Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
कसूरी मेथी
Whole Spices
The dried-leaf note behind most restaurant gravies — savoury, faintly bitter, unmistakable.
What to know
Crush it between your palms as it goes in. Dropped in whole it stays a dry leaf and contributes almost nothing; crushing is what releases the aroma.
- Choosing it
- Greyish-green and intensely fragrant when rubbed. Brown, dusty stock has lost its point.
- Storing it
- Airtight and away from light. The aroma fades within a few months, so buy small.
- If you cannot get it
- No real substitute. Fenugreek seeds are bitter in a different way — omit rather than swap if you have none.Try: fenugreek seeds
Measures
- 1 tsp ≈ 1 g
- 1 tbsp ≈ 3 g
Cups here are the Indian 200 ml cup, not the 240 ml US cup — a common reason a recipe does not work. Weigh where you can; the grams are the figure we cook to.