Everything about the Magic Herb Fenugreek and How you Can Include it in your Daily Diet!

Reviewed by: | Author: Manoja Kalakanti

Ever heard of a herb which takes care of your health issues, your skin problems, and hair woes? No? Well, think versatile, think fenugreek! These wonderful pint-sized wonders have tonnes of health benefits. Uses of fenugreek seeds have been the topic of discussion amongst all propagators of natural therapies and natural cures. We all know that fenugreek is beneficial for us, but to what extent and how can we include them in our diets is something we need to be more aware of.

magic-herb

Benefits Galore

Fenugreek is a must-have herb in our larders; we can make loads of wonderful recipes using this spice. The slightly bitter taste of fenugreek adds the tadka or flavor to dishes, exalting them from just ordinary to divine deliciousness. But what is fenugreek good for? Only adding flavor to bland dishes? Or more? Much, much more! In fact, reason enough to see this old spice with new light.

Fenugreek is a herb which grows in southern Europe and Asia. The best thing about fenugreek is that it is an answer to your question of how to lose weight. But that is just the tiny part of an enormous whole. Find out the other benefits of these tiny green seeds.

Beauty Blessings

There are a number of beauty and skin benefits of this wonderful seed. Take a look at a few of them:

beauty-blessings

1. Reduce hair fall:

Are you bothered about the clumps of hair you seem to lose every day, on your pillow cover, on your comb, and on your bathroom floor? That’s a realization of your biggest nightmare, isn’t it? But the fenugreek therapy can work wonders.

  • Remedy– A paste of methi seeds with yoghurt can give you thick bouncy hair. Apply the paste and keep it on your scalp for half an hour. Wash it off with a mild shampoo. Check out the newly acquired bounce and shine of your hair. It gives a boost to your natural hair growth.

2. Getting rid of scars:

Scars can ruin the beauty of your face, they are stubborn marks which are left behind and simply refuse to go. What if we told you fenugreek seeds remove scars gradually and reveals your old blemish-free skin? Sound like music to the ears?

getting-rid-of-scars

  • Remedy – Well, try this amazing remedy to lose scars. Boil the methi or fenugreek seeds and cool the liquid. Strain the liquid before cooling. Dip a cotton wool and wipe your face with the liquid. There’s no greater pleasure than watching your marks slowly fade away.

3. Getting rid of acne:

If you want to get rid of acne and the problems it causes, use methi seeds. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which cure acne.

  • Remedy-Boil the fenugreek seeds and strain it. Use the liquid to wipe your face and see your acne disappearing slowly but surely.

4. Moisturize your skin:

If you think that your face is stripped off of all essential oils and appears dry and parched, use methi seeds to moisturise it, to make it look soft and supple. After all, beautiful skin should look well-nourished from within to glow beautifully.

moisturize-your-skin

  • Remedy– Use about two tablespoons of methi seeds soaked overnight and crushed in the blender. Apply it with yoghurt for a mask. When you wash it off, you will feel your skin look moisturized and supple.

5. Fight dandruff:

If you feel you are losing too much of hair, check out if dandruff is the underlying cause. If it is, then fenugreek can come to your aid. Fenugreek benefits for women’s hair simply cannot be ignored.

  • Remedy- Use soaked methi seeds or powder with yoghurt to get rid of dandruff. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of methi help get rid of dandruff effectively.

6. Prevent premature greying :

You feel depressed and disillusioned when you spot a white strand or two amongst your brilliant black hair. Instead of taking the help of over the counter of allopathic medicines or chemically- enriched hair colours, use methi seeds to stop premature greying of hair. It has properties to retain its pigment.

premature-greying

  • Remedy– Same as dandruff, you can also use methi powder if you want.

Health Benefits

Besides the numerous beauty benefits of fenugreek seeds, they also benefit our health enormously. Check out the top benefits of these nutritious seeds.

1. Treatment for diabetes:

If your diabetes levels have recently soared beyond your control, then methi seeds can control your sugar levels. It also decreases insulin resistance, so you can consume methi seeds for diabetes.

Remedy-Drink the juice of methi seeds soaked overnight. Strain the liquid and have it. Alternatively, have a teaspoon of methi seeds first thing in the morning.

2. Protects your heart:

Yes, methi seeds are perfect little armaments which cushion your heart against all kinds of diseases. Your cardiovascular health is greatly improved once you include fenugreek in your diet.

protects-your-heart

  • Remedy-Consume methi leaves to protect your heart. Use the leaves in flatbreads, or have it as part of your juices. Also, include it in your vegetable curries. These are some of the novel ways of including methi into your diet.

3. Improve breast milk production:

Numerous lactating women in Asia use it to increase their breast milk production. These seeds contain phytoestrogens, which boost the supply of milk in mothers nursing their infants.

  • Remedy-You can boil methi seeds in green tea and consume it as fenugreek tea or a gruel. This way, you can get the maximum benefits of methi.

4. Reduces Cholesterol:

Increasing levels of cholesterol are a rising concern today and even the youth are not spared from its fangs. So, are you aware of a remedy which will lower your cholesterol like magic? Fenugreek reduces the bad cholesterol and increases the good cholesterol. Fenugreek has a flavonoid called naringenin, which lowers cholesterol.

reduces-cholesterol

  • Remedy-Consume fenugreek to get the maximum benefits. You can sprout the methi seeds, powder them and then mix them in some of your foods to reap their benefits.

5. Reduces pains and niggles:

Patients with arthritis have difficulty in moving around and their movements get restricted. Fenugreek has anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties which reduce pain in people who suffer from arthritis.

  • Remedy-Consume steamed fenugreek leaves to get rid of joint pains due to arthritis and rheumatism.

6. Help in weight loss:

Everybody you see is trying to lose weight, and trying different expensive procedures to do so. But what if we tell you of a remedy which is easily available and great for weight loss? Well, fenugreek seeds are one such remedy which will aid your weight loss efforts. It increases the metabolism and stops the accumulation of fats.

help-in-weight-loss

  • Remedy- Consumption of methi seeds early in the morning or drinking their juice will help you achieve your weight loss goals. Include fenugreek tea to quicken the process of weight-loss.

7. Improve kidney function:

Besides their numerous benefits, methi seeds can also improve the function of your kidney. Methi seeds have polyphenolic flavonoids that help with kidney function and prevent the deterioration of cells by forming a membrane around it.

  • Remedy– Have methi juices, methi leaves in curries and methi powder in teas to help with your kidney.

8. Protects your liver:

The liver gets rids of toxins from your body. So if your liver gets harmed in any way you can take help from methi seeds to flush out the toxins. It also protects the liver from alcohol toxicity.

  • Remedy– Have methi or fenugreek tea to get rid of the toxins accumulated in your body.

9. Helps in digestive disorders:

Digestive issues can sneak away your peace of mind if you love food and love eating. Digestive problems can cause a severe dent in your happiness. But with the help of methi seeds, you can ease off your digestive issues. It coats the stomach and intestinal lining. It can be regarded as the perfect home remedy for heartburn. The fibre and pectin, polysaccharide, found in fenugreek helps combat constipation and aids digestion.

helps-in-digestive-disorders

Too Much of a Good Thing?

They say too much of a good thing is not good, and the same goes for methi seeds as well. If you consume too much of methi leaves, powder or seeds, it can cause bloating, flatulence and other digestive problems. So let your body find out how much of methi seeds can you digest. Sometimes people who suffer from allergies or asthma can worsen your symptoms. But it isn’t really a big deal as you can get relief by immediately stopping consumption.

health-benefits

Nutrition Facts of Methi Seeds

The following facts will show how much of a nutritional punch do methi seeds pack per 100 g.

  • Carbohydrates: 6.0 g
  • Protein: 4.4 g
  • Fat: 0.9 g
  • Calcium: 395 mg
  • Phosphorus: 51 mg
  • Iron: 1.93 mg
  • Total energy: 49 kcal

Recipes and Ideas to Consume more Fenugreek or Methi

Now that you have become acquainted with the benefits of fenugreek, try and incorporate more and more of it in various dishes. Here are some interesting recipes to try your hand at!

1. Malai Methi

A rich dish to wake up your dormant taste palate with the taste of methi leaves.

malai-methi

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped fresh fenugreek leaves/Methi
  • 1 cup boiled green peas
  • 1 cup fresh cream/malai
  • 2 tbsp. ghee or oil
  • ¼ or ½ cup water
  • sugar as required (optional)
  • salt to taste

For the paste:

  • 1 medium size onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1-inch ginger, chopped
  • 1 or 2 green chillies, chopped
  • ½ cup cashew nuts

Making the paste:

  1. Add all the ingredients to make the paste in a blender. Grind without adding water. If the need arises, add some little water while grinding.

Making the Matar Methi malai:

  1. Heat ghee or oil in a pan or a kadhai.
  2. Add the ground paste and fry the paste for 6-7 minutes till it starts giving a fragrant aroma.
  3. Keep on stirring in between to avoid the paste from sticking to the pan, and the paste getting burnt.
  4. Add a little water so that it does not stick to the pan.
  5. Add chopped fenugreek leaves and ¼ cup water or more.
  6. Mix it well and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Add the boiled peas and cream.
  8. Simmer for 5-6 minutes more on a low flame.
  9. Add the sugar and salt and mix it
  10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve Methi matar malai hot with nan, parathas or phulkas.

2. Methi Rice

Your everyday comfort recipe rice gets a whole new makeover with this delicious recipe.

methi-rice

Ingredients:

  • Cooked Rice – 3 cups
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
  • Bay leaf – 1
  • Cloves – 2
  • Cinnamon stick – ½ inch piece
  • Green cardamom – 2
  • Paste of ginger or freshly grated – ½ teaspoon
  • Paste of garlic or freshly grated – ½ teaspoon
  • Green chillies – 1, chopped finely
  • Onion – ½ of medium or ½ cup chopped
  • Tomato – 1 small or ½ cup chopped
  • Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Salt – to taste
  • Fenugreek leaves (Methi leaves) – 3 cups, plucked, measured, washed and chopped.

Method:

  1. First, cook the rice. To get 3 cups of cooked rice; you will need ¾ to 1 cup of raw rice. Let the rice cool down slightly and then use in the recipe. Alternately, you can use leftover rice.
  2. Also, pluck the methi leaves, a measure to 3 cups. Then wash thewm very well and chop them finely. Also, chop onion, tomato, and green chili.
  3. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle.
  4. Then add whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom). Sauté for about 30 seconds and you will get a nice aroma from the spices.
  5. Then add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Cook for 30-40 seconds or till the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
  6. Then add chopped onions. Add salt to speed up the cooking process. Be careful while adding salt, if your cooked rice has already salt in it.
  7. Let the onion cook till it becomes pink.
  8. Then add chopped tomatoes. Also, add spice powders (cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder).
  9. Mix it well and let it cook for 2-3 minutes or till the tomatoes get soft, but not mushy. Now add chopped methi leaves and mix it well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  10. Add cooked rice. Mix it very gently till everything is incorporated well. Make sure not to break the rice grains.
  11. Methi rice is ready to serve.

There can be a book written on fenugreek and its numerous benefits. If you are suffering from any particular kind of ailment, chances are that your kitchen herbs can help you get cured. You just have to have faith in these timeless remedies, and methi can be crowned the most important of all herbs to treat the many disorders that modern lifestyle has gifted us!

Benefits of Fenugreek Herb-Include it in Your Daily Diet – PDF

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