Fenugreek is a spice and a herb and was traditionally used as a food as well as a medicine. Fenugreek spice consists of a small, hard ochre coloured, oblong seed. The seeds smell of curry. This spice has a bitter taste that lingers when eaten raw. I usually use the seeds tempered in oil at the start of a recipe, this gives the flavour time to infuse with the other spices used. The seeds are available whole, crushed or powdered. My spice box only contains the whole spice.
The fenugreek herb (the leaves and stalks) are readily available in Indian food shops and taste great in curries especially potato curries. I tend to buy, wash and pop in the freezer and use as and when a recipe requires it. If this is too much effort buy the dry herb (kasuri methi) and use this instead as it retains most of the flavour.