A simple one pot meal - Methi Pulao recipe without onion or garlic with step-wise pictures! Easy to make, healthy Methi rice - quick lunch recipe.
I love fresh greens and we make it a part of our meal every other day almost. Methi or Fenugreek leaves are one of my favorites and it is super easy to grow them at home too! I usually sow some fenugreek seeds into wet soil and sprinkle water every day until they sprout and within a week or two, fresh methi leaves would be ready to harvest. Needless to say, fenugreek leaves are very good for health and one of the ways to make it tasty is by making this one pot simple meal of Methi Pulao.
This recipe of Methi Pulao is special because fresh ground spices are used and there are no onions nor garlic. Personally I love both onions and garlic but when you are pressed for time and are looking for something that can be made in a jiffy, this No Onion No Garlic Methi Pulao is the way to go. I adapted this recipe from a cookbook called “Simply South” by Chandra Padmanabhan and it is a keeper. I used basmati rice to make this pulao but regular sona masoori would work well too! It definitely makes for an interesting lunch box option or quick light dinner choice for busy weekdays.
Check out other easy and quick recipes -
How to make Methi Pulao | Methi Rice | No Onion No Garlic Methi Pulav
Methi Pulao | Methi Rice | No Onion No Garlic Methi Pulav
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
For Methi Pulao Spice Mix –
- 1 tablespoon Urad Dal
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 4 Dried Red Chillies
- 2 Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Jeera/Cumin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Oil
For Methi Pulao -
- 1 cup Methi Leaves finely chopped
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Ghee/Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Jeera/Cumin Seeds
- 1 Dried Red Chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt as needed
- 1-2 tablespoon Lemon Juice 1 Lemon
Instructions
- In a small pan, heat ½ teaspoon of oil and add all ingredients under spice mix.
- Fry until golden brown and fragrant. Once cooled down, grind into a smooth powder. Set aside.
- In a thick bottomed pan, bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add a few drops of oil and salt as needed for rice. Add a cup of basmati rice.
- Keep covered and cook on low flame until the rice is done. Spread the rice in a large plate and let it cool down.
- In the same pan, heat a tbsp. of ghee/oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and jeera along with torn dried red chilli.
- As they splutter, add a cup of finely chopped methi leaves. Fry for 3-4 mins on low flame until the leaves start to wilt.
- Add cooled down basmati rice along with salt as needed and mix well.
- Finally add the spice powder. Give it a good mix and switch off the heat.
- At last squeeze lemon juice, mix well. Serve hot with any side dish.
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Methi Pulao | Methi Rice | No Onion No Garlic Methi Pulav
1. In a small pan, heat ½ teaspoon of oil and add all ingredients under spice mix.
2. Fry until golden brown and fragrant. Once cooled down, grind into a smooth powder. Set aside.
3. In a thick bottomed pan, bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add a few drops of oil and salt as needed for rice. Add a cup of basmati rice.
4. Keep covered and cook on low flame until the rice is done. Spread the rice in a large plate and let it cool down.
5. In the same pan, heat a tbsp. of ghee/oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and jeera along with torn dried red chilli.
6. As they splutter, add a cup of finely chopped methi leaves. Fry for 3-4 mins on low flame until the leaves start to wilt.
7. Add cooled down basmati rice along with salt as needed and mix well.
8. Finally add the spice powder.
9. Give it a good mix and switch off the heat.
10. At last squeeze lemon juice, mix well.
11. Serve hot with any side dish.
Recipe Notes
- Spice powder mix can be prepared beforehand and stored in an airtight container.
- It is not mandatory to use basmati rice. I usually use 1:2 for rice:water, adjust as per your cooking style.
- It is important that the rice is cooked and cooled down, else it will begin to break while mixing.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
Life Diet Health
Ooo this sounds delicious and something I've never had before - I will definitely add this to my list of things to make. Oh, and I'm going right now to plant fenugreek seeds- I never even thought of that! Thanks so much for linking and sharing at Fiesta Friday. Have a great weekend.
chcooks
Good luck with the fenugreek plants 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!