Methi Matar Malai

This mildly spiced thick gravy is a tasty combination of fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) & fresh green peas, enriched with fresh cream(malai), cashewnuts, poppy seeds & sweet spices. It is very important to use fresh ingredients to enjoy & relish this wonderful restaurant style dish in your very own home.

This dish is so simple & quick to prepare… just pluck the leaves from the stems of the methi & within minutes you will have a wonderful creamy curry to be shared with family & friends with hot rotis or phulkas. This easy meal will make your guests feel like you spent quite a lot of time & effort in the kitchen!

Well, my family loves this preparation. I like to make this delicious Punjabi dish without compromising on the original taste! This is my version… how about giving it a try? 😀

Ingredients :

2 cups Methi Leaves (Fenugreek)
¼ tsp. Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
¾ cup fresh Green Peas (boiled till tender)
½ cup Milk
3 tbsps. fresh Cream
A pinch of Sugar
2 tbsps. Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Grind to a paste the following ingredients :

1 med. Onion (peeled & roughly chopped)
1 fresh Green Chilli
1 tsp. fresh Ginger (peeled & grated)
1 clove fresh Garlic
2 pinches each of fresh cinnamon, cloves & green cardamom pwd.
2 tbsps. Cashewnuts
2 tsp. Khus khus (Poppy Seeds)

Procedure:
Wash the methi leaves, drain through a colander.

Chop the leaves & add ½ tsp. salt & set aside for about 10 mins.

Then squeeze out the water from the leaves.

In a sufficiently broad & deep pan, heat oil till hot.

Reduce heat & add jeera.

Let it crackle & then add methi leaves & sauté till the leaves wilt.

Now add the prepared masala paste, the dry spice powder & sauté till the rawness disappears.

Add green peas, milk, sugar, cream, salt to taste & give it a good stir.

Add some water depending on the thickness of the gravy you desire.

Let it cook for about 5 mins.

Your methi matar malai is ready!

Garnish with some cream (malai) if you like.

Serve with your favorite Indian bread or jeera rice/pulao/steamed rice.

Tips & Variations :

If you like the gravy to be low fat & light then simply replace cream with yoghurt/curds, instead of cashewnuts add more onion paste, or green pea paste to thicken the gravy.
It is better to add a little sugar to mellow the slightly bitter taste of methi.