Spice of the Month: Fenugreek

By Laura Coffee, Marketing & Owner Services Manager, Co-op Owner

Fenugreek is a unique plant, with both the leaves and seeds being used for culinary purposes. The golden rectangular seeds are more commonly found in the US than the fresh leaves, either whole or as a powder that (visually at least) resembles ground ginger. The smell and taste of fenugreek are entirely distinctive. It has a strong bitter flavor to the powder, which is transformed into a slight sweetness with the smell of maple syrup when cooked. The spice is commonly used in curries, soups, teas, and meat dishes. If you would like to try future Spice of the Month features don’t forget to sign up with CRDL to get copies of our recipes and a free sample!

Fenugreek Infused Butter

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Cut the butter into pieces and melt over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Turn down to low and scoop away any white foam that rises to the top with a spoon. Once most of the foam has been removed, add all the ground spices and stir in well. Continue stirring and scooping off additional foam for about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a heat safe container. Allow the butter to rest until completely cool. Overnight is ideal. At this point, you should notice the butter has a maple syrup scent, imparted by the fenugreek. This butter can be used to saute meat or vegetables, roast veggies in the oven, to warm flat breads or tortillas, or to make delicately flavored fried rice.

I made a quick and tasty batch of fried rice by sauteing finely chopped mushroom and carrots in the infused butter until softened. Then I added cooked rice, sliced Shishito peppers, salt to taste and continued to cook until the rice took on a golden brown color. Chopped green onions made a nice simple garnish.