I don’t think I have ever had Methi (Fenugreek) in my life. As I grew up in Bangladesh, Methi was the only name I was familiar with, I just now learned the word Fenugreek. And I always thought it had a cool sounding name. And after watching Breaking Bad my perception of the name changed a little but now it sounded cooler for all the wrong reasons. 

But fortunately, methi has nothing to do with Breaking Bad, it is completely on the opposite spectrum. As already declared, I am not familiar with methi but apparently it’s given to hospital patiences and they love it. So yeah, opposite ends of the spectrum. 

Though I have never had methi before, or I simply cannot remember, it is apparently a very popular food ingredient in rural Bengal. But I am a city boy, born and raised, so I never developed a sentiment towards Methi. I didn’t even know what it was, I thought it would be a kind of seed or spice. And I was right, thank God or else that would have been humiliating. But apparently, Fenugreek can be cooked as a dried herb as well.

Now that I know what methi looks like I must know what it tastes like. I, being the absolute mad lad I am, wanted a bite from the raw herb because who’s gonna wait for an hour for the dish to get ready. I must let my reader know what it tastes like as soon as i Can. 

But alas, Lima Apu’s graze stopped my rabbit instincts. So I trusted my friend Google to know what it could taste like. My buddy Google said that methi has a slightly bitter and earthy flavor, like celery, with a sweet aftertaste reminiscent of maple syrup. Again, I am from Bangladesh and I do not know what maple syrup tastes like. So I guess I have to wait. Hopefully my patience will bear a sweet fruit and that fruit will have an after taste like maple syrup. 

While waiting Lima apu told me stories about how her grandma contrived this recipe. And honestly she didn’t even have to mention that because I could see the passion in her eyes while she was cooking. It was not just another dish she was making, this means so much more to her. 

Not just her eyes, the whole aura in the kitchen was different today. She was being meticulous about everything, making sure absolutely nothing goes wrong. So I just sat there silently, watching her work. She told different stories about how she really loved visiting her grandma and asking her for methi curry with fish. Grandmother would cook it either with Shoal fish (Channa striatus) Or Rui Fish (Labeo rohita). But unfortunately granny wouldn’t cook it very often. 

Apparently it’s well suited for patiences. Normally I’m used to seeing patients being offered bland Patla Khichuri, stew, or soup. And we have all been there and we know that none of those are particularly appetizing. But here comes Methi with it’s difficult to describe taste. I cannot vouch for it myself, but people say that methi curry is a welcomed choice by patients. 

Methi itself helps in controlling blood sugar, improves testosterone, reduces inflammation, allegedly reduces menstrual pain, reduces gas and bloating, and much much more. But I am unaware of why it is given to patients. I do not know if there is any scientific reason or if it is just an old tradition. Either way it helps. 

Another thing about today’s dish is the Shoal fish. I have not talked much about it because honestly, it is not one of my favorites. And the life of a Shoal fish is a completely different tragedy. This part will contain a horrific description of how Shoal fish is sold in Bangladeshi bazaar, you might want to skip to the next para. Shoal fish can live with very little water and survive without any water for a long time. So in bazars, the Shoal fish being sold are alive, unlike most other fish. Another characteristic of Shoal fish is they are slippery. So Shoal fish are kept in bare minimum water so the vendors can sell fresh fish to the customers. And once sold, the customer demands the fish to be cut into pieces. As I said, the fish is slippery so they cannot be held easily to cut them. First, their heads are smashed using a blunt object. Usually, the first hit does not finish the job and multiple hits are required. It is a very horrifying sight to see and really makes you lose your appetite and desire to eat fish overall. 

Now for everyone that skipped the last para, Shoal fish also probably has medicinal qualities. Because whenever I have digestive problems, my mother cooks Shoal fish. I do not know the science behind it but it is a Bangladeshi tradition and it kinda works so maybe there are solid reasons behind it. 

So today’s dish combines two healthy food ingredients and does not taste like hospital food. That’s an absolute win in my book. After tasting it I still do not understand what Google means regarding the taste and I cannot describe it either. But all I can say is that I couldn’t stop eating. So try it out for yourself.