Methi Matar Malai

Methi Matar Malai is a north indian vegetarian dish combining the pleasant bitterness of fenugreek leaves (methi), the sweetness of green peas (matar), and the richness of cream (malai) in a thick and indulgent gravy. With doughy naan, or plain paratha, this creamy curry makes for absolute comfort food! It can also be enjoyed with steamed rice or pulao.

Back in Delhi, methi matar malai used to be one of my favorite things to order at restaurants. This luxirous punjabi dish is most commonly made during winter months, when fresh methi is in season. It has a beautiful medley of flavors and textures and the taste is mildly sweet and milky with slight bitterness of methi leaves.

What is Methi Matar Malai

Like many indian dishes, this creamy and delightful dish gets its name from the two main ingredients - methi (fresh fenugreek leaves) and matar (green peas). Malai denotes the creaminess in the gravy achieved by adding a paste of ground cashews, white poppy seeds and heavy cream.

In indian cuisine, malai, or heavy cream is both used as an ingredient as well as a term used to refer to smooth and creamy texture of indian gravies. On the same lines, dishes like malai aloo or chicken malai tikka have creamy gravy or marinades.

Methi Malai matar, also called as Methi Mutter Malai is a mild tasting curry. It can be made in 30-40 minutes especially if you have fresh methi leaves already picked out.

To make methi matar malai, we are going to make a onion, spices and cashew paste and then simmer the methi leaves and peas in it, before finishing the curry with heavy cream.

This recipe is pretty easy and quick, however, you do need to clean fresh methi leaves which takes up most of the time. As I mentioned in my aloo methi sabji post, I usually pick 4-5 bunches of methi a few days ahead and store them refrigerated. This really saves time and happens to be one of my favorite meal prep tip.

Methi Matar Malai is quite an indulgent dish and I make it once or twice a year on special occasions or when entertaining during festival time. I highly suggest that you don't cut down on the richness of the dish. Cook it in an authentic & traditional way and consume in moderation.

What is Methi

Methi is loved winter green in the indian subcontinent. It serves as a spice, known as methi dana, a fresh leafy vegetable, and as dried herb, often referred to as kasuri methi. This versatile green boasts of an irresistibly tangy, bitter-sweet flavor.

In the United States, methi is readily available in Indian grocery stores starting from the autumn months. Additionally, the frozen section usually offers methi year-round. You could easily use frozen methi in this recipe! It works beautifully!

Pro Tip - Always taste a few leaves of fresh methi bunch to make sure that they are not super bitter. This way you will be able to decide whether to use it in your recipe or not. Sometimes, methi is really bitter and it is not suitable for cooking, however in most cases, you can reduce its bitterness slightly. Read some of my tips on how to reduce bitterness of methi.

About My Recipe

A few things about my recipe

• I do not blanch or boil the methi leaves beforehand. The reason for blanching methi leaves is to get rid of the bitterness. Here, in America, I have hardly come across super bitter methi. Secondly, I feel that we lose nutrients of methi in the blanching process. Thirdly, it adds additional steps to the recipe. I add chopped methi straight to the gravy and simmer with peas. Do read the tips and faq section for more.
• I use frozen peas after thawing. You could use fresh peas in this recipe, however blanch them first in salted boiling water.

Ingredients

• Fresh or frozen methi - Easily available in produce aisle or freezer section of indian grocery stores or in farmer's market of certain states.
• Green Peas - Use fresh or frozen. I use frozen. You could use sweet green peas too.
• White Poppy Seeds (Khus-Khus)- White poppy seeds are often used in indian curries to thicken as well as to add creaminess to the gravy. Don't add a lot.
• Raw cashew nuts
• Whole Spices - Cumin Seeds, Green Cardamom, Cloves, Bay leaf
• Onion - I prefer using red onion for indian curries. You could use yellow or white onions.
• Ghee - I love to cook this dish in ghee for a rich nutty taste. You could use oil.
• Whole Milk - To thin out the gravy. We are not going to use very less water.
• Heavy Cream - For the creamy taste.
• Other Ingredients - Ginger, Garlic, Green Chillies, Salt, garam masala powder, kasoori methi

Variations

Vegan Methi Matar Malai

You can easily make vegan version of methi matar malai by using cashew milk instead milk. You could also use coconut milk, however in that case, the dish will have a pronounced coconut taste. Use plant based oil like avocado oil or vegan butter instead of ghee.

Methi Matar Malai Without Cream

If you do not want to add it, skip the heavy cream. To preserve the creaminess of the dish, I suggest adding a few extra cashews.

Methi Matar Malai Paneer

Add tiny cubes of pan fried paneer or some people also like adding grated paneer similar to paneer lababdaar. I prefer the latter method. Grated paneer maintains the lacey texture of the gravy.

Methi Matar Malai Without Cashew

You could add unroasted sunflower seeds to create a creamy texture when blended. They have a slightly nutty flavor but are less sweet than cashews. When substituting cashews, the flavor and texture of the dish may be slightly altered.

Methi Matar Malai With Milk Powder

You can milk powder (not non-fat) and warm water to this curry. Skip the milk.

Methi Matar Malai With Kasuri Methi

Kasuri Methi or dry fenugreek leaves have a very strong flavor and aroma. Though fresh fenugreek is the best, you may add 3-4 tablespoon of kasuri methi instead.

How To Make Methi Matar Malai (Step By Step Pictures)

Preparation

1. Clean and wash the methi. We are only going to use the leaves, discard the stems. If you are using frozen methi, thaw it beforehand.
2. Using a sharp knife, chop the methi leaves. Don't chop too fine or too big.
   

Pro Tip - Don't chop methi in a food processor to use in this recipe. It will bleed and your gravy will become green.

3. If you are using fresh green peas, blanch them in boiling salted water for 6-7 minutes. If using frozen peas, they are already blanched, just thaw them.
4. Lightly toast the kasuri methi in a dry pan. Transfer to a small plate and let cool.

Make Methi Matar Malai

4. In a cooking pot, add 1 tablespoon ghee and let warm up.
5. On low medium heat, crackle cumin seeds and immediately add roughly chopped onions along with cashews, green chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry for 5-6 minutes or until onions start appearing translucent and slightly soft.
6. Then, add the white poppy seeds and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
7. Add everything to a blender jar, add ¼ to ⅓ cup water and make into a smooth paste. Add more water if needed to grind and for breaking down the poppy seeds, they take long however dont let it get watery.
8. Warm up remaining ghee to the cooking pot and crackle the rest of the whole spices.
9. Add the cashew paste and fry it for 2-3 minutes in ghee. Dont dry out a lot.
10. Next, add the chopped methi and mix. It will wilt in a few minutes and release its water. Cook the methi for 3-5 minutes with the masala.
11. Then, add the green peas, salt and milk. If you are using paneer, add at this stage. Mix and let everything cook on low heat for 6-7 minutes for flavors to meld together. Methi malai matar is thickish in consistency.
12. Finally, add the malai (heavy cream / fresh cream), garam masala and kasuri methi along with pinch or two of grated nutmeg. Mix and let simmer for 4-5 minutes.
13. Let the curry sit for 20 minutes and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Fresh methi - Go for fresh methi for the best flavor. Fresh greens contribute significantly to the taste of this dish.
• Adjust the quanity of methi - I love the taste and flavor of methi and hence I add slightly more quanity. You could reduce the quantity to 1.5 cups if you wish. 
• Kasuri methi really helps in bringing out the flavor of fresh methi. Dont skip kasuri methi and dont forget to toast it before adding for the best flavor.
• Yellow Hue - Add a touch of turmeric powder while frying the masala if you dont like white gravy. 
• Cook on gentle heat - Since there is a lot of dairy in this recipe, avoid high heat else the milk or heavy cream might curdle.
• Dont go overboard on heat or spices - In general, whenever you are cooking anything with methi, avoid adding a lot of green chillies or red chilli powder or garam masala. Methi on its own has a bitterness and it balances out the flavors.
• Add Vegetables - You could add some sweet corn if you prefer. Tastes great.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with indian flatbreads like naan, roti or paratha.
• Pair with jeera rice or steamed rice and a crunchy salald like kachumber.
• You could serve it for festive meal with bedmi poori, aloo sabzi and boondi raita.

Storing

Methi Matar Masala stores well for 3-4 days in the fridge. Naturally, due to nuts and poppy seeds, it will thicken as it sits. While reheating, you could thin it out using milk or water.

Freezing - I am not a fan of freezing such dairy based curries. Once thawed, they get pretty bland, so I won't recommend.

More Methi Recipes

• ALOO METHI SABJI
• METHI MURGH
• METHI PURI
• METHI DAL
• METHI KE PARATHE (FENUGREEK FLATBREAD)
• INSTANT NO YEAST NAAN (WITH METHI)