Botanical name - Trigonella foenum-graecum
Country of Origin - India
Fenugreek is known by different names in India including Menthya (in Kannada), Vendayam, and Venthiyam (in Tamil language), Menthulu (in Telugu language) and Ventayan and Uluva (in Malayalam).
Fenugreek is sweet and slightly spicy tasting and gives its flavour to Indian dishes, curries, chutneys and baked goods.
To boost the flavour of the dish, you can add fenugreek leaves to any kind of cooking preparation which includes dal, vegetable, rice, or atta (chapathi flour). The methi paratha and methi dal are popular dishes of the north Indian cuisine.
The dried leaves are used in teas, baked into breads, or sprinkled as a garnish on many savory dishes. It is commonly known as the kasturi methi and enhances the taste of the dish.
Fenugreek leaves are enriched with the minerals Potassium, Calcium, and Iron. 100g of fenugreek leaves comprise only 49 calories. The leaves have good dietary fibre and are enriched with Vitamin C. The Vitamin K from fenugreek greens are comparable to spinach.