CREAMY METHI MATAR MALAI (Fenugreek and green peas curry)

CREAMY METHI MATAR MALAI (Fenugreek and green peas curry) – a delicious, golden yellow, mildly sweet curry with fenugreek leaves and green peas in an aromatic gravy, perfect with any Indian flat bread or even rice.

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Winters bring along with it some special vegetables and two among them are fresh methi or fenugreek leaves and fresh green peas. It is always advised to eat local and eat seasonal vegetables to get the most nutrition out of any vegetable or fruit!

But if you cannot find fresh, frozen works perfectly well too.

Fenugreek leaves (not so popular in other parts of the world) is a wonderful winter leafy vegetable in India, available all year round now but peak in nutrition during the winters.

These small leaves are slightly bitter in taste, but if cooked well, you hardly notice the bitterness. That is why it is generally cooked with other ingredient like onions, dunked in flavorful gravies or mixed with wheat flour to make parathas.

Fenugreek leaves pack a punch when it comes to nutrition and health benefits – lowers cholesterol, helps in controlling sugar (reduces the rate of sugar absorption by blood), has cardiovascular benefits etc. which is why you should try to include this in your diet as much as possible either in the form of fresh leaves or fenugreek seeds.

If you cannot find any fenugreek leaves (fresh, frozen or dried), you could try another favorite curry of mine, Mushroom Matar Malai with mushrooms and green peas!

WHAT IS METHI MATAR MALAI?

Basically it has 3 elements:

• Methi or fenugreek leaves (fresh, frozen or dried version)
• Malai - fresh cream (I have given other options using coconut milk if vegan)
• Matar - this is nothing but green peas. You can use fresh available during winters or even frozen to enjoy all year long.

This lip smacking north Indian curry is a must make during winters with fresh green peas (matar) and seasonal fenugreek leaves( methi leaves)  cooked in an aromatic and creamy gravy with onions, spices and cream (malai) and/or yogurt. Vegans can use coconut milk to add creaminess to the curry.

Aromatic spices are sautéed and cooked in an onion gravy (no tomatoes here as we need a lovely white or yellow color, if you add turmeric to the gravy) with fenugreek leaves and fresh green peas.

Cream adds a lovely sweet hue to the curry as well as off sets the bitterness of methi leaves, if any, after sautéing it. I have added some yogurt to add the sour element to the dish. You can omit the yogurt and just use water here. The final curry will need either cream/malai or coconut milk (if making vegan).

Fresh green peas adds texture to the curry.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE  METHI MATAR MALAI:

Methi/fenugreek leaves – if you can find fresh, nothing like it but if not, you can use dried methi leaves too, also called kasoori methi (available in any Indian store or even online) or even frozen if available or that is the only option you have.  I have used a mix of fresh and dried methi leaves.

Fresh or frozen green peas – if in season, you can use fresh or frozen works fine too.

Aromatics like onions, ginger and garlic with fresh green chilies for heat.

Spices of course go without saying as no Indian curry is complete without spices! I have used black cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves and black peppercorns.

The key ingredient here to give my version of this delicious curry its yellow hue is turmeric powder which is optional (but I love to use turmeric powder in most of my curries as far as possible)! It can be omitted to get a white gravy which is a typical methi malai matar curry.

Yogurt (optional)– a small amount needed just to blend the onion paste but you could use additional cream or just water too.

Cashew nuts – do add this for added creaminess and thickness. Almonds too can be used but make sure to blanch and remove the skin to maintain the color of the gravy.

The piece de resistance is of course cream which is stirred into the gravy in the end. Do not worry, use thick coconut milk if you are vegan.

HOW TO MAKE METHI MALAI MATAR:

Detailed step-wise recipe; stove top method is outline below. Do check it out.

STEP-WISE INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE CREAMY METHI MATAR MALAI:

PREPPING FENUGREEK LEAVES:

Soak dried fenugreek leaves (if using) in a little water (just enough to cover it) for 15 minutes.

If you are using fresh fenugreek leaves too (if you can find fresh), pick the leaves from stems, wash well in plenty of water, drain and set aside. After it is drained well, chop finely.

If using frozen, thaw and use.

TO MAKE THE GRAVY:

In a pressure cooker, cook 1 large onion, 2 chopped green chilies, slit, 3 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped or whole), 1 inch piece chopped ginger, 2 black cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon along with 8 to 10 cashew for 1 whistle.

You can boil this on a stove top too; takes a longer time.

If you cannot tolerate the smell of unfried or unsauteed garlic, then you can sauté this mixture instead along with the whole spices and them make paste.

Drain, remove the whole black cardamoms and cinnamon piece before pureeing.

Blend to a fine paste with 1/4 to 1/2 cup yogurt. If vegan, use only water to blend.

Heat 2 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp butter if not vegan in a pan. Add 1 piece cinnamon, 4 to 5 black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf and 2 green cardamoms and sauté for a few seconds on medium until the fat is aromatized and infused with the spices.

Add ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (optional), 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp jeera powder, ½ tsp haldi and sauté for a few seconds.

You can avoid the red chili powder here if you want as what you are looking for is a yellow gravy.

Add 1 cup fresh methi leaves and drained dry fenugreek leaves. Here you can use frozen methi leaves too after thawing.

Fry on medium low for a few minutes until the greens are slightly cooked; about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.

Add the blended paste and water (use water to rinse the blender jar and use that) to a consistency you prefer.

Add boiled fresh peas and salt to taste and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring continuously.

Once it comes to a simmer, stir in 3 to 4 tbsp fresh cream (or coconut milk if vegan) and mix to combine thoroughly.

Heat through on low heat and then remove from heat. Garnish with a shower of crushed kasoori methi or freshly chopped coriander leaves/cilantro.

Delicious, creamy, mildly sweet and exotic Methi Malai Matar curry is ready! Serve hot with roti, parathas, pulaos, biryanis, naan etc. for dinner, lunch or any party or get together!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Methi matar malai goes so well with any Indian flat bread like rotis, parathas, naan or even puris (deep fried unleavened Indian bread).

I recently made this for a get together and served it with plain pulao; yumm!

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2022:

Love this curry and made it again!

We had a satisfying meal with a delicious combination of Marinated Vegetable Salad, Methi Matar Malai and Avocado and Spinach Parathas.

Do make my version of Methi Matar Malai foodies and enjoy with family and friends as an everyday meal or on special occasions!

UPDATED JANUARY 24, 2021:

Made this delicious curry using frozen methi and although it took a while to cook the methi leaves, the final outcome was amazing!

You can precook it in a separate saucepan before using it in the dish if you feel like it.

Actually, the curry tasted even better the next day when the slightly bitter tones of fresh methi leaves were minimized and the creamy flavor of the curry stood out!

We enjoyed this curry with our favorite Sweet Potato Parathas and spicy, easy to make Kolhapuri type cilantro chutney with peanuts and coconut called "Mirchi Thecha"!

Need some more meal ideas?

How about this! Made a fresh bowl of Beetroot Curd Rice to go with Sweet Potato Parathas and Methi Malai Matar along with some Dried Green Peas curry!

HERE ARE SOME MORE DISHES WITH FENUGREEK LEAVES YOU MAY ENJOY:

• Arbi Methi (Dry curry with Taro roots and fenugreek leaves)
• Methi Laccha Paratha
• Oats Khichdi with Methi
• One-pot Methi Carrot Pulav/Pilav (Pressure cooker method)

Now to the recipe:

Print

CREAMY METHI MATAR MALAI (Fenugreek and green peas curry)

A creamy, rich and delicious curry with fenugreek leaves and green peas in an aromatic gravy, perfect with any Indian flat bread or even rice. Ingredients

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 tbsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves
• 1 small bunch fresh methi leaves or frozen
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 2 green chilies/jalapenos slit or chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and chopped
• 2 black cardamoms badi elaichi
• 1 inch piece cinnamon
• 8 to 10 cashew nuts
• ¼ to ½ cup yogurt or water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter if not vegan
• ¼ to ½ cup green peas fresh or frozen
• 3 to 4 tbsp fresh cream or coconut cream/milk
• GARNISH:
• Crushed dried fenugreek leaves/kasoori methi
• Freshly chopped cilantro or coriander leaves optional

Instructions

PREPPING THE FENUGREEK LEAVES:

1. Soak dried fenugreek leaves in a little water (just enough to cover it) for 15 minutes.
2. If you are using fresh fenugreek leaves too (if you can find fresh), pick the leaves from stems, wash well in plenty of water, drain and set aside. After it is drained well, chop finely.
3. If using frozen, thaw and use.

TO MAKE THE GRAVY:

1. In a pressure cooker, cook 1 large onion, 2 chopped green chilies, slit, 3 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped or whole), 1 inch piece chopped ginger, 2 black cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon along with 8 to 10 cashew for 1 whistle.
2. You can sauté this mixture in some oil for a few minutes too instead of boiling.
3. Drain, remove the whole black cardamoms and cinnamon piece.
4. Blend to a fine paste with1/4 to 1/2 cup yogurt or even water.
5. Heat 2 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp butter (if not vegan) in a pan.
6. Add 1 piece cinnamon, 4 to 5 black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf and 2 green cardamoms and sauté for a few seconds on medium until the fat is aromatized with the spices.
7. Add ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (optional), 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp jeera powder, ½ tsp haldi and fry for a few seconds.
8. Add 1 cup fresh methi leaves (or thawed frozen ones) and drained dry fenugreek leaves.
9. Fry on medium low for a few minutes until the greens are slightly cooked; about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.
10. Add the blended paste and water (use water to rinse the blender jar and use that) to a consistency you prefer.
11. Add boiled fresh peas (if using fresh or add directly if frozen) and salt to taste; bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring continuously.
12. Once it comes to a simmer, stir in 3 to 4 tbsp fresh cream and mix to combine thoroughly. If vegan, you can use coconut milk/cream here.
13. Heat through on low heat and then remove from heat.
14. Serve hot with roti, parathas, pulaos, biryanis, naaan etc.!

Recipe Notes

• This dish can be made with fresh or dried fenugreek leaves or a combination of both or even frozen.
• Almonds can be added too but make sure to blanch them and remove the peel. Peel will add a brownish tinge to the gravy!
• Adjust the amount of spices according to personal taste.
• Instead of green peas, you can add paneer (Indian cottage cheese) or even any other vegetable you like or just the fenugreek leaves alone.
• Inspired by Chef Kunal Kapur's recipe.
• Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

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