Fenugreek seeds
मेथी दाना / methi dana
- Flavor and role
- Hard yellow seeds with a bitter, maple syrup-like aroma. Used in small amounts, they help batters ferment and add depth to curries.
- Typical dishes and uses
- Idli and dosa batter, sambar, Indian pickles, berbere, Yemeni hilbeh. In this book: idli batter.
- Substitutes
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds = 1 tsp mustard seeds (can be left out of idli). For curries, a few drops of maple syrup + a little celery seed.
- Storage
- In an airtight container at cool room temperature, away from direct sunlight and moisture. For best aroma, use ground spices within 6 months to 1 year and whole spices within 2-3 years.
- Main countries
- India · Ethiopia
Updated 2026-10-10