Last Updated on July 14, 2021 by Sindhu
Fenugreek is a spice that is predominantly used in Indian cooking. It is also used in some Eastern European and Mediterranean cuisines.
Some famous dishes which include fenugreek as an ingredient are Indian chicken curry, Butter chicken, Iranian herb stews. It is also a part of spice mixes such as Curry powder, Masala powder, or Berbere mix.
When a recipe calls for fenugreek, most of the time it is the dry seeds of the fenugreek plant. But the leaves both in fresh and dried form are also used in Indian recipes. The seeds are often used in ground form. And lesser-known Fenugreek microgreens are made into dal in South Indian states.
What does fenugreek taste like
Raw fenugreek seeds are bitter and nutty in taste with a hint of earthiness. But their taste and flavor changes completely with soaking, cooking, frying, or roasting. The sweet flavor of fenugreek is enhanced when they are cooked along with the reduction of bitterness.
Fresh fenugreek leaves also have fenugreek seed flavor and they are used like any other greens. Whereas dried fenugreek leaves are more pungent and packed with flavor.
Top 5 Fenugreek substitues
Well, sometimes it might be a bit hard to get a hand on fenugreek, and below are the list of best Fenugreek substitutes to go on with your cooking adventure.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup and fenugreek have a similar compound called Sotolon which makes maple syrup the best substitute for Fenugreek. It is because of this compound, maple syrup smells similar to fenugreek.
Many commercial maple syrup manufacturers add fenugreek to enhance the flavor of their syrup. And also some people add fenugreek to their beers to get a hint of maple syrup without the added sweetness.
So when a recipe calls for fenugreek, you can replace it with equal amounts of maple syrup. But since maple syrup quickly loses its flavor when cooked, it is advisable to add it in the end for maximum flavor.
But the only downside is maple syrup adds extra sweetness to the recipe. So you can try to reduce other sweeteners in the dish to balance it out.
1 tsp fenugreek = 1 tsp maple syrup
Mustard seeds
Yellow mustard seeds have the same earthiness and similar flavor as fenugreek. These seeds can be heated a bit before adding to a recipe to reduce the bitterness and enhance the flavor.
Mustard seeds when combined with maple syrup make an excellent alternative to fenugreek since mustard seeds balance out the sweetness of maple syrup.
1 tsp fenugreek = ¾ tsp of yellow or white mustard seeds + ¼ tsp maple syrup
If you don’t have mustard seeds readily available, mustard can also be used as a substitute in equal quantities.
Curry powder
Most of the curry powder blends have fenugreek as one of the ingredients along with turmeric, cumin, coriander, and other spices. So a little amount of curry powder can be used as an alternative to fenugreek especially in savory dishes like curries, stews.
This might not be the best option for sweet dishes as various spices in curry powder may dominate the flavor of the dish.
1 tsp fenugreek = 1 tsp curry powder
Fennel seeds
Though fennel is from the carrot family, it has a sweet licorice flavor similar to caraway seeds. While this might not be able to bring out the exact fenugreek flavor, it does work for some recipes.
Fennel seeds can be combined with maple syrup or used alone.
1 tsp fenugreek = ½ tsp fennel + ½ tsp maple syrup
Fenugreek leaves
While this may sound weird, it is true. Fenugreek leaves, especially dried ones make a good substitute for fenugreek seeds. Dried fenugreek leaves are also called Kasuri methi or Kasoori methi. They are often used to garnish Indian curries.
1 tsp fenugreek = 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tbsp fresh leaves = 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
Now let’s have a look at fresh fenugreek leaves substitutes.
Fresh fenugreek leaves substitutes
fresh fenugreek leaves are often used in Indian dishes such as Aloo methi (Potato with fenugreek leaves). You can find them in the produce section in Indian or Asian grocery stores.
But since they are not easily available, the below substitutes work well and will let you finish your cooking adventure.
Spinach:
Spinach is definitely the best substitute for fresh fenugreek leaves. You can replace it in the same quantity as required.
1 cup fenugreek leaves = 1 cup chopped spinach
Celery leaves:
Celery leaves have a unique taste and flavor which makes them a good substitute for fenugreek leaves.
1 tbsp fenugreek leaves = 1 tbsp celery leaves
Alfalfa or watercress leaves:
The unique taste of Alfalfa or watercress leaves pairs well with savory dishes. They can be substituted in equal quantities of fenugreek leaves.
1 tbsp fenugreek leaves = 1 tbsp alfalfa or watercress leaves
Mustard leaves:
Mustard greens are also used in Indian recipes such as saag. So you can replace fenugreek leaves with much easily available mustard greens in equal quantities.
1 tbsp fenugreek leaves = 1 tbsp Mustard leaves
Collard greens or kale:
Just like spinach, collard greens and kale can also be used in lieu of fenugreek leaves.
They pair very well with curries and other stews.
1 tbsp fenugreek leaves = 1 tbsp collard greens or kale.
Bottom line
Hands down, maple syrup is the best substitute for fenugreek since they both share a similar flavor, especially when combined with mustard. The second option would be yellow mustard seeds, followed by curry powder.
Sometimes if you can’t get hold of any of the substitutes, it is best to leave out fenugreek from the recipe and continue with your cooking. Because when used in small quantities, its flavor can easily be balanced out with other ingredients and you may not really know the difference.
