Methi matar malai is a lip smacking good green peas curry with fresh fenugrek leaves. With green peas and fresh fenugreek leaves flooding the markets, it is only obvious that we will be making a batch or three of this yummy methi matar malai. The procedure is simple and you can easily make in no time!
What Is Methi Matar Malai?
Methi matar malai is a classic Punjabi curry with green peas and fenugreek leaves. Green peas (matar) and fenugreek leaves (methi) are two favorite winter vegetables. In this curry you combine these two veggies with a hint of fresh cream(malai) for a rich and yummy side dish.
Making methi matar malai is very easy at home and quite quick too. You do not need many special ingredients and there are no complex steps also.
This recipe is very versatile and you can easily make it a low cal curry if you wish too. Both green peas and fenugreek leaves are very healthy low cal veggies.
This curry as such is a very wholesome and delicious one that goes very well wit Indian main dishes like naan, jeera rice.
There are two methods for making methi matar malai. The one is restaurant style and for simple home style recipe just leave out cashews and cream;
Serve methi matar malai hot with any flat bread or rice.
Do try out this methi matar malai curry that is
Flavorful
Delicious
Better than restaurants
Rich and exotic side dish.
Ingredients For Restaurant Style Methi Matar Malai
The main ingredients for making methi matar malai restaurant are as follows.
Green peas– Freshly shelled green peas are the preferred choice. While you can use frozen green peas, dried green peas cannot be used in this recipe
Fresh fenugreek leaves– fresh fenugreek leaves known as methi leaves give this curry as very deep and nice flavor. use tender fenugreek leaves that are less bitter if possible.
Cashew nuts– Along with fresh cream, cashews gives a rich and creamy texture to this curry.
Malai or Fresh Cream– Fresh cream or malai is added finally in this curry to make this curry more rich and creamy.
How To Make Methi Matar Malai?
To make methi matar malai curry first of all blanch the green peas with a pinch of sugar. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
Next make a fine paste of cashews, green chilies, onions,ginger and garlic.Next fry the whole spices in butter followed by cashew paste. Add the methi or fenugreek leaves and saute well. Add milk and water, mix well and let the gravy thicken. Season with salt.
Add the blanched green peas and fresh cream. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot 🙂
How To Make Methi Matar Malai Without Cashew?
If you feel the curry gets a bit heavy with cashew paste, you can easily make this paste without cashews.
Just make the spice paste with onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic. Cashews thickens the curry here. So without cashews to make the curry thick,we can use corn flour slurry.
Just mix 2 teaspoons corn flour in 1/4 cup water or milk. Add this slurry while you do water and milk. Mix well and simmer till the curry thickens.
How To Make Methi Matar Malai Without Cream?
While this curry will become just methi matar without malai or cream, you can very well leave the cream in this recipe. Just omit the cream and follow the recipe as such.
What Goes Well Methi Matar Malai?
You can can serve this curry with roti, phulka, butter naan, jeera rice, dhaba naan, corn pulao
Top Tips To Make Methi Matar Malai
Use fresh tender methi leaves as they are less bitter. if you want you can blanch the fenugreek leaves with a pinchof sugar to reduce bitterness.
Use butter to saute the spices for more flavor.
Do not use tomatoes in this recipe as the flavor will be altered.
Also do not use garam masala and other spice powders in this recipe.
You Might Also Like
How To Make Meti Matar Malai Step by Step
1. Blanch shelled green peas with a pinch of sugar for 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain and set aside.
2. Take 1 roughly chopped onion, 15 cashews, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 green chilies, a small piece of ginger and 2 garlic cloves in a mixer jar. Grind everything to a fine paste with some water.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a pan. Add 1 bay leaf and 2 cloves. Saute well for few seconds.
4. Add the ground cashew masala and saute well for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add washed methi leaves and coat the masala well.
6. Add 1/2 cup milk , 1/2 cup water and mix well. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the gravy starts to thicken.
7. Season with salt. Add the blanched green peas and mix well.
8. Add 1/2 cup fresh cream and mix thoroughly.
9. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add finely chopped cilantro leaves and mix well. Serve methi matar malai hot with naan or rice.
Methi Matar Malai Recipe
Methi matar malai recipe with step by step photos. A rich and creamy Indian curry with flavorful methi leaves and fresh green peas
- 1 1/2 cups fresh methi leaves tightly packed
- 1 cup cup green peas
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup fresh cream
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- Cilantro leaves
- 15-20 whole cashews
- 2-3 green chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- A small piece of water
- 2 garlic cloves
- Blanch shelled green peas with a pinch of sugar for 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain and set aside.
- Take 1 roughly chopped onion, 15 cashews, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 green chilies, a small piece of ginger and 2 garlic cloves in a mixer jar. Grind everything to a fine paste with some water.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a pan. Add 1 bay leaf and 2 cloves. Saute well for few seconds.
- Add the ground cashew masala and saute well for 2-3 minutes.
- Add washed methi leaves and coat the masala well.
- Add 1/2 cup milk , 1/2 cup water and mix well. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the gravy starts to thicken.
- Season with salt. Add the blanched green peas and mix well.
- Add 1/2 cup fresh cream and mix thoroughly.
- Simmer for 10 minutes. Add finely chopped cilantro leaves and mix well. Serve methi matar malai hot with naan or rice.
1. If you prefer you can use blanched almond instead of cashews
2. You can leave out milk and add 1 cup fresh cream instead.
Tried this recipe? Do snap a pic and share on Instagram with hashtag #cookclickndevou.
We love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter! Follow us on Pinterest for more recipes and ideas.
Lovely photos. Love the bright green color in green peas.
methi matar malai is my favorite Indian curry. So excited that I can make it now n my kitchen. Will try and let you know!
I tried this out and it turned out so so yummy. In fact i made this recipe so many times, best methi matar malai ever!
Such a perfect recipe for methi malai. I tried out with my stash of frozen peas and we loved with garlic naan!