Qimah Aloo Methi
“..the only one way to learn to cook is through the senses and heart. It turns out it is the only real way to live and to love, as well.” ~ Nani Power
Toronto has four very distinct and picturesque seasons. Among them all, I absolutely love fall. The amazing colors that the trees take on sets my heart to praise its beauty beyond words. The misty mornings, spectacular drives, earthen colors, cozy sweaters, cool winds, falling leaves. Yep, I am in love with the most colorful season of Toronto -Autumn/Fall.
Fall is my favorite season for cooking. This season for me calls for very rustic and traditional recipes like Biryani along with Mirchi ka Salan, or masaaledaar (spicy) curries that I can enjoy along with warm parathas, Haleem, Nihari and the usual simple soups to warm up the body. Today I prepared Qimah Aloo Methi along with piping hot Khichdi, perfect for the fall season, warm and comforting.
baby fenugreek leaves – choti methi ki bhaji
Qimah Aloo Methi is a usual at most Hyderabadi households. Baby fenugreek leaves, aka choti methi ki bhaji as they are called in Urdu language, is the key to a great tasting Qimah Aloo Methi. You can either grow fenugreek leaves in your own backyards, or buy it from the markets. If baby methi is not available, you can make do with the usual matured fenugreek leaves that are available at grocery stores which is called as badi methi ki bhaji, or use dried methi leaves which is the Kasuri methi, like I did.
We used to enjoy this curry along with warm parathas at breakfast or along with Khichdi, Khatta and Chutney at lunch. Nothing can go wrong with this simple yet nourishing recipe. You are bound to fall in love with it.
Qimah Aloo Methi – Minced meat along with Potatoes and Fenugreek leaves
Ingredients:
Onions – 2, medium sized, finely sliced
Minced Lamb/Veal meat/Qimah – 1 lb
Canola oil – 2 tbsp
Cloves – 4
Green Cardamoms – 2
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Tomato – 1, large, finely diced
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Green chillies – 3, each slit in half lengthwise
Fresh baby methi leaves or matured leaves – 3 bunches, root part chopped and discarded, tender stams and leaves finely chopped, washed and drained (or) Kasoori Methi – 2 tbsp
Red/White potatoes – 3, large, quartered
Qimah Aloo Methi – Minced meat along with Potatoes and Fenugreek leaves
Method:
1. Wash the minced meat well in a fine strainer so that the blood drains off. What my Ammi always does while washing minced meat is that she mixes the raw minced meat with sliced onions, and she then puts it in a fine meshed strainer meant specifically for washing minced meat and she then lets fresh tap water run over it while working the minced meat with her fingers until the water runs clear. She says that mixing sliced onions with the meat will help wash the minced meat well and also helps get rid of the smell. Once washed, let the washed minced meat and onion sit in the strainer over a large bowl for a hour or so to let the excess water drain away.
2. In a large frying pan at medium high heat, pour in oil and as soon as it warms up, add the cloves and cardamoms. Now add the ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry for a few seconds. Immediately add the diced tomatoes and green chillies. Mix well. Add the drained minced meat and onions. Using a spoon break the minced meat while mixing it up thoroughly with the masala and cover the lid. Keep mixing it and the covering it until you see the color of the minced meat has changed from red to brown. Now add the fresh methi or kasoori methi, quartered potatoes and water to cover and let it cook covered at simmer. Keep stirring it frequently. Once the water has all dried up and the potatoes are done, remove from heat and serve immediately along with warm parathas.
***
On a different note, I have been thinking of announcing an event especially dedicated to the iconic Kacchi Biryani of Hyderabad. It would be wonderful to go through everyone’s recipes for the Kacchi Biryani. What do you think. Will you all participate and join in the fun. Please let me know.
Luv,
Mona
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October 20th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Wat a delectable dish, adding minced meat to aloo methi sounds very interesting..
Priya’s Easy N Tasty Recipes
October 20th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Mouthwatering! Looks awesome!
October 20th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
This is a really yummy & new combo.Minced lamb with methi..wow
October 20th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Salaam !
yup i’m hyderabadi and i will share my mom’s kachchi akhni ki biryani.
you will love it 🙂
October 21st, 2010 at 9:30 am
yummy just like my Ammi used to prepare……….
October 21st, 2010 at 10:15 am
Mona! This is Mouthwatering! I like the combination of Kheema with Parathay, Yummm!
October 21st, 2010 at 10:17 am
Oh! My favourite curry. I like it with hot puris..
October 21st, 2010 at 10:59 am
Asalamualaikum Mona,
Woow…Mashallah,it looks yummy n i love the qoute as well.
thanks for uploading
October 21st, 2010 at 11:18 am
superb! simply best idea for cleaning kheema with the sliced onions! awsome. this is very new for me. thnaks
October 21st, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Mona,
This is great.Some how i dot like fresh methi here.It has no aroma,like it did back home,i like Qasuri methi,which has the taste that you need for this dish.
I have been waiting for this Briyani pl.do the receipe soon.
Thanx.
October 22nd, 2010 at 3:32 am
Sweet. I especially love the tip. It is so new and unique, I will have to buy kheema just to try it out… 😉
Secondly, Katchi. Now, that’s an awesome idea. I tried out this Katchi without a drop of water from a book I have, and I can contribute that if you’d like(Pratibha Karan’s book), and I would love to read thro’ the other entries as well….I soooo wish I was Hyderabadi sometimes….Btw, can you please tell me more about the pathar in Pathar ga Gosht? I know it’s called sang-e- sattar, but what is it? Black granite?
October 22nd, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Haven’t seen the meat and methi combination before, like a previous reader said, it would go great with puris! Lucky you get to experience fall foliage in such vibrancy. No such luck here in the deep South =(
October 23rd, 2010 at 12:50 am
What is the difference between Kachchi Biryani from Hyderabad and that from Calcutta/Dhaka?
Rashid Omer, I am not sure, I have not yet tasted the Biryani from Calcutta/Dhaka.
October 24th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
hey mona
luv the pict of fresh methi bunch,i usually use box methi these days .kheemaaloo is always my fav,liked ur version too.
i dont have much experience with kachi biryani,i did make it 2-3 times maybe. i always liked my regular pakki biryani recipe , alhld it always taste like kachi biryani .i wud wait for recipes from other bloggers.
October 26th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
my mom and I were just talking the other day abt kacche gosht ki biryani, and we’d LOVE to see a special post on it! neither of us have really ever made it.
As for this qimah .. YUMM .. love methi .. the smell, the taste, everything. And do you grow your own methi?? ‘coz I’ve never seen the baby variety in stores.
October 30th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
fall in toronto is beautiful indeed. i love the aroma of methi when cooked with meat. excellent combination. welcome back to TO
November 6th, 2010 at 2:48 am
What a coincidence!! I made this just yesterday, but with fresh methi instead of dried kasuri methi. I love methi!
November 19th, 2010 at 10:59 am
ASAK i love ur recipe .i want to know how to make kat-ki -dal my Ammi used to make it i don’t know the recipe.
WaAlaiKumAsSalaam Waseem, the name of the recipe is new to me. Is the dish you are talking about Pakistani or Hyderabadi, Indian? Please let me know.
January 27th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe! Easy, quick and tasty. 🙂
May 19th, 2011 at 4:58 am
Assalamu alaikum Mona,
Today Im going to make qeemah methi as per your recipe.It will surely turn out good Inshallah.
I would love to take part in kachi akhni ki biryani event..though im not an expert.My dream is to make biryani like the bawarchis make in Hyderabadi marriages.
April 15th, 2013 at 8:12 am
Hi Mona, I just found this recipe on your blog and am looking forward to making it. I do have one question though. I find that the mature, fresh methi often has a very bitter taste when cooked. Do you have any tips for removing the bitterness? I love methi but can’t always find the baby leaves so I have to use the mature leaves.
Any tips would be appreciated 🙂
January 13th, 2015 at 11:06 pm
Best recipe ever! I just come back to your recipes for simple dishes like this. My family loved this dish! Thank you so much 🙂