Methi Matar Malai is a popular North Indian curry made with fenugreek leaves (methi), green peas (matar), and cream (malai). This rich, flavorful, and creamy curry in white gravy pairs perfectly with naan or rice. Vegetarian and gluten-free recipe!
I'm sharing how to make restaurant-style methi matar malai recipe at home with fresh methi.
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Methi Matar Malai is a popular dish served at Indian restaurants, as well as a popular choice for festive occasions such as parties or weddings. It's a rich and flavorful curry known for its creamy texture and a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
Check out these other delicious methi recipes - Methi Thepla and Aloo Methi.
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What Is Methi Matar Malai
Methi Matar Malai is a rich and creamy curry that gets its name from 3 main ingredients used to make this dish
- Methi (fenugreek leaves)
- Matar (green peas)
- Malai (cream)
Methi is a green leafy vegetable with a slightly bitter taste. It is known for its health benefits like reducing cholesterol levels, aiding digestion, and regulating blood sugar, and is rich in nutrients and antioxidants. It is also widely popular among nursing mothers to help boost milk production.
Methi malai matar, also called Methi Mutter Malai is a winter special recipe when fresh, tender, and green fenugreek leaves (methi) and green peas are in season.
Nowadays, frozen veggies make it possible to make this curry all year round.
This curry doesn't need many spices. It is mildly sweet from the cream and sweet green peas and slightly bitter from fenugreek leaves making the perfect balance of sweet and savory, giving this dish its unique flavor.
It's a white gravy dish with greens from methi leaves and green peas. Some restaurants add turmeric to this dish giving the gravy a mild yellow color.
This is a rich, creamy, and luxurious dish perfect for special occasions and celebrations.
Recipe Ingredients
Methi (fenugreek leaves) - Use fresh methi leaves for this recipe. You can also use frozen when fresh methi is not in season. Both fresh and frozen methi are easily available at Indian grocery stores. Dry fenugreek leaves known as Kasoori methi can't be substituted for this recipe.
Matar (Green peas) - I use frozen green peas. Thaw in warm water for 5-10 mins, drain, and use. These don't need a lot of time to cook. You can also use fresh green peas. Boil them ahead of time to speed up the cooking time.
Malai (Cream) - Heavy whipping cream is another key ingredient that gives this curry its richness, texture, and color.
Cashews and poppy seeds - Along with cream, these two ingredients help make this dish creamy and rich. Use just cashews if you can't find poppy seeds (khuskhus). Almonds can also be used in place of cashews.
Aromatics - Use fresh onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili for best flavor.
Spices - Some whole spices like cumin seeds, green cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and bay leaves along with salt, black pepper, and Garam masala to flavor the curry.
I've used my homemade Punjabi garam masala and highly recommend using it for this curry. It provides warmth and flavor without making it too hot.
How To Make Methi Matar Malai (Stepwise Photos)
Blanch Methi Leaves to reduce bitterness
Blanching or boiling methi leaves will help reduce the bitterness of fenugreek leaves. Skip steps (2-4) if you prefer the bitter flavor.
1 - Pluck methi leaves from their stem, and rinse thoroughly. You can discard the stems. If you are not blanching them (steps 2-4) chop and use them in the recipe directly.
2 - Boil the fenugreek leaves in 3 cups of water till they turn soft and bright green (about 5 mins).
3 - Drain and add to cold water to stop them from cooking further and discoloring.
4 - Once cool, drain the water completely and chop them roughly. Cooked methi will be reduced to 1 cup.
Make Methi Matar Malai Curry
5 - Heat a pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee. Once hot, add the whole spices, bay leaf, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds.
6 - Add green chili, ginger and garlic. Saute for another 30 seconds.
7 - Stir in the onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are translucent. Stir intermittently.
8- Add the cashews and poppy seeds. Saute for another minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
9 and 10 - Remove the bay leaf, and transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend to a smooth paste.
11 - Heat the same pan and add the remaining oil or ghee along with the bay leaf (removed earlier). Add the blended onion paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
12 - Add the chopped methi leaves with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and saute for 5 minutes.
13 - Stir in the thawed frozen green peas (or parboiled fresh green peas) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
14 - Stir in the cream, milk, or water (½ to 1 cup depending on the consistency you like).
15 - Add garam masala and mix well. Cover and simmer on medium-low flame for 5 minutes. Stir intermittently.
16 - Final touch, switch off the stove, add the cilantro leaves, and mix.
If you prefer a stronger Methi flavor, crush 1 tablespoon of dry fenugreek leaves and add. Mix well. Methi Matar Malai curry is ready!!
Serving Suggestion
Serve Methi Matar Malai with Indian bread like naan, roti, chapati, parathas, Or rice dishes like steamed basmati rice, or Jeera rice.
Add a side of simple Kachumber salad for that complete dining experience.
Storing
Methi matar stores well for 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave before serving. It will thicken as it cools so adjust consistency using milk or water while heating before serving.
I dont recommend freezing dairy-based curries. But you can freeze this curry without cream and add it fresh when reheating.
Recipe Tips
Use fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) for the best flavor. Frozen methi can be used if fresh produce is not in season.
If the fenugreek leaves are too bitter, you can reduce the bitterness by blanching them in hot water. If you prefer the bitter taste of fenugreek, simply clean and chop methi leaves and use it directly in this recipe.
You can add dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) at the end to enhance the flavor if needed.
Adjust the spice levels according to your preference. If you like it milder, reduce the quantity of green chilies or omit them altogether.
You can add soft or pan-fried paneer to the recipe to make Methi Matar Malai Paneer.
To reduce or skip cream and cashews, you can replace cream with milk. It will be less creamy but still delicious. If you want to make it creamy (without cream and cashews), add cornstarch slurry.
For cornstarch slurry - dissolve ½ teaspoon of cornstarch in ¼ cup of water and add on low heat stirring continuously until the curry has thickened.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, While cream adds richness to this dish, you can use alternatives like coconut milk, cornstarch slurry, or just milk and cashew poppy seed paste instead of cream. Since the flavor profiles of these alternatives differ from cream, taste the curry and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Yes, substitute dairy cream with a plant-based alternative, such as coconut cream or cashew cream, and use oil instead of ghee for a vegan version.
Yes, skip the cashews and use the cream only.
I dont recommend substituting fresh methi with dried for this recipe. Use fresh methi for the best flavor.
More Curry Recipes
I hope you enjoy this Methi Matar Malai Recipe !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what's cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Methi Matar Malai
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee divided
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds zeera
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- 2-3 green chilies chopped, adjust to taste, used thai chili
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced, or 4 fat garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced, or 1 inch ginger chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped, (about 1 cup)
- 15 cashews
- 2 teaspoon poppy seeds khuskhus
- 2 cups fresh Methi leaves Fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen, using frozen.
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½-1 cup water or milk
- ½ - 1 teaspoon Punjabi garam masala
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
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Instructions
Reduce Methi Leaves bitterness (optional)
- Blanching or boiling methi leaves will help reduce the bitterness of fenugreek leaves. Skip this step if you prefer the bitter flavor. Cooked methi will be reduced to 1 cup.
- Boil the fenugreek leaves in 3 cups of water till they turn soft and bright green (about 5 mins).
- Drain and add to cold water to stop them from cooking further and discoloring. Once cool, drain the water completely and chop them roughly.
Make Methi Matar Malai
- Heat a pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee. Once hot, add the whole spices, bay leaf, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add green chili, ginger and garlic. Saute for another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are translucent. Stir intermittently.
- Add the cashews and poppy seeds. Saute for another minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Remove the bay leaf, and transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend to a smooth paste.
- Heat the same pan and add the remaining oil or ghee along with the bay leaf (removed earlier) and the blended onion paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped methi leaves with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the thawed frozen green peas (or parboiled fresh green peas) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add cream, milk, or water (½ to 1 cup depending on the consistency you like) and garam masala. Mix well. Cover and simmer on medium-low flame for 5 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Switch off the stove, add the cilantro leaves, and mix.
- Methi Matar Malai is ready!! Serve warm with roti, naan, or Jeera rice. Enjoy!
Shweta in the Kitchen says
Thanks Manju, definitely give it a shot, its a no hassle recipe. Let me know how it turned out.
Manju Modiyani says
Wow...looks nice..and requires no fancy ingredients. Its easy to make..I'm gonna try this soon.
Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Kaveri Venkatesh says
it's my favorite as well...Love this creamy and flavorful gravy...Looks delicious
Shweta in the Kitchen says
Hi Karishma,definitely try it!! for this dish I used pasteurized heavy cream. For frozen methi, you can find it in Frozen section of supermarket (in India) or Indian grocery stores (In USA)
karishma says
hey this is my all time favorite..!!! Will surely try..2 questions - what cream are u using??? Where do you get frozen methi from??