Fenugreek

Fenugreek

fen-yoo-greek
Isn’t this such fun spice name to say -- fen-yoo-greek


Origin: 
Fenugreek comes from a green leafy plant and is native to Mediterranean region, southern Europe and western Asia. Today, India is one of the main producers of Fenugreek, mainly in the Rajasthan region.

Fenugreek leaves are an herb which can be used as dried, frozen or fresh in cooking especially in Indian curries. In India, it is also eaten as a vegetable, known as methi. It has a slightly bitter taste but when cooked right, it’s delicious!

Recipes: 
One of my favorite recipes is aloo methi (potatoes).

Methi can also be used in other vegetables like paneer (cheese), lentils or to make rotis (flatbread) or pulao rice. 

The yellow bean like seeds are most flavorful when they are roasted. Then they can be easily grounded into a powder. Fenugreek is one of the five spices used for panch phoron, a five spice blend. 

In Ethiopian cuisine, it is used to make a Berbere spice mix and another favorite is an Ethiopian vegetable bowl.

When roasting the seeds, you’ll notice they have a warm and nutty smell which is why these seeds are used as an additive to flavor imitation maple syrup, caramel and in beverages.

The seeds can also be sprouted – in your kitchen!

Medicinal cures:

Fenugreek is one of the oldest medicinal herbs around. It was used by the Egyptians to ease childbirth and increase milk supply in women.
"The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, New York, successfully concluded that including fenugreek tea to the diet can help new mothers in increasing lactation."
The Egyptians were definitely in the know about this amazing spice and its natural uses.

It is also found that fenugreek can improve sexual interest or for men, it can help with erectile dysfunction, male infertility and other male problems. This spice/ herb does wonders for men and women.

There are number of other medicinal uses as well. According to WebMD, fenugreek is a great help for digestive problems as loss of appetite, constipation or inflammation of the stomach. It can ease menstrual pain and help with menopause, diabetes, poor thyroid function and obesity.

Fenugreek is also useful for inflammation, to help relieve muscle pain, leg ulcers and ease pain and swelling of lymph nodes. 

Because of its nutty, bittery flavor, fenugreek is used to hide the taste of other medicines. Fenugreek comes in a tablet form or the seeds can be taken orally.

However, be warned – there is a side effect to this wonderful spice – the bitter smell can be pungent. It is known to give your body an odor of maple syrup.

What an interesting spice. I have eaten this vegetable many times and not noticed this smell but is maple syrup all that bad of a smell. A small price for all these wonderful recipes and uses.

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