery stillness, always reminding me of my mother deftly plucking fresh methi or fenugreek leaves. The gentle crackle of the stems, the subtle bitterness clinging to her fingers, the old radio playing a slow tune in the background—it was all so ordinary then. And yet, now, so sacred.
She would pluck kilos of methi in those first few weeks of winter, bunch after bunch washed and laid out on old cotton sarees to dry just enough before being tucked away into muslin bags. All winter long, those leaves found their way into everything—parathas, theplas, aloo methi, and one of my absolute favorites: Methi Kadhi.
It’s strange—comforting, even—how I now find myself doing the same. On quiet winter weekends, when I find the time I sit in the sun with a bowl in my lap, gently pinching off those tiny, fragrant leaves. The process slows me down. For my hyperactive brain It’s meditative. My hands work while my mind wanders, usually towards everything that needs my attention. The nostalgia steeps deeper than the kadhi itself.
Here’s my version of Methi Kadhi, a dish that tastes like home, like warm hands and softer days:
Methi Kadhi Recipe
A tangy yogurt-based soupy curry with the earthy bite of fenugreek leaves.
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh methi leaves (fenugreek), washed and finely chopped
1 cup plain yogurt (preferably a bit sour)
1/3 cup besan (gram flour)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cups water
For the tempering:
2 tbsp ghee or oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies
1 tsp red chilli powder
3 cloves of Garlic, sliced
Instructions:
Prepare the kadhi base:
In a bowl, whisk together yogurt and besan. Add turmeric, coriander powder, salt and use a balloon whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Add water gradually, mixing well to avoid lumps. Place the saucepan on low heat and gently cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook the methi:
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat a teaspoon of ghee. Add the chopped onions and cook till they lightly caramelise. Add the chopped methi leaves and sauté for 3–4 minutes until they lose their rawness and the bitterness mellows.
Simmer the kadhi:
Add the cooked methi to the yogurt mixture. Stir continuously on medium heat until it starts to boil (this prevents curdling). Lower the flame and let it simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar if you like a hint of sweetness to balance the bitterness.
Temper the kadhi:
In a small pan, heat ghee. Add the garlic and let it brown. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add dried chilies and chilli powder. Pour this fragrant tempering into the simmering kadhi. Let it sit for a few minutes so the flavors blend.
Serve it hot with steamed rice or jeera rice, maybe some crisp papad on the side. And as you take that first bite, I hope you feel what I do—a deep, grounding comfort that comes from tradition, from memory, from the simple act of plucking methi in the sun.
If you’ve got your own winter food rituals or memories around methi, I’d love to hear them. Maybe we all carry a piece of that shared nostalgia with us, quietly simmering in our kitchens.