Kasuri methi
Dried fenugreek leaves, crushed over North Indian curries at the end of cooking.
Also: dried fenugreek leaves, qasuri methi
Kasuri methi is dried leaf of fenugreek, named for Kasur, a town in Punjab, Pakistan, once famed for its crop. The leaves are shade-dried and sold crumbled, and they smell of hay, celery and faint bitter maple. Cooks rub a pinch between the palms and add it near the end of cooking, in butter chicken, paneer dishes, parathas and rich gravies, because long boiling dulls the aroma. Fresh methi leaf is more bitter and sold as a vegetable, while the dried form is a seasoning. Store it airtight and away from light, and refresh it by warming it in a dry pan for a few seconds before use.