Attention please! A foreigner has been hiding in your kitchen! Yes, Fenugreek, known as methi in Hindi, is not a plant indigenous to the Indian soil. Originating in Eastern Europe, methi has merged with our cuisine and has become almost inseparable from our kitchen. Well over 20,000 tons of fenugreek are produced in India, of which a sizeable quantity is exported to other countries.
Methi seeds are found to be effective in persistent coughs. Both leaves and seeds help in cooling down the body. It is therefore necessary that we consume more in our daily diet, particularly during the hot summer months. The seeds are rich in iron and hence help combat anaemia. Methi also helps restore the deadened sense of taste or smell. In the middle ages, it was recommended as a cure for baldness in men. In Java today it is used in hair tonic preparations and as a cosmetic.
Fenugreek: A Profile
Latin Name: Troigonella phonemegreaecum
Indian Names: Methi, Vendayam, Menthya, Mentulu
Family: Leguminosae
Appearance: Strongly scented, erect, robust, annual herb. It has light-green, pinnate, 3-foliate leaves. Flowers yellow. Pods, beaked. Seeds brownish yellow with peculiar odour. Oblong with a deep groove running across.
Distribution: Cultivated widely in North India, particularly in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Methi: How to use it
| Ailment | Prescription |
| Boils, swellings | Leaf-paste, heated and applied when lukewarm. |
| Pain in hips | Leaves cooked with egg and coconut milk. Once a day for 2 to 3 days. |
| Constipation, improvement of eyesight, piles, duodenal ulcers, etc. | Leaves boiled and eaten with honey twice daily for a fortnight. |
| For over-all strength. It tones up the body | Leaves boiled and eaten with almond; khus, wheat flour and ghee |
| Stomach-aches, upsets and worms. Fever, body heat, ulcers in the mouth etc. | Seeds, fried, powdered and added to drinking water. |
| Blood formation (for anaemic patients) | 10gms methi seeds cooked with 100gm rice. Eaten with a little salt regularly for a fortnight. |
| Hair growth (prevents hair-fall). Keeps hair silky | Seed paste applied on head. Allowed to react for 40 minutes at least before washing off , every morning for a month. |
| Stomach-ache, liver problems, etc. | Methi seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric, all in equal quantities, fried in ghee and powdered. This powder (3 to 4 tsp), mixed with rice and eaten every day for a week. |
| Biliousness, giddiness, tastelessness, stomach problems | Leaves boiled, fried in butter and eaten twice daily for 3 days. |
| Anaemia, skin diseases, etc | Cooked methi leaves taken daily for a fortnight. |
| Fever (it is a cleansing and soothing drink.) Also, beneficial for body odour or bad breath. | Tea made by boiling 1 tsp methi seeds taken twice or thrice a day. |
| Early stages of diabetes. Continue for a month | 2 tsp powdered seeds taken daily with milk . Alternatively, this may be soaked in a cup of water at night and had early in the morning the seeds can be eaten as such or with honey. |
| Mouth ulcers, sore throat | An infusion of leaves gargled 5-6 times daily for a couple of days. |
| Prevents pimples, black-heads, dryness and wrinkles. It improves complexion and makes one look years younger | Fresh leaf paste applied on face every night before going to bed and washed with warm water for a month. |
| Body heat, constipation, piles, tastelessness, dry cough, sore throat, ulcer in mouth, etc. | Boil 10gm methi leaves along dry with 1/2 cup of moong dal and 10 small onions. Eat for a week regularly. |
| Biliousness, headache, giddiness, insomnia | 2 tsp fresh juice of methi leaves along with 1 tsp honey taken daily for 10 days. |
| Stomach burn and aches | 1tsp methi seed powder along with 1 tbsp honey taken daily for 10 days. |
| Hair-growth. It cools eyes and improves eye sight | Mix equal quantity of methi seed powder along with shikakai powder for washing hair. Wash daily for a fortnight. |
| Dysentery with bleeding | Seeds fried and powdered, mixed with honey taken thrice daily for a few days. |
Caution
Any plant substance, whether used as food or medicine, externally or internally, can cause allergic reaction in some people. It is advised that our readers don’t try to self-diagnose without consulting medical professionals.